Bendict Jucker: Organ Works

Description

With this album, Nicoleta Paraschivescu presents the first comprehensive recording of the organ works of the Swiss composer, organist and pedagogue Benedict Jucker (1811-1876). The recording is the result of the Benedict Jucker Project at the University of Basel, initiated and directed by Paraschivescu, which is dedicated to the scholarly research, critical edition and rediscovery of this remarkable yet today largely forgotten composer. In the nineteenth century, Jucker was one of the leading figures of Basel's musical life yet despite the quality and breadth of his output, his extensive oeuvre almost completely disappeared from the repertoire after his death. Nicoleta Paraschivescu responds to this neglect with a rediscovery that is as scholarly as it is passionate. The works were recorded on the magnificent organ of the Stadtkirche Winterthur, whose rich tonal resources bring the Romantic character of Jucker's music vividly to life. Through refined registration, sensitive phrasing and a profound understanding of large-scale musical architecture, Paraschivescu illuminates every facet of the composer's musical imagination. The programme offers a unique representative survey of Jucker's organ music.