Helmut Walcha dominated the German organ school of the 1950s and ’60s for his sober, un-self-regarding Bach interpretations. He recorded more or less the complete Bach organ music for Deutsche Grammophon’s burgeoning Archiv label in the mono-only days, and again in stereo. This is the stereo cycle, which also includes the blind organist’s only recording of The Art of Fugue. Repackaged in a space-saving budget box of 12 CDs, the performances appear to have been remastered in comparison to earlier CD editions–brighter on top, and more defined in the bass. In fact, the sonic clarity of these 1956-71 recordings puts many digitally engineered Bach organ releases in the shade.
In contrast to the imposing, multi-tiered Romantic instruments championed by many players in the first half of the 20th century, Walcha favored organs of Bach’s time, or at least those restored as close as possible to original specifications. His manual dexterity allowed no blurred lines or smudged textures, while he commanded one of the supplest pedal techniques in the business. The trio sonatas, for instance, have rarely been matched for hand and foot equilibrium, yet are never virtuosic for their own sake. The mighty Preludes and Fugues, Passacaglia in C minor, C major Toccata, Adagio & Fugue BWV 564, plus the familiar D minor Toccata & Fugue BWV 565, achieve grandeur through line rather than mass, with steady, fluid rhythm. Walcha also “orchestrates” the chorale preludes in the image of a singer with a small, responsive chamber ensemble.
Younger organists like Peter Hurford might adopt livelier tempos at times, with a more liberal attitude toward ornamentation, yet this takes nothing away from Walcha’s deep musicality and profound affinity for Bach’s polyphonic idiom. DG’s succinct, informative notes discuss the music, the performer, the instruments used, and the recordings themselves. In sum, Walcha’s Bach holds a similar place in the annals of recording to Fischer-Dieskau’s Schubert, Toscanini’s Verdi, and Gieseking’s Debussy. [4/28/2002]
