Customer Reviews

In a Quiet Cathedral

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is one of my most frequently played CDs. I find it perfect background music for meditation, prayer, reading and other tasks, as well as a good CD that doesn't disturb people at work.

This is not intended to be organised as a church service or a concert performance per se, but rather, as the co-producer Carol Rosenberger states, 'this album is meant to recreate an experience many of us have treasured: slipping inside the doors of a cathedral and finding oneself alone in a vast, quiet space with light streaming through stained glass windows. The organist begins to play gentle music, and one is lost in contemplation...'

As a churchy person, I've often had the experience of working or sitting in an empty church while the organists or their students practiced. This recording in many ways reminds me of that experience. Of course, our organ is a far cry from the pipe organ in Atlanta's Cathedral of St. Philip, with over 5000 pipes (and our church does not have a 5-second delay reverberation, either), 4 manuals and 96 ranks. This Aeolian-Skinner organ is a genuinely stunning instrument, but as with any instrument, it takes the right performer to bring out the fullness of the sound from it.

Todd Wilson is just such a performer. His playing is solid and well-suited for this task, with occasional flashes of brilliance. Mozart's 'Adagio', Bach's 'Jesu, Joy of Many's Desiring', and Barber's 'Adadio for Strings' (here arranged for the organ) are truly wonderful pieces. The programme here is a diverse collection of pieces from Baroque, Renaissance, and later pieces, including folk tunes and a few modern compositions. Todd Wilson is a church organist and music director at Church of the Covenant in Cleveland, Ohio (a city with not insignificant music resources and life), and is also head of the Organ Department at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He has had an international performance and recording career.

I applaud the decision to make this a double-disc set - the producer writes that there was just too much good music to limit the selection. Thus, there is a method to the organisation, given the availability of two discs. The first disc has more simple pieces, easily recognisable melodies and well-known hymn/sacred pieces. The second disc has a bit more complexity of music.

There is a booklet that is particularly designed for young people, so that they may become more familiar with the organ as an instrument, and this type of music.

This is a truly wonderful recording.

Todd Wilson does a fantastic job with this CD. His phrasing is outstanding, and he makes it sound so musical. It is also a very good recording-with a good engineer. This pipe organ has one of the most clean, powerful 32' pedal Bourdons I have ever heard-producing window-rattling base you can feel. However, without a good stereo system and subwoofer, you will not hear most of what this CD has to offer. (You need a Theta digital front end and 18" Velodyne to really appreciate the base)

The Æolian-Skinner organ in St.Philip's Cathedral, Atlanta is the finest example on Earth of eclectic organ...and the last- really-marvellous instrument erected by this firm. Flutes and Erzählers speak directly from Heaven...and the organ, despite electric, seems to have tracker action! Listen to Bach's BWV 731 and 648: they sound like played on a Silbermann instrument!
Todd Wilson is a delicate musician, a poet of the organ and a genius in the choice of the stops.
Buy also the other recordings of this Æolian-Skinner by Robert Delcamp (Naxos) and Alan Morrison (Gothic)...and don't forget that Michael Murray recorded in St.Philip's Cathedral for Telarc the finest rendition of Poulenc's "Concerto in sol minore per organo, archi e timpani" under the direction of the late Robert Shaw.

As the daughter of an organist, and having grown up with a full sized church organ (albeit electric and not a pipe organ) in the house, I heard a lot of wonderful music. My favorite is the R. Vaughn Williams "Prelude on the Welsh Hymn Tune 'Rhosymedre'". Such a lovely piece has never been matched, in my opinion. And it is rare to find it on any recording. But this CD has it!!! And Mr Wilson's interpretation is very similar to my dad's. I love this entire CD. And such a fine organ!!! Thank you for bringing a wonderful memory back to me. This is a recording that anyone who enjoys beautiful, calm organ music should have in their collection.

The hiss that one reviewer refers to is undoubtedly the organ's wind supply. The wind can be heard on most organ recordings.

...responding to "Audiophile from USA" ... you are quite right about the 32' Bourdon. This Aeolian-Skinner is unusual, because the 32' Bourdon is located in the open, against the Liturgical East wall, at the center of the apse , i.e., on the centerline of the Cathedral. From this position the 32' Bourdon is able to strongly energize the entire Cathedral. This commanding location is in contrast to most installations which locate the organ (especially the bulky pedal pipes) along side walls, or worse yet, inside chambers buried in the side walls of the Sanctuary. Nice listening, "Audiophile from USA" ...you have keen ears.

I purchased this set a good 10 yrs ago and honestly, forgot about it until recently when I found it in my large collection of CD's - at that time of purchase, we were moving and thus, got boxed away. After our move, I became our church's organist and was beginning to find pieces to play for prelude, and heard from fellow organists and musicians of online sites to download music for organ that were in the public domain. It was then, that I found this set in getting settled in as listened to the selections on these two discs. "Lo and Behold", on an online site, I did find the entire score of Frescobaldi's "Fiori Musicali" (Musical Flowers), which contained, "Toccata per l'Elevazione" - this being the first selection on Disc Two. What a wonderful piece to learn and to play! I also did manage to purchase Barber's "Adagio for Strings" .. and a host of other pieces that are included in this set. For one who want's a quiet evening in front of the stereo while reading a good book or magazine, this album will take you there -to forget about the troubles of the world. And, if you're an organist, please try these pieces also. Good luck, all!

Great selection of music and the producer, Carol Rosenberger, achieved her goal... "This collection is meant to recreate an experience many of us have treasured: slipping inside the heavy doors of a cathedral and finding oneself alone in a vast, quiet space with light streaming through stained glass windows. Then an organist begins to play gentle music, and one is lost in contemplation, as the cares of the day begin to fade..."

This is not "funeral" music as one reviewer described it but music to set your mind at ease and to prepare yourself to contemplate God and you many blessings. Todd Wilson is excellent and truly brings out the best in the organ.

Many of these pieces are available on the Petrucci site ([...]) for those interested but many are recent arrangements and still copy righted. Some are avaibable at Organ Music Only ([...]).

These pieces will relax you, set your mind at ease and for the performer, inspire you.

I'm the agnostic Jew - my wife is a Christian - we both love this CD. In fact, immediately after I listened to it for the first time, I searched out ilson's recording of Duruffle's organ music and order that as well Duruflé: Organ Music (Complete)

I love good music, I love great musicianship, and I love the sense of peace I've encountered in many empty churches or cathedrals listening to the organist play. This CD is a gorgeous recreation of such moments. I can only echo comments made by many other earlier reviewers - this disc is special. If you've only heard loud, bombastic organ pieces prepare yourself for solace.

And Grace.

For some this will will come by listening to Wilson's Bach. For others, it will come listening to Strayhorn's Lotus Blossom. For others, like my wife, it may come with Wilson's rendition of Danny Boy. I buy many CDs each month. There are very few that my wife - a professional mezzo - comments on while I'm playing them for an initial listen. Halfway through this disc she noted that the music contained herein is "really beautiful".

This set of two Delos discks is currently selling for just a few dollars on amazon. At that price it's a steal, and a "must have" purchase for anyone with any open mind and a loving heart.

5 stars - for musicianship, selection of music, and state-of-the-art surround sound Delos sonics.

The Barber Adagio For Strings is worth the price of admission alone.

A very nice CD of beautiful sacred and secular organ music. Completely relaxing and enjoyable and highly recommended.