Format Details:
Release Date: 12 April 2019
Label: Australian Eloquence
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 0028948403516
Genres: Classical Solo Instrumental
Description
Sadly Perter Hurford has passed away at the age of 88. While playing organs worldwide, and concentrating his work in his native England, Peter Hurford nonetheless gave recitals on organs across Australia throughout his long career. However, he hardly played an instrument more dazzling in its impact and variety than the organ which was installed at the Sydney Opera House.
This recording contains all the most 'popular' works for organ, including Mendelssohn's Wedding March from Midsummer's Night Dream.
Completed in May 1979 at a cost of $1.2 million, the organ has come to be regarded as one of the finest such instruments in the southern hemisphere. Among the world's largest mechanical-action organs, it was built by an Australian, Ronald Sharpe and, during the final phase of construction, the Austrian organ-building firm of Gregor Hradetzky.
Both the instrument and Hurford's rhythmically animated playing are justly immortalised by this album of popular organ classics. It begins with the toccata and fugue which was almost certainly not written for organ and probably not composed by Bach, but is destined to be associated with both in the public imagination. Likewise the Adagio that is no more or less than Giazotto's reworking and Romantic elaboration of a slender theme 'by' Albinoni.
Whoever it was by, every piece on this compendious introduction to organ literature is richly enjoyable, and Hurford duly enjoys all the colours of the Sydney organ by, almost literally, pulling out all the stops during the course of the album. In the hands of Hurford, Herbert Murrill's Carillon is a dazzling feat of prestidigitation, and the Sydney trumpets will test out the most exacting audio equipment here and in the album's inevitable conclusion, the Toccata from Widor's Fifth Symphony.
'This is the sort of programme with which organs are baptized … There is a springiness in the playing which comes up fresh every time … All very good value.' Gramophone, June 1983
'Here's a bit of fun. Imagine the astonishment of Purcell and Bach, leading from the bar of heaven to listen to the Trumpet Tune and Jesu, joy on an organ beyond their wildest imaginings. Hurford plays as scrupulously for a popular audience as for the stuffiest international jury.' Musical Times, December 1983
Tracklisting
Joshua Bell
Irmgard Seefried
Concertgebouworkest / Colin Davis
Michael Tilson Thomas
Bayerischer Staatsopernchor & Orch, Keilberth
Andor Foldes; Ferdinand Leitner
Andor Foldes
Various artists
Slava Guerchovitch
Nora von Marschall
Lea Suter
Aart Bergwerff
Ran Jia
Johannes Krahl
Elke Volker
Henry Fairs
