November 2014 Organ Blast at Kimmel Center

The new organ on stage at the Kimmel Center, notes my son-in-law, looks like a crustacean. How appropriate for the instrument of Bach (“brook” in German) I thought as Paul Jacobs, organist extraordinaire, stepped briskly onto the stage, conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin in hot pursuit.

It was the November 7th matinee with the Philadelphia Orchestra, some of the finest instrumentalists in the nation, performing an exciting program of Buxtehude/Chavez, Guilmant (who? more of that later), and Sir Edward Elgar (familiar, yes; stuffy, no). The Orchestra did something a little unusual this past weekend, by presenting the same program at three different times (the rule), but switching organists and the middle composition so each program offered a different piece (the exception). Why hadn’t I thought of that!

We matinee-goers lucked out with the Symphony #1 by 19th century French master, Alexandre Guilmant, who apparently was the chat’s meow in his day, but largely neglected now (this work sadly overshadowed by Saint-Saens’ grand Organ Symphony). Quelle tragédie! This was a big, lush, plush, emotional, intelligent work, all three movements of it, with lots of spectacular organ fireworks. Jacobs, who has a very amiable smile and physical presence, performed spectacularly, teasing out tender phrases, or stomping out those rich deep undertones as his feet, in those cute little Cuban heels organists wear, flew across the pedalboard. Seriously, pipe organists should rule the world, there is no doubt about it.

Jacobs’ encore, Bach’s C Major fugue BWV 564.3, whipped up the crowd to organistic-orgiastic fervor (ok, it was a matinee, I know; there were lots of seniors, but not to be underestimated!). But all this—-Guilmant, Bach—-was preceded by another gem I for one did not know: the Carlos Chávez orchestration of a chaconne by Bach’s predecessor and sort-of contemporary, Dieterich Buxtehude. Yes, you read that correctly: Carlos Chávez, the dean of 20th century Mexican composers! What a huge sound this orchestra can make, and Yannick really draws out the lyricism without sacrificing the power.

The orchestration was richly textured, with some brilliant trumpet work. Very nice, let’s hear it more often. After the break, a chestnut of sorts: Elgar’s Enigma Variations. But even this was fresh and snappy under Yannick’s touch. Though I had enough of the main theme by the 14th section, in between Movement I and XIV, oh, what loveliness. Many fine solo tidbits in this work, with special note to the Orchestra’s principal tympanist Don S. Liuzzi.