Reinhardt Menger plays Bach on the 1708 Contius organ in Abbenrode (Saxony-Anhalt)

0:00 Praeludium et Fuga C-Dur BWV 531 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14/ 1, 3, 5, 10, 11, 14/ +8 08:10 „Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten“ BWV 691 1, 2 10:09 „Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten“ BWV 690 1, 4 12:54 Chorale 1, 3 14:17 „Christ lag in Todesbanden“ BWV 695 1, 2, 15 20:58 Pastorale F-Dur BWV 590 1, 6, 11/ 17 / 1, 2, Tremulant / 1, 5, 6 35:38 Fuga sopra il Magnificat BWV 733 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14 43:00 „Ach Gott vom Himmel sieh darein“ BWV 741 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11,14 /T ,7 +13 49:38 Fantasie a-moll BWV 561 58:34 „Vater unser im Hımmelreich“ BWV 737 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 14/1, 3, 5/ +8 1:01:53 Piece d’Orgue G-Dur BWV 572 1, 6/1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14/1, 3, 8, 10, 11, 14 DISPOSITION MANUAL: (C, D-c''') 1. Gedact 8' 2. Quinta Toen 8' 3. Principal 4' 4. Floete douce 4' 5. Quinta 3' 6. Octava 2' 7. Tertia 1 3/5' 8. Mixtur IV 9. Trompet 8' PEDAL: (C, D-c') 10. SubBaß 16' 11. OctavBaß 8' 12. Waldfloete 1/2' 13. Posaune 16' 14. Baß Trompete 8' 15. CornettBaß 2' Tremulant Cymbelstern Drei Keilbälge a = 454 Hz / 2,5° Cel. (Eintrag in der Orgel) WS 80 mm The organ at St. Andreas, Abbenrode In 1708, Christoph Contius (Cuncius) built the organ in the St. Andreas Kirche, Abbenrode. He was born in Wernigerode, where we find his workshop. Doubtful is his birthday: may be in 1676, another reference mentions Halberstadt, where the baptism is dated on Ist of March Ä 1675. He died in Halle, in 1722, where he lived after having built the organ in the Marktkirche. We don’t know where he received his education, but we observe the influence of Nord- deutschland, when we consider the only preserved organ, standing in St. Andreas, Abbenrode. His authorship is given in Wernigerode, Liebfrauen-Kirche. 1707, “ein ganz newes werk,” 1719-22, St. Sylvestri-Kirche and besides, organ cases are preserved in Wernigerode/ Nöschenrode (St. Theobaldi) and Halle (Marktkirche). A remarkable feature is the condition of the organ in Abbenrode. The instrument had to endure a few operations only: Tierce was changed into Quinte 1'1/3, the Mixtur IV lost a rang — operations which have been changed by Schuke/Potsdam recently. The pedal keyboard has been changed in our century, same to Cymbelstern and Tremulant. By 15 stops the part of reed pipes is considerable whenever the reed tongues and crutches have been renewed. The kind of Mixtur is special: playing c“ we arrive in 8', a very fortunate circumstance for ; playing quick passages. Undoubtably, the Contius organ in Abbenrode is a very special instrument for baroque time in Center Germany, aprooved by the well documented acceptance examination by J. S. Bach, Joh. Kuhnau and Chr. Fr. Rolle in 1716 in Halle. Music It was obvious to chose music from J. S. Bach, which stands in relation to the instruments origin time, called “Jugendwerk”. We seized the opportunity to represent several compositions — rarely heard — but with advantage sound even on a one-manual organ. BWV 531 represents a “Norddeutsche Toccata”, very virtuoso in the first and the last part, interrupt by a fugue. Pedal use according to the organ manner of Norddeutschland. “Wer nur ‘ den lieben Gott läßt walten” BWV 691, 690 are edited in Kirnberger’s volume. BWV 691 is also edited in “Klavierbüchlein für Friedemann Bach” and “Notenbüchlein für Anna Magdalena Bach”. BWV 695 by Kirnberger; we realize the c.f. composed in alto with “Cornet Bass 2”, a very extraordinary possibility of interpretation. In BWV 590 we find the Italian tradition of / Pastorale Compositions, see Corelli, Pasquini, Zipoli. The fourth mouvement refers to the third mouvement in Bach's Brandenburgisches Konzert Nr. II]. BWV 733, according to “tonus peregrinus”, Bach composed the first part in eight repetitions, concluding another one, but enlarges in pedal. BWV 741: this composition, with impressing contrapunctal parts is rarely heard, an uncareful edition may be responsible. Evident mistakes have been corrected. Contrary to the music played before with “Mixturen Plenum” (Plenum Jeu), we now hear the “Terz Plenum”, basis Trompete 8’ (Grand Jeu). BWV 561, style “Norddeutsche Toccata”, in the middle we have the fugue, see BWV 531, virtuosity is composed all around. BWV 737 a very silent and singing music in contrapunctal art, c.f. in upper part. BWV 572 “Fantasie”. A very special composition is given here: French titel, French designation concerning the first and the last mouvement and a typical French five part setting in the middle — played with Grand Jeu at the organ of Abbenrode. Digitalaufnahme: 31. Juli 1992 Tonmeister: Klaus Reinsdorf Digitalschnitt (Sonic Systems) Tonmeister: Adrian von Ripka Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528): Der Weiher im Walde (c. 1497). British Museum.