ORGAN WORKS
Cristina García Banegas
Despite being a little-known instrument, there is a long history to it: the earliest mention of a string instrument with keyboard and pedals refers to a clavichord, and dates back to 1460. Its golden age was during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, a time when organists used it as a home practice instrument, as practicing at the organ implied, among other issues, paying for a person to operate the bellows in order to make the instrument work.
The pedal piano was much appreciated by W. A Mozart too, for it gave him the possibility of extending the bass register of the pianos of his time. His Concerto in D minor (K 466) shows some sings of having been composed for a pedal piano.
During the nineteenth century, some composers (Charles Valentin Alkan, Franz Liszt, Charles Gounod, Camile Saint Saëns, Leon Boëllmann) dedicated several works to the instrument; yet it never became really popular, presumably because it was so difficult to play. By the twentieth century only few organists owned one as practice instrument.
Schumann was one of its enthusiasts, through his Six Pieces in Canon Form (Op. 56), Four Sketches (Op. 58) and the fugues Op. 60 in this recording.
Jaime Camps
Organ Works - Cristina García Banegas (OR 3968 - 0574)
Category: Organ - Romantic music, XXth century - CD
Organ Works
Cristina García Banegas
CD Tracks
Loose and long verses (VI book) - María Antonia Palacios
01 – 06 Verses 1 to 6, first tone
07 – 12 Verses 1 to 6, third tone
13 – 18 Verses 1 to 6, fourth tone
19 – 24 Verses 1 to 6, second tone
25 – Palazín: Adagio
Six Fugues on B-A-C-H op. 60 – Robert Schumann
26 – Fugue Nº 1 (five voices)
27 – Fugue Nº 2 (four voices)
28 – Fugue Nº 3 (five voices)
29 – Fugue Nº 4 (five voices)
30 – Fugue Nº 5 (four voices)
31 – Fugue Nº 6 (five voices)
Sonate d’Intavolatura per Organo e Cimbalo – Domenico Zipoli
32 – Verse 1
33 – Verse 2
34 – Verse 3
35 – Verse 4
36 – Canzona
"The E. F. Walcker organ at the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral belongs in terms of sound aesthetics to German Romanticism, which makes it ideal for performing these works"
Cristina García Banegas