Matthias Havinga: Passacaglia

This original program brings together composers from 4 centuries: from Kerll, Couperin, Buxtehude and the monumental Passacaglia in C minor by J.S. Bach, far into the 20-th century with Reger, Shostakovich and Jan Welmers. Consisting of variations framed in a constantly repeated basso ostinato, the passacaglia is a musical form with a long and fruitful history. This release is dedicated to eight such examples which, taken from four countries and all performed on the organ, divide either side of the year 1800 to reveal the form’s extensive and inventive development over time. The passacaglia was particularly popular during the 17th century, when it became known for its limited range of keys, slow triple meter and short, simple theme of two or four bars. While Couperin’s use of elaborate ornamentation and rondo structure equate to a typically French rendition of the form, the leaps in Buxtehude’s theme create bolder expression and are also prominent in J.S. Bach’s C minor Passacaglia – a summit in western classical music, whose influence can be felt in this compilation’s remaining post-1800 works. From Mendelssohn’s unabashed homage, distinguished by its unusual 4/4 time signature, to Reger’s similarly Romantic appraisal of 17th-century contrapuntal techniques, the collection also showcases Shostakovich’s highly dramatic working of the form – whose complex harmonic explorations are pushed to shattering point in Welmer’s 1965 atonal composition. Though the passacaglia is by no means limited to the organ, this compilation demonstrates just how well the instrument’s sustainable tone and majestic qualities suit the form. Matthias Havinga delivers an authoritative reading, full of colour and timbral invention. Artist: Matthias Havinga (organ) Other Information: New recording, including extensive liner notes and information on the instrument. Recorded on the magnificent Martti Pothan organ Kotka Church in Sweden, by young virtuoso Matthias Havinga, whose earlier recording on this organ (Brilliant Classics 94203) with Italian Concertos by J.S. Bach received enthusiastic reviews in the press. Online purchase or streaming (Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, Deezer, Google Play): https://brilliant-classics.lnk.to/Hav... More Information: https://www.brilliantclassics.com/art... Tracklist: 00:00 Max Reger: Sechs Stücke ohne Opuszahl: Introduktion und Passacaglia 08:04 Dietrich Buxtehude: Passacaglia in D Minor, BuxWV 161 14:47 Felix Mendelssohn: Passacaglia in C Minor (1823) 21:26 François Couperin: Pièces de Clavecin, Second Livre, Huitième Ordre: Rondeau – Passacaille 28:40 Jan Welmers: Passacaglia (1965) 34:55 Johann Kaspar Kerll: Passacaglia in D Minor, Edited by C. David Harris 42:22 Dmitri Shostakovich: Passacaglia from Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District Op.29 49:01 Johann Sebastian Bach: Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor, BWV 58 Social media links: Instagram: https://brilliant-classics.lnk.to/Ins... Facebook: https://brilliant-classics.lnk.to/Fac... TikTok: https://brilliant-classics.lnk.to/Tik... Spotify Playlists: Brilliant Classics Spotify: https://brilliant-classics.lnk.to/Spo... New Classical Releases: https://brilliant-classics.lnk.to/New... The Best of Liszt: https://brilliant-classics.lnk.to/Pla... The Best of Bach: https://brilliant-classics.lnk.to/Bes... Most Popular Piano Music: https://brilliant-classics.lnk.to/Mos... Beautiful Classical Music: https://brilliant-classics.lnk.to/Bea... Classical Music For Dinnertime: https://brilliant-classics.lnk.to/Cla... Thank you for watching this video by Brilliant Classics, we hope you enjoyed it! Don’t forget to share it and subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://brilliant-classics.lnk.to/You... And visit our channel for the best classical music from the greatest composers like: Bach, Satie, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Chopin, Haydn, Ravel, Debussy, Verdi, Vivaldi, Handel, Brahms, Liszt, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff, Wagner, Strauss, Handel, Dvorak and many more! We upload complete albums, music for relaxing, working, studying, meditating, concentrating, instrumental music, opera, violin, classical piano music, sonatas and more! #Havinga #Bach #Welmers #Shostakovich #Kerll #Couperin #Mendelssohn #Reger #Buxtehude #Organ #Classical #Music #BrilliantClassics