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€ 20.95
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| Label Challenge Classics |
UPC 0608917299229 |
Catalogue number CC 72992 |
Release date 15 November 2024 |
"With the magnificent organ of the court and collegiate church of St. Gumbertus in Ansbach, Franconia, built in 1739 by Johann Christoph Wiegleb, Aart Bergwerff has chosen an almost ideal instrument to impressively stage Bach's trio sonatas. He finds the perfect tempo for each movement, impressively illuminates the depths of the slow middle movements in particular with rich colors and catapults the listener into the middle of a spectacular spatial sound experience. Simply great!"
Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, 14-2-2025Aart Bergwerff is a passionate and versatile musician. Characteristic is his clear, transparent way of playing. "Playing the organ is like talking, you have to do it clearly" - Aart Bergwerff.
Aart Bergwerff has been the organist of the Grote of Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe-Kerk in Breda since 2012. He is therefore the regular player of the Hillen organ, a monumental instrument, built in 1969 by the Flentrop company.
As a concert organist, Aart frequently performs at concerts and festivals in the Netherlands and abroad. In 2012, he made his debut at the most prestigious organ festival in the world: Toulouse-Les-Orgues in Toulouse, France. In September 2015, he performed as a soloist at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, in the most famous concert series in the Netherlands: the ZaterdagMatinee. He also performed at the famous Mariinsky Concert Hall in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Aart Bergwerff is a teacher of organ and teacher of arranging since 1994 at Codarts, University of the Arts Rotterdam.
Aart Bergwerff studied organ, choir conducting and church music at the Rotterdam Conservatory. He studied improvisation with Bert Matter at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. He continued his organ studies in Paris with Marie-Claire Alain and in Northern Germany with Harald Vogel. He concluded his studies in Paris by obtaining the Prix de Virtuosité.
Aart won prizes at international organ competitions in Bruges, Lausanne and Groningen.
In 2003 he was awarded the silver medal of the Société Académique ‘Arts, Sciences et Lettres’ for his services to French organ culture. As an organist he is a regular guest at the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philharmonie Zuid-Nederland.
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. He enriched established German styles through his skill in counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and the adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad, particularly from Italy and France. Bach's compositions include the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, the Mass in B minor, two Passions, and hundreds of cantatas. His music is revered for its technical command, artistic beauty, and intellectual depth.
Bach's abilities as an organist were highly respected during his lifetime, although he was not widely recognised as a great composer until a revival of interest in and performances of his music in the first half of the 19th century. He is now generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.
With the magnificent organ of the court and collegiate church of St. Gumbertus in Ansbach, Franconia, built in 1739 by Johann Christoph Wiegleb, Aart Bergwerff has chosen an almost ideal instrument to impressively stage Bach's trio sonatas. He finds the perfect tempo for each movement, impressively illuminates the depths of the slow middle movements in particular with rich colors and catapults the listener into the middle of a spectacular spatial sound experience. Simply great!
Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, 14-2-2025
On his new album, organist Aart Bergwerff plays the six Trio Sonatas for Organ by Johann Sebastian Bach.
NPO Klassiek, 10-2-2025
Aart Bergwerff's performance is fully satisfying from many points of view: first, obviously, the solid technique and clarity of exposition with which he supports the performance; the agogic is perfectly shaped on the movements of the counterpoint (and also on the instrument available, an aspect not always considered by organists); then the choice of the registration thanks to which the three parts are always distinctly perceptible, even when there is a voice that tends to play a solo role; still in the field of registration it is worth noting that the pedal manages to remain agile and does not darken too much the brightness of the typically Germanic timbre of the organ chosen for the recording - last but not least, the Wiegleb organ of the St. Gumbertuskirche in Ansbach.
Classic Voice, 01-2-2025
Bergwerff's account of the first movement of the C Major Sonata No.5 certainly sparkles...
...the long-limbed Largo of BWV 526 is beautifully poised as are the soulful arabesques that snake around its cousin in BWV 529.
BBC Music Magazine, 01-2-2025
Eminently suited for this instrument (the registrations are mentioned) and excellently played by Bergwerff, who especially in the fast movements clearly enjoys this masterpiece.
Luister, 01-1-2025
Bergwerff's perfomance is a voyage of discovery. Not only does he have a wide variety of articulations at his disposal, he also knows how to mark important melodies or cadences with subtle agogic accents within the sometimes high tempo in such a way that the structure remains clear. For his registrations he draws extensively on the many possibilities that the organ has to offer while his tempi are ideal. Above all is the musical narrative - sometimes tingling and exuberant, sometimes lyrical and introverted.
De Orgelvriend, 01-1-2025
Thanks to the chamber musical registrations, Bergwerff's playing takes on an ensemble feel, as if three separate musicians were competing with each other. Of course, that is exactly the purpose of a trio sonata, even when there is only one performer.
Bergwerff succeeds particularly well in this. He is not limited by the maximum length of a CD and consciously chooses his own, wonderfully breathing pace. This results in a recording that does not fit completely on one disc, but therefore offers a lot of space and peace.
Orgelnieuws, 28-12-2024
This latest album was in any case worth the wait and may well be your best bet for this year’s X-mass gift. I for one would, if I could, value this album at a level of 6 rather than 5 stars for both interpretation and recording.
I’m sure I will be returning to Aart Bergwerff’s reading multiple times. Well done!
HRAudio, 01-11-2024
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