Search - Rheinberger, Meldau :: Concerti for Organ & Orchestra

Killer tempi and underemotional organist spell death

12/28/1998

(1 out of 5 stars)

"This CD should be ideal: a Bavarian ensemble, beuatifully rich organ, and a native composer to popularize. But it's awful. The tempi are far too slow and laboured. The whole effect is as if the orchestra and organ are desperately trying to find some middle ground. They never do. Fast passages on the organ are missing or "thrown away." I tried to take this CD back to the store I bought it from, but they wouldn't accept returns. Why the E Power Biggs recording on Columbia is no longer available is a puzzlement; this was one of his best. Copyrights, perhaps?"