Customer Reviews

Richard Morris: Organist

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

While technically astute and competent, this reviewer found this particular recording to be dry, passionless and void of style. Morris is a performing machine programmed for accuracy. Look for touching renditions elsewhere - frankly, it was difficult to get past the monodynamic renditions. Fortissimo is grand, but not on an ongoing basis. Highly disappointed in this recording.

Richard Morris does a superb job, as always. He is truly a virtuoso. His program encompasses a wide spectrum of music eras and styles, and interprets each superbly.

The program begins with the pedals thundering the 4-note theme, as he performs Lizst's Prelude & Fugue on BACH. It has all the fire and flashiness you expect from Liszt, and shows off Morris' virtuosity.

Callahan's Aria is a jewel, and Morris effectively uses some of the most delicate and beautiful stops on the organ, such as the Flute Celeste with the Harp, and later the lush strings, including the Viola Pomposa. At the end, the 4' Doppelflote and Rohrflote sweetly sing this melancholy but beautiful melody.

Morris' interpretation of Bach retains the traditional Baroque style, yet in no way is he the stuffy, bellow-pumping purist. A good example is in the finale of the G Major Fugue, where he employs a 32' Bombarde in his own cadenza, reminiscent of Bach's famous D Minor Toccata. With the proper subwoofer, it will shake your house!

Morris plays the Mozart Fantasy with great drama, and excellent styling of the Classical era. His registrations in the middle movement capture the ambience of the mechanical clock-organ, for which this piece was originally commissioned. The piece ends with great power and fire.

The Adeste Fideles is reminiscent of Virgil Fox, who used to play this arrangement at Christmastime.

The organ at Bel Aire is outstanding. It is fascinating to hear such a successful blend of pipe and digital stops. The stop list does not specify which stops are digital and which are pipe, so I find myself trying to guess (no easy task).

I highly recommend this or any of Richard Morris' recordings.