JLCD144 - Spirited Fantasies
Genre:
Organ improvisations
Recording date:
3 / 04 / 2009

When listening to the ‘Improvisations’ CD by Gerben Mourik played on the new Van Den Heuvel organ, in the brand new Danish concert hall in Copenhagen, I often wondered who the real star of this production is: the organist or the organ. The organist plays with a wide diversity of style; the organ follows like a chameleon. When one considers the specification of this instrument, one is first of all reminded of a large symphonic organ in the style of Cavaille-Coll-Mutin. But this instrument is not so easily pigeon-holed: there are a number of fundamental elements in its composition that makes this, without doubt, a contemporary organ. In Copenhagen one does not hear a more or less successful “compromise” organ, but instead hears the organ of the future; one that makes having a broad sound colour spectrum a convincing character trait. The more one listens to the various improvisations, forms and registrations by Gerben, the more one is convinced of the intelligence with which the organ was put together.
 
The only aspect that does not do the organ – any organ – complete justice is the limited acoustic. Although the voicing and specification have been designed with this in mind (compare, for example, the relationship between the foundations, mutations and reeds with those in the original specification of the Cavaille-Coll organ in the Palais du Trocadero, Paris), the organ would sound even more monumental and brilliant within a cathedral-like acoustic. This limitation can be heard particularly in the solo registrations, where the upper tones developed by a reverberant acoustic cannot be heard, although they are clearer in the ensemble registrations. Nowhere on the CD is this truly a problem, only the ‘fileuse’ in the Intermezzo of track three and the Waltz on track five sound a little dry for my liking.
 
Anyone who doesn’t know Gerben will find it hard to believe that these improvisations have come about without much preparation. This is not only a testament to Gerben’s proficiency; it also shows how easily this organ lets itself be played. I experienced the latter when I briefly played the organ myself, one afternoon when it was still in the Van Den Heuvel assembly hall: the console is designed for ease of use, the seat is flawless (with adjustable bench with back rest), the effect of the swell boxes is phenomenal; as it should be! Having played the organ I now have little patience for organ builders who insist on constructing spartan-purist consoles; how could music ever benefit from that?
 
The Intrada and Evocation from the 16th Century convincingly present the listener with the more conventional style registrations. The same goes for the largest improvisation, on “I Danmark er jeg fodt”, in which Gerben displays his daring and gives this complex symphonic form a head and tail without losing any of the excitement. Listen, for example, to the transition from the Fugue to the Intermezzo! Improvising true to style does not always lead to the most interesting results, but I find the Sonatine so convincing that some classical composers should be worried about receding into obscurity if Gerben gets too good at this…
In the Three Impressions of Copenhagen, Gerben leaves the conventional organ style more or less behind and instead showcases what a modern organ such as this has to offer. In these impressions, he exploits the possibilities of the three swell boxes. The fact that the swell boxes open and close superbly might not seem such a crucial point, but if it allows the organist to play with the upper tones and sound balance, it is indeed a fundamental feature of a flexible, modern organ.
Finally, in the Gershwin-Rhapsodie we hear the many mutations, with all possible and impossible upper tones, such as Nones, Septiemes, etc. Here one easily forgets that the organ sits in a relatively small room. These types of upper tones are perhaps better suited to this space, because the foundations are still audible and the upper tones don’t crowd each other out.
 
After listening to this improvisation CD I became very interested in the potential of this instrument for interpreting the body of music for large organs, both in the polyphonic repertoire and the large symphonic and modern works. This organ is like a glove that must be picked up by interpreters and composers! This leaves me to say that every piece is played with an infectious enthusiasm, but in order to fully appreciate it, you are best listening to the CD yourself!