Richard Wagner, an Organic Journey - Eight Historical Organ Transcriptions by Laurens de Man

Richard Wagner

Laurens de Man

Richard Wagner, an Organic Journey - Eight Historical Organ Transcriptions

Format: CD
Label: Globe
UPC: 8711525528703
Catnr: GLO 5287
Release date: 27 September 2024

1 CD

Label
Globe

UPC
8711525528703

Catalogue number
GLO 5287

Release date
27 September 2024

"Anyone familiar with Wagner’s work will hear all the orchestral parts in the organ sounds. But even those who are not familiar with Wagner’s music will enjoy an unprecedentedly beautiful organ splendor, performed with love and attention by Laurens de Man. His playing exudes self-confidence, with a great sense of timbre and dynamics. In addition, he has a refined articulation that makes the performances sound clear and fresh."

Music Frames, 16-10-2024

Album

Artist(s)

Composer(s)

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About the album

Although Wagner didn’t compose organ music himself, it is not difficult to imagine his colorful orchestrations transcribed for the organ. To enrich an overly ecclesiastic organ repertoire, 19th-century composers such as the legendary organist Edwin Lemare, Sigfrid Karg-Elert, and Franz Liszt created organ transcriptions of beloved Wagner operas like Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg,Tristan und Isolde, and Tannhäuser. With their intricate layering and dramatic counterpoints, these operas proved a perfect match for the splendor of the Romantic organ. The resulting works not only allowed audiences to experience Wagner's music in the contemplative spaces of the church but also highlighted the organ's expressive power and grandeur. Each piece on this new album by Nederlandse Muziekprijs winner Laurens de Man reveals the organ's capacity to convey Wagner's rich, polyphonic textures and profound emotional depth. This album is available in a hand-numbered limited edition of 600 copies.

Obwohl Wagner selbst keine Orgelmusik komponiert hat, ist es nicht schwer, sich seine farbenfrohen Orchestrierungen in Transkriptionen für die Orgel vorzustellen. Um das allzu kirchliche Orgelrepertoire zu bereichern, schufen Komponisten des 19. Jahrhunderts wie der legendäre Organist Edwin Lemare, Sigfrid Karg-Elert und Franz Liszt Orgeltranskriptionen von beliebten Wagner-Opern wie Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Tristan und Isolde und Tannhäuser. Mit ihren komplizierten Überlagerungen und dramatischen Kontrapunkten passten diese Opern perfekt zur Pracht der romantischen Orgel. Die daraus resultierenden Werke ermöglichten es dem Publikum nicht nur, Wagners Musik in den kontemplativen Räumen der Kirche zu erleben, sondern unterstrichen auch die Ausdruckskraft und Größe der Orgel. Jedes Stück auf diesem neuen Album des Preisträgers des Nederlandse Muziekprijs, Laurens de Man, zeigt die Fähigkeit der Orgel, Wagners reiche, polyphone Texturen und tiefe emotionale Tiefe zu vermitteln. Dieses Album ist in einer limitierten, handnummerierten Auflage von 600 Exemplaren erhältlich.

Artist(s)

Laurens de Man (organ)

Laurens de Man (’s-Hertogenbosch, 1993) is a versatile and enterprising keyboard player. He was the first organist to win the Nederlandse Muziekprijs, the highest distinction for classical musicians, awarded by the Dutch government. He studied piano and organ at the Amsterdam Conservatory with, among others, David Kuyken, Jacques van Oortmerssen and Johan Hofmann. He then pursued further organ studies with Leo van Doeselaar at the Universität der Künste in Berlin, where he obtained his Konzertexamen diploma with the highest marks. He has been awarded several prizes as a pianist and organist, including competitions in The Hague, Würzburg, Groningen (International Martini Organ Competition, 1st prize), and Freiberg (Silbermann Wettbewerb, 1st prize, ECHO Young Organist of the Year 2020). In 2018, he won the Sweelinck-Mullerprijs. As a pianist of the Chimaera Trio, among others, he performs and arranges chamber music spanning four centuries; the trio has recorded two CDs. In 2012, he was appointed principal organist of the Janskerk in Utrecht, where he plays an instrument by Bätz-Witte (1861). In the seasons 2021-2023, he held the position of Organist in Residence at the Contius organ in Leuven (BE). He teaches classical piano technique for jazz pianists at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, and organ at the Utrecht Conservatory.

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Composer(s)

Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner was an important innovator of music in his time. He is best known for his operas, which he himself preferred to refer to as musical dramas. He wrote the texts (the libretti) himself and sought to make a Gesamtkunstwerk, the ideal union of text, music and theatre. Over time, this lead to grandiose musical dramas which were performed in a specially built theater for these works in the small town of Bayreuth. Wagner's greatest critic, the philosopher Nietzsche, named his former friend the 'greatest miniaturist of music who in the smallest of space squeezed an endless amount of sense and sweetness'. Nietzsche regarded this as a sympton of decadence, yet it does portray the large variety of treasures which can...

Wagner's greatest critic, the philosopher Nietzsche, named his former friend the "greatest miniaturist of music who in the smallest of space squeezed an endless amount of sense and sweetness". Nietzsche regarded this as a sympton of decadence, yet it does portray the large variety of treasures which can be found in Wagner's music: the mysterious fantasy stories of the love potion of Tristan & Isolde, Wotan's spear, the sea of flames of Brünhilde, the sword of Siegfried... Still the real main character is the orchestra, which shines its light on all the true intentions and feelings of these heroes with great depth.

Both as a composer and as an individual, Wagner remains a subject of controversy and emotional discussions. By many he is hailed as a hero, and by equally many others completely dismissed. But his influence as a composer and musical innovator is undeniable!

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Press

Anyone familiar with Wagner’s work will hear all the orchestral parts in the organ sounds. But even those who are not familiar with Wagner’s music will enjoy an unprecedentedly beautiful organ splendor, performed with love and attention by Laurens de Man. His playing exudes self-confidence, with a great sense of timbre and dynamics. In addition, he has a refined articulation that makes the performances sound clear and fresh.
Music Frames, 16-10-2024

Edwin Lemare's masterful transcription of the overture to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg sounds gloriously on the organ. The Feierlicher Marsch zum Heiligen Gral from Parsifal is very special. De Man himself made some adjustments to this transcription of Liszt so that it could also be played on the organ. He does that in a fantastic way. If the organ is at home anywhere in Wagner's music, it is in this piece.
Trouw, 11-9-2024