11.5.2009
I had to get out into an unpleasant thunderstorm yesterday evening to
reach the location of the opening concert in the Ettlinger
Orgelfrühling, but it was worth it. The concert was good, and we
heard some really interesting music.
The organist, Wolfgang Bretschneider from Bonn, introduced and motivated
the program he had compiled, and gave some background explanations. I liked
that the core of the evening was formed by compositions by 20th-century
French composers; besides a delicate cantilene by Poulenc (originally for
flute and piano, and arranged by Bretschneider for the organ) and a
selection from Messiaen's Les Corps Glorieux, there was a couple
of fascinating pieces by Thierry Escaich, a composer I hadn't known
before, very expressive and with sophisticated rhythmization.
The program was concluded with a brand new piece, just published a few
months ago, as Prof. Bretschneider explained: Harold Britton's variations
on Gershwin's well-known I got rhythm. It starts off lightly, but
then gets somewhat dark and ends almost grimly, leaving me with an ambivalent
feeling. (But there was a friendlier encore to lift the mood again.)
