Elske te Lindert - City organist Doetinchem

D.A. Flentrop organ - Catharinakerk - Doetinchem

Organ works Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

- Eight small Preludien und Fugen and various chorale arrangements -

1 Praeludium and Fugue in C major (BWV 553)

2 Praeludium and Fugue in D minor (BWV 554)

3 Schmücke dich, o liebe seele (BWV 654)

4 Praeludium and Fugue in F major (BWV 555)

5 Praeludium and Fugue in E minor (BWV 556)

6 Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr (BWV 663)

7 Praeludium and Fugue in G major (BWV 557)

8 Praeludium and Fugue in G minor (BWV 558)

9 Wer nur den lieben Gott (1) (BWV 691)

10 Wer nur den lieben Gott (2) (BWV 690)

11 Wer nur den lieben Gott (3) (BWV

12 Praeludium and Fugue in A minor (BWV 559)

13 Praeludium and Fugue in B flat (BWV 560)

Recording: November 4, 2019

Recording and editing: Sjoerd Punter

It's here: a CD with organ works, performed on the beautiful and monumental Flentrop organ from 1952 in the Catharinakerk in Doetinchem.

Organist is our cantor-organist and city organist of Doetinchem, Elske te Lindert.

She alternately plays the beautiful 'Acht kleine Praeludien und Fugen' by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) and various chorale arrangements, also by Bach.

Although Bach composed them for the service of the church, they are also straight concert pieces.

By the way, Johann Sebastian Bach's organ compositions are a world in themselves. His organ works show that he understood the art of uniting independent, melodic voices into a beautiful whole (the so-called 'counterpoint' = melody against melody, lit. note against note).

The playing of, for example, the chorale arrangement 'Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele' is beautiful. [We sing our supper song 'Soul, my soul, accept my splendour', Song 376, to the melody of this chorale.] Elske knows how to capture exactly the right atmosphere through her subdued, but also joyful playing (and beautiful registration!). In a word: gorgeous!

The eight little preludes and fugues, which are often played in church services because of their length, are beautiful, valuable gems and wonderful to listen to. The beautifully sounding 'eight little ones' have been an instructive 'stepping stone' to the 'adult' preludes and fugues for many an organist. That they are still worth listening to, is proven by this CD, on which Elske plays them with conviction and with great pleasure.

Incidentally, nowadays it is increasingly assumed that the 'Eight Little Preludes and Fugues' were not written by Bach, but by one of his pupils (Johann Tobias Krebs, 1690-1762?). 

When I listened to the Joyful Prelude (& Fugue in F), BWV 556, I knew

sure: I was listening to this timeless organ playing in the Catharina Church. Kudos to Sjoerd Punter, the sound engineer!

Theo J. Rougoor 

To order?

Mail to etelindert@icloud.com 

€ 15,-