Organ Partita Sarabande and Stations of the Cross

Organist Frederick Hohman plays the ninth and tenth variations of the organ partita on the choral "Sei gegrüsset, Jesu gütig," S. 768, by Johann Sebastian Bach.

The organ is the 1970 Schlicker organ, 2 manuals and pedal, 31 ranks, at the First Lutheran Church of Lyons, New York. The organ is considered a hybrid, because, while it is mainly a mechanical-action instrument (tracker), it incorporates some electro-mechanical features. For example, the 16-foot pedal stops are on electro-pneumatic offset chests, and not tracker driven. Also, the organ has an electric stop action and a crescendo pedal, but a tracker swell shutter control.

The acoustics at First Lutheran Church of Lyons are much like the live acoustics found in eastern European churches from the 19th-century. The immigrants who made the plaster that lines the walls of the sanctuary used the same construction techniques they brought from Germany. First Lutheran Church of Lyons dates from 1830, and held services in German until the 1950s.

The Bach Partita on "Sei gegrüsset" is the longest of Bach's solo organ works. The ninth variation is in an organ Trio form, and the tenth variation presents the chorale tune phrase by phrase in augmentation. During variation ten in this video, we see the 10 tableaux which are located between the windows on the side aisles of the sanctuary where this video is performed. Since the chorale (English translation: "Hail to Thee, Blessed Saviour" is appropriate to Passiontide, this linking of visuals depicting the Stations of the Cross seems appropriate.

Frederick Hohman's website is: http://www.frederickhohman.net and his recordings and videos may be reviewed and purchased at http://www.zarex.com/bin

Category:

Music

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• Bach
• Organ
• Partita
• Sei
• gegrüsset
• 768
• Hohman
• Stations
• of
• the
• Cross
• First
• Lutheran
• Lyons
• New
• York
• classical
• Midnight
• Pipes

[rockymntain]

Does this organ have capability to switch between temperaments? Does not sound like A440....although it sounds great here.

[midnightpipes]

Thanks for writing. The organ is set in one temperament only. I believe it is equal, near enough to be called equal temperament; however, the unique qualities of the room acoustic modify the sound of the organ in a way that gives the illusion of an exotic tuning.  It is truly a one in a million room. - FH

[Ne0c225]

amazing

[Bogert100]

Very nice played, beautiful organ sound.

[Branchporter]

Some day I'll have to get up to Lyons to hear this Schlicker! I enjoy a Schlicker near me at Keuka College.

[theblackhand2]

Beautiful organ. The piece performed definitely fits the somber mood set by the Stations of the Cross.