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Format: 
Release Date: 09-03-2004
Label: Celestial Harmonies
Catalog Number: 13234-2
Barcode: 13711323429
Musical Style: Classical
Track Listing:
| Disc 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Concerto No 1 E Major - Vivace [05:10] | 11 | Concerto No 4 C Minor - Vivace [04:23] |
| 2 | Concerto No 1 E Major - Siciliano [02:00] | 12 | Concerto No 4 C Minor - Andante affetuoso [03:54] |
| 3 | Concerto No 1 E Major - Allegro [05:33] | 13 | Concerto No 4 C Minor - Presto [04:16] |
| 4 | Concerto No 2 D Major - Allegro spirituoso [05:21] | 14 | Concerto No 5 A Major - Allegro [04:23] |
| 5 | Concerto No 2 D Major - Moderato [05:01] | 15 | Concerto No 5 A Major - Adagio (Recitativo) [00:35] |
| 6 | Concerto No 2 D Major - Presto [05:10] | 16 | Concerto No 5 A Major - Minuetto [03:53] |
| 7 | Concerto No 3 B flat Major - Adagio [01:22] | 17 | Concerto No 6 C Major - Allegro [05:46] |
| 8 | Concerto No 3 B flat Major - Allegro [04:35] | 18 | Concerto No 6 C Major - Adagio [01:55] |
| 9 | Concerto No 3 B flat Major - Adagio [02:19] | 19 | Concerto No 6 C Major - Rondeau/Vivace [03:52] |
| 10 | Concerto No 3 B flat Major - Gavotte/Allegro [05:33] | ||
Description:
Despite losing his sight in an accident at age two, John Stanley (1712-1786) was equally successful as a violinist, a conductor and a teacher. Reportedly he could conduct a work from memory after just one hearing. In the course of his lifetime he composed songs, ballads, concertos, cantatas, oratorios and stage works. Stanley’s six Concertos span the years 1740 to 1775, and reflect the stylistic development that Stanley, a contemporary of Handel, Bach and Mozart, experienced. Franz Lehrndorfer worked on Stanley’s Concertos Op. 10 from 1997 to 2000, on the basis of a facsimile edition published by Oxford University Press. They were scored for ‘two violins and a bass’ (cello and double bass), omitting any wind instruments, and even the viola. The solo instrument, which according to the title, can be ‘Organ, Harpsichord or Forte Piano’, is therefore especially important. It is an interesting challenge to translate a fairly thin, three-part score on to the organ, both respecting the original composition and utilizing the possibilities of the organ, as the same notes can have varying effects on different instruments. A further peculiarity of these Concertos is the omission, in four of them, of a slow movement, which the performer was expected to insert according to the circumstances. Lehrndorfer opted to complete the four Concertos by inserting some of Stanley’s Voluntaries. The Concertos are played on the magnificent organ of the Munich Frauenkirche. It offers a multitude of tonal possibilites, of which only a small part are suitable when performing Stanley. The recording therefore only uses the main organ and only a small part of the possible registrations. In summary, this recording can be described as a deeply personal, but nevertheless authentic interpretation of Stanley’s Organ Concertos, that would have surely received the acclaim of the composer.
Biography:
Franz Lehrndorfer was born in Salzburg, Austria and grew up in Bavaria. He received his early musical education from his father, a musicologist and choir leader. In 1957, he proved his mastery of the organ when he won first prize at the international ARD Competition sponsored by the German broadcasting network. In 1969 Lehrndorfer was appointed organist of the Munich Cathedral, the same year he became head of the Department of Organ and Catholic Liturgical Music at the Munich Conservatory. His renown and the resulting demand for his services as a teacher led him to found a School of Organ in Munich, which has since produced two generations of graduates. More than a few names well-known to the music world may be counted among them. Lehrndorfer is a recognized master of the art of improvisation. His concerts both in Germany and abroad are invariably met with enthusiasm and admiration and many of his performances have been preserved in recordings. As Dome Organist for over 30 years and as a visiting professor at the Catholic University in Porto, Portugal, Lehrndorfer has carried on a tradition of organ recitals initiated by his predecessors and has expanded their scope. Well–known contemporary composers write works for him to premiere.
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