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Subject:
From:
John Foss <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
John Foss <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 7 Sep 2004 13:35:51 +0100
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Having found the programme from Friday's recital at
Sydney Grammar School I can now say a bit more about
both the concert and the organ. First the recitalists,
playing that rare combination, the organ duet. It must
require considerable skill to fit two people on to an
organ bench to play music in concert, but Robert Ampt,
holds the post of Sydney City Organist, playing
regular recitals on the world famous 5 manual Hill
organ in Sydney Town Hall, the proud possessor of one
of the world's few full length 64' stops. Robert Ampt
is a regular broadcaster, recitalist and has made
several CD's, both in Australia and elsewhere. Amy
Johansen is the Sydney University Organist, and also
an internationally renowned recitalist, broadcaster
and recording organist, so the standard of performance
goes without saying - polished professionalism.
Of their programme, I found the work MM by Laukvik the
most interesting - a perpetuum mobile with what seem
to be randomly inserted notes, like drops of ice, but
are in fact highly organised. The effect can be
likened to a waterfall, or the opening of a door on a
party and then closing it again - a somewhat disparate
choice of descriptions, but you would have to hear it
to understand! Jon Laukvik is a professor at the
Hochschule fur Musik in Stuttgart, and by chance one
of his students, Timo Katz, was with us at the
recital. Timo is another fine young organist, though
he has come to Australia to study English. English?
Strine, I thought! He is playing one of the recitals
at St Andrew's in October - well worth going to. The
rest of the programme held my attention, too - Robert
Ampt's arrangement of Waltzing Matilda for four feet
was an entertaining aside, a set of variations on an
original theme by Cabena, a contemporary composer
living in Canada, reminded me of the Dupre Variations
on a Noel, though with a more dissonant, contemporary
harmonic approach. Any Johnasen played another
composition of Robert Ampt's as a solo, his variations
on "Gaudeamus Igitur", a captivating work, and the
concert ended with Mendelssohn's Overture for Wind
Instruments, arranged by Mendelssohn for Piano Duet
and arranged here by Amy Johansen.
And the organ? A project which has taken 10 years to
come to fruition. My guess is that it will be featured
on the Mander website, though using a computer on
which I am unable to switch addresses without a highly
elaborate ritual, I can't see at the moment. Perhaps
someone else knows? It is a relatively small tracker
instrument, with 17 independent stops, 4 of the great
stops being borrowed by transmission from the great to
the pedal, bringing the complement up to 21. But it
makes a big sound. Great Open and Stopped Diapasons at
8', a 4' Principal, Fifteenth 2', a IV rank mixture
and a bright, open sounding Trumpet at 8'. The swell
has three 8's, starting with a Gedackt, two 4's, a 2'
and a sesquialtera II, capped by a 16' Bassoon and an
Oboe 8'. It is beautifully made. A real work of
craftsmanship, with mechanical key action and Electric
stop action, allowing for a generous collection of
aids to registration.
It is difficult to describe sounds - you need to go
and hear it - but its range runs the gamut from
delicate pianissimo to bold full organ. Two players
are able to produce a richness of sound, which may
augment the stops given, but it is a rich sound by any
standard. The console has the stops in terraces, and
it is a work of visual art in itself.
The case, mentioned previously, is reminiscent of the
1732 organ in Grosvenor Chapel, Mayfair, and is
crafted in American Oak, with the pipe shades being
hand carved lime wood.
Altogether a very satisfying occasion. This is
Mander's first organ in Australia, but with
workmanship of this quality it will not be their last.
John Foss

=====
http://www.johnfoss.gr
http://www.organsandorganistsonline.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orgofftop/





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