Improvisations

Suite Concassé

Healey Willan: Introduction, passacaglia and fuge e-flat minor for organ.
Recorded live in St. John (Sankt Johannes) church, Stockholm, Sweden.

Healy Willan: Introduktion, passacaglia och fuga ess-moll

ND Finale End Track

Improvisation:  Sonata - Andante

The third and last movement of the incredible "Credo Symphoniacum" by Otto Olsson (1879 - 1964). The foremost composer of organ music in Sweden in the last romantic era, although he was working in the "shadow" of the neoclassical influences. Very established in the Swedish cultural environment and musical life, he was a bit of out of his time. This glorious organ symphony is nevertheless a Credo of both his time and his beliefs.

Otto Olsson: Credo Symphoniacum III

Live performance in St. John church, Stockholm, Sweden

Jehan Alain: Fantaisie II

Charles Tournemire: from "Sei Fioretti" op.60

Camille Saint-Saëns: Fantaisie no 2, op. 101 en ré bémol majeur (Dess-dur)

Improvisation: "Happy Birthday..."

My transcription of Modest Musorgskij's "Pictures at an exhibition". Complete suite.
Recorded in the St. Jacob's church in Stockholm.
Marcussen organ 1976: V/83 stops.

Pictures at an exhibition - Musorgskij

J S Bach: Kunst der Fuge: Contrapunctus XI

The renowned organist Anders Bondeman is one of Sweden's most respected and internationally well known organ improvisers.  Winner of the Haarlem improvisation contest in the 60-ies, he he turned 85 years old in feb 2022.
I had the opportunity to play a concert in "his" church, St Jacob's, in central Stockholm. The marvellous instrument built by Marcussen & Son in 1976 was artistically designed by Anders Bondeman.

My concert program for this occasion contained a improvised suite in four movements on a theme based on maestro's name:
AnDErs(Es) BonDEmAn.

Improvisation - 4. Finale

Improvisation - 3. Adagietto

Improvisation - 2. Scherzetto

Improvisation - 1. Prelude

Improvisation - Theme

From an old recital in Strängnäs Cathedral.

Otto Olsson: Fantasia Cromatica

Olivier Messiaen: Joie et clarté des Corps Glorieux

Franz Liszt: Evocation á la Chapelle Sixtine

Diderik Buxtehude: Toccata d-minor

1 Theme and Introduction

2 Intermezzo

3 Valse

4 Ancienne

5 Adagio

Improvisation in live concert in the Cathedral of Strängnäs. Stefan Therstam, organ. Cathedral organist Torvald Johansson, synthesizers. Base for improvisation: Sven-Erik Bäck: Hymn for lent - "Du som gick före oss" 

Anxiety

Yes, there are some flaws in these recordings. They are all live registrations from concerts and the technical circumstances as well as the playing sometimes aren't perfect. In spite of the shortcomings I dare to put them up publicly.

Organist titulaire in the Engelbrekt church, Stockholm, Sweden. www.therstam.se
Professor - organ improvisation at KMH, Royal College of Music in Stockholm.
Head of organ department at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm - KMH www.kmh.se
Winner of the International Organ Competition in Haarlem, Netherlands.

Stefan Therstam

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