Organ magic in the cathedral: Barthen delights with Bach & Co.

Organ magic in the cathedral: Barthen delights with Bach & Co.

Last Sunday, visitors to Speyer Cathedral experienced an impressive performance by Christian Barthen, a respected Bernese organist and organ professor. During the organ cycle, Barthen impressed with a varied program that included works by greats such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Marcel Dupré, Percy Whitlock and Louis Vierne. The acoustics of the cathedral enhanced the sonic impact of the organ music and made for an unforgettable experience Rhine Palatinate reported.

Particularly noteworthy is the opening with Bach’s “Fantasie G major (Pièce d’Orgue)”, which began with a lively, cheerful introduction. A fascinating contrast was created between hasty, high tones and slow, dark sounds. Barthen played with a remarkable sense of dynamic nuances, which visibly moved the audience.

World of disharmonies and harmonies

We continued with Dupré's Prélude, which began at lightning speed and created a disharmonious sound world. Whitlock's “Fantasy Choral in D flat major,” on the other hand, started off reverently, but here too the transition into disharmonious sounds was noticeable. The final chord of the program belonged to Louis Vierne's "Third Symphony in F Sharp Minor," which began with an aggressive opening and featured a constant ebb and flow between highs and lows before ending harmoniously.

After the concert, Barthen received long applause and was asked for an encore. This initially started quietly, but soon developed into a melody full of disharmonies and melancholy. The listeners were thrilled by this emotional range and were grateful for the musical experience.

Baroque masterpieces in focus

The selection of pieces played illustrates the diverse possibilities of the organ in the Baroque period, particularly the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, which are still very popular today. A wide range of compositions for the organ can be found in the various volumes of the established collection published during his lifetime. The International Music Library emphasizes that Bach's works impress not only with their technical complexity, but also with their profound expressiveness.

This successful evening in Speyer Cathedral was not only a feast for the ears, but also an inspiring sign of how organ music and its masterpieces can still have an impact today. Many visitors agree that such concerts urgently need to be preserved because they not only enrich culture, but also represent a connection to our musical past.