Credits:

Bruckner (1824-1896)

Description:

A series of scales falling from my eyes! Schaller transforms Bruckner's 9th into a magnificent organ piece! Gerd Schaller is a conductor who pursues all Bruckner's symphonies, including different editions. He has arranged the String Quintet for full orchestra and completed the last movement of Symphony No. 9, and his thoroughness is astounding. All of this is in preparation for the project in 2024, the bicentennial of Bruckner's birth. Schaller is not only a conductor but also an excellent organist, and has released a complete set of Bruckner's organ works. Schaller has released a complete set of Bruckner's organ works, and here is an album of his own arrangements and performances of Symphony No. 9 for organ. He has previously recorded a much-discussed Callagan version in 2016 with the Handel Philharmonie Festiva, and a completed draft of the fourth movement in his own version in 2018. The research that led to the idea for the organ arrangement was fueled by a desire to understand Bruckner further, including structure and symphonic thought. Although the organ was Bruckner's instrument throughout his life, he left no great works or masterpieces in the history of organ music. According to Schaller, Bruckner's mission was to compose symphonies, and he had no interest in writing brilliant organ music. However, he also noted that his symphonies are littered with organ-specific elements, and he saw the potential for organ arrangements.Schaller did not transfer the orchestral effects to the organ, but rather filtered the essence of the symphony so that the essence and core of the symphony could be heard. Therefore, the string tremolos and swells that are an integral part of Bruckner's symphonies were changed to organ-like effects to create a complete organ piece. Interesting is the fourth movement. A surprisingly large number of toccata-like elements are exactly organ-friendly and full. As a whole, the complex counterpoint twills of the horizontal lines become clearer than Bruckner's heavy vertical lines, and there are a series of eye-opening moments. The instrument used was the organ of the Abbey Church of Ebraha, where Schaller performed and recorded a series of Bruckner symphonies with the Philharmonic Festiva. The organ's four tiers of keys and 56 stops, combined with the cathedral's acoustics, create a sound world befitting Bruckner's sacred 9th Symphony. A detailed stop usage chart can be found in the booklet. King International

Tracklisting:

1.Symphonie Nr. 9 d-Moll / Symphony No. 9 in D minor~Feierlich, Misterioso
2.Symphonie Nr. 9 d-Moll / Symphony No. 9 in D minor~Scherzo. Bewegt, lebhaft - Trio. Schnell