BACH ORGAN WORKS II
by Torvald Torén

This album is in a series of unique material by the famous late organist Torvald Torén, who plays organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach. Volume II contains a selection of live recordings from concerts in Hedvig Eleonora church in Stockholm in 1977-1983 and 2001, representing the last recordings made by Mr. Torén. The organ is one of the most well- known organs in Sweden; a mechanical three-manual instrument of fifty-eight stops. It was built in 1976 by Grönlund under the supervision of Torvald Torén.

The second volume contains three large works, various chorals and one transcription. The famous choral "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" from cantata 147 is originally in German "Jesus bleibet meine Freude". This has been transcribed for the organ numerous times, of which the one by Maurice Duruflé – performed here – for a three-manual organ is the most ambitious one.

The Prelude and Fugue in E flat major (BWV 552) actually is the introduction and finale in the large collection of choral introductions, known as "Dritter Teil der Klavierübung" from 1739.

The choral "Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr" (BWV 662) is from the collection of eighteen Leipzig chorals. The glorious Prelude and Fugue in D major (BWV 532) is an early work, which witnesses of the composer's legendary organ dexterity, not the least in the pedal part. Orgelbüchlein was written toward the end of the 1710s, and contains 45 short arrangements of chorals spanning the entire church calendar year. Four meditative chorals from the Orgelbüchlein and a standalone choral are here presented on recordings from spring 2001, only months before Mr. Torén's passing.

Bach's grand Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor (BWV 582) concludes the album. The first part is to be quoted from a kyrie verse by the French composer André Raison. Torvald Torén presents the Passacaglia in a rich variety of sonorities.

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