Bach, J S: Trio Sonatas Nos. 1-6

The fine art of playing the exemplary organs of Bach’s time: Ullrich Böhme, the custodian of the organs at Bach’s long-time working place St Thomas in Leipzig, has recorded a new CD of the Trio Sonatas for organ. This recording meets the challenge of carving out the delicate qualities of the six sonatas by virtue of the tonal possibilities of outstanding period instruments, and undoubtedly serves as a reference in several ways.

As his position suggests, Böhme directly refers to the 1730 autograph of the six sonatas and presents a relaxed and transparent rendition of the source – with the serenity of a l’art-pour-l’art work as well as the vitality and enthusiasm of a performer capable of translating this wonderful collection into play and sound.

To this end Böhme chose some exquisite instruments mostly from Central Germany, some of which were built in Bach’s direct vicinity. The organ of St Wenceslas in Naumburg, completed by Zacharias Hildebrandt in 1746, is probably closest to Bach’s tonal preferences. It is proven that Bach was involved in the commission of this instrument. The newest instrument on the recording, built by Gerald Woehl in 2000, the year of the 250th anniversary of the death of Johann Sebastian Bach, is very similar in terms of style. It is based on a specification designed by Johann Christoph Bach I for the organ of St George’s Church in Eisenach. The two largest surviving instruments of Gottfried Silbermann in Freiberg Cathedral (1714) and in the Catholic Cathedral of Dresden (1750–55, finished by Hildebrandt) complete the selection of great Saxon baroque organs. In this context, the Organ of the Holy Trinity in the Benedictine Abbey of Ottobeuren (1754–66) with its francophone character appears to be a rather unusual choice. However, its builder Karl Joseph Riepp was greatly inspired by Gottfried’s brother Andreas Silbermann, the “Alsatian Silbermann”, and created an instrument which – similarly to the others on this recording – boasts an almost endless range of timbres for rendering the wonderful chamber music of the six sonatas.