Sonatas for Organ

Jan Lehtola · Felix Mendelssohn · Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy

2009 · ABCD 324

Credits

Performers: Jan Lehtola — Organ
Composers: Felix MendelssohnFelix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy

About this release

HISTORICAL ORGANS AND COMPOSERS 4
HISTORY OF THE ORGAN AND ORGAN ART 4
FELIX MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY
SONATAS FOR ORGAN
JAN LEHTOLA ORGAN
MARCUSSEN & SOHN (1865)
NEW TOWN, FINLAND
Mendelssohn's famous works on the Uusikaupunki organ
Jan Lehtola's recording series presenting the history of the organ and organ art continues with Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy's organ sonatas. These six sonatas are Mendelssohn's musical legacy to the organist and form the cornerstone of his organ output. Four different publishing houses published the works at the same time in different countries, which was quite rare and speaks of the importance of the collection in the history of the era.
The historically valuable organ of Uusikaupunki's New Church, built by the Danish Marcussen & Sohn organ factory in 1865, has never been recorded before. Mendelssohn's six organ sonatas were composed around the same time as the completion of the organ. According to Lehtola, the sonatas have been composed for the recording in such a way that they form two larger entities in terms of intensity and key types. The album was recorded in multi-channel.

Tracks

Sonata in A Major Op. 65/3
1.1. Con moto maestosocomp. Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847)ISRC FIABA11000507:07
2.2. Andante tranquillocomp. Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847)ISRC FIABA11000512:01
Sonata in D Minor Op. 65/6
3.1. Choral Vater unser im Himmelreich ed variationscomp. Felix MendelssohnISRC FIABA11000527:56
4.2. Fuga: Sostenutocomp. Felix MendelssohnISRC FIABA11000532:22
5.3. Final: Andantecomp. Felix MendelssohnISRC FIABA11000541:54
Sonata in D Major Op. 65/5
6.1. Choralcomp. Felix MendelssohnISRC FIABA11000551:09
7.2. Andante con motocomp. Felix MendelssohnISRC FIABA11000562:42
8.3. Allegro maestosocomp. Felix MendelssohnISRC FIABA11000574:04
Sonata in C Minor Op. 65/2
9.1. Gravecomp. Felix MendelssohnISRC FIABA11000581:31
10.2. Adagiocomp. Felix MendelssohnISRC FIABA11000592:41
11.3. Allegro maestoso e vivacecomp. Felix MendelssohnISRC FIABA11000602:15
12.4. Fuga – Allegro moderatocomp. Felix MendelssohnISRC FIABA11000613:22
Sonata F Minor Op. 65/1
13.1. Allegro moderato e seriosocomp. Felix MendelssohnISRC FIABA11000625:22
14.2. Adagiocomp. Felix MendelssohnISRC FIABA11000632:42
15.3. Andante Recitcomp. Felix MendelssohnISRC FIABA11000643:01
16.4. Allegro assai vivacecomp. Felix MendelssohnISRC FIABA11000653:12
Sonata B Flat Major Op. 65/4
17.1. Allegro con briocomp. Felix MendelssohnISRC FIABA11000663:07
18.2. Andante religiosocomp. Felix MendelssohnISRC FIABA11000672:09
19.3. Allegrettocomp. Felix MendelssohnISRC FIABA11000682:54
20.4. Allegro maestoso e vivacecomp. Felix MendelssohnISRC FIABA11000693:35

Reviews

That being said, some of these sonatas come across in Lehtola’s performances as rather dense, which may or may not be due to the instrument he is playing.
Fanfare · Lynn René Bayley · June 18, 2012
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Jan Lehtola parhaimmillaan
”… Minua suuresti ihastuttaa, että Lehtola on tehnyt toistaiseksi parhaan levynsä näin perinteisen ohjelmiston parissa. … Periaatteessa Mendelssohnin urkusonaatit vuodelta 1845 ovat kauniisti patinoitunutta ja usein varsin siivosti soitettua klassista urkuohjelmistoa. Tämä ei kuitenkaan ole estänyt Jan Lehtolaa tekemästä niistä raikasta, lähes hillitöntä tulkintaa. … Lehtolan soitto luo mielikuvia Kesäyön unelman taianomaisuudesta, viulukonserton elegisyydestä ja…
YLE Uudet levyt · Kare Eskola
”Uudenkaupungin Marcussen-urut (1865) sopivat Felix Mendelssohnin urkusonaatteihin erinomaisesti. Uruista löytyy lempeää laulavuutta, ja täpäkkä tuttisointi tavoittaa musiikin juhlavuuden. Sonaatit sisältävät koraaleja ja fuugia erillisinä osina tai aineksina. Bachin ja Beethovenin vaikutus on ilmeinen. Eturivin urkurimme Jan Lehtola soittaa teokset antaumuksella.”
Veijo
Helsingin Sanomat · Veijo Murtomäki
Uruilla uljaasti
”Jan Lehtolan innoittuneet esitykset ovat hienoa kuultavaa, ja Uudenkaupungin kirkon urut sopivat Mendelssohnin musiikkiin täydellisesti.”
Lauri
Suomen Kuvalehti · Lauri Kilpiö
No question, the finest new organ recordings come from Finland. Fuga lead the way with their excellent series featuring Kalevi Kiviniemi and a marvellous range of instruments. I’ve not heard as many discs from Alba, but their collection of Finnish music played by Ville Urponen – review – impresses in a quiet, unassuming way.
MusicWeb International
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