The great
Masaaki Suzuki
's traversal of
Bach
's keyboard music is well underway, and several attractions have become clear. In general, though, the interpretations are clearly characteristic of the musician who recorded all of
's cantatas; he is a bit less concerned with a pearly surface and a bit more with direct expression. In works for organ, he has shown a willingness to delve into period instruments, and the one here, the 1737
Christoph Treutmann
organ of Stiftskirche St. Georg, Grauhof in Germany's Lower Saxony region, is a real find. It is an instrument that
might have played; at the very least, it is similar to the ones he knew, and it brings the organ music on this release alive. The instrument's occasional clanking noises do not detract from, and arguably even enhance, its remarkable variety of colors; the delicate stops here (try
Vom Himmel kam der Engel Schaar
) are glorious.
Suzuki
is willing to take a bit of time to bring out these colors; there is nothing too radical, but there are subtle adjustments to the tempo throughout that define the profile of each little ornamented chorale, and all the performances are vivid. Hear the swirly effects of
In dulci jubilo, BWV 608
. The pieces, except for an entr'acte prelude and fugue, are associated with the holiday season. This album was released in the summer of 2023; it may not have been intended as a Christmas album, but it would make a wonderful purchase at that time. ~ James Manheim