For those of you who have read my series So,What's Wrong with the Organ Anyway you know that I have considered Paul Jacobs as one of the very few organists on this planet capable of generating the same kind of excitement that Gustavo Dudamel, Nigel Kennedy, Marc-André Hamelin or Natalie Dessay engender. I must say his recital at Verizon Hall in Philadelphia's Kimmel Centre on Saturday (8/V/2010) did not fail to exceed one's expectations. Mr. Jacobs, who is the head of the Organ Department at the Juilliard School of Music, played an intriguing and very compelling programme of Mendelssohn, J. S.Bach, Boulanger (not the one you think), Franck, Oquin, and Reger which, at the end, left the audience completely exhilarated, if not exhausted.
Let me start off with a comment about the organ in Verizon Hall. This instrument is a testament to the concept that for an instrument (of any kind) to fully achieve it's tonal potential it must be played. So many organs in concert halls suffer from the condition of tonal decrepitude as a result of simply sitting there and quite literally rotting (leather dry rot) from inactivity. We hear stories of unplayable Stradivarius and Guarneri string instruments, or Broadwood and Erard pianofortes needing complete rebuilding because they were left sitting in museums unplayed; so it is with concert hall organs. It is to the Kimmel Centre's credit that they have actively promoted and kept their instrument in use via their recital series. As a result, the organ has become a warmer, better balanced instrument with the constant tweaking of its voicing, tuning, and playing since its installation five years ago.
Mr. Jacobs obviously appreciates this fact as illustrated by the rich full foundation opening of the Mendelssohn Sonata #1 in f Op. 65#1. One of the outstanding features of Mendelssohn's organ sonatas is that they are really quite orchestral in nature. Mr. Jacobs gave the first movement the full orchestral treatment by not merely adhering to the dynamic contrasts as called out the score; but, with each successive contrasting section you could almost sense the composer's naturally orchestral mind being applied through his exploitation of the organ's resources.
Mr. Jacobs made sure that no two sections were exactly the same; there was a constant evolution of registration leading to the next section. His rapid, seamless registration changes facilitated this linear path so smoothly, it all felt as natural as his breathing for each phrase. The secret to any great performance is how the artist understands the phrase. It's the shaping and clear articulation of each phrase and its relationship to every other clearly articulated phrase which drives the piece forward.Mr. Jacobs' rhythmic precision plainly demonstrated this fact.
Article comments
1 - KWalters
Thank you, Mr. Fisher, for capturing in words the incredibly rare excitement Mr. Jacobs evoked in the audience at his performance. I was spellbound like never before in my life.
2 - John Wilson
Excellent review! Thank you.
3 - Nicholas Russotto
Dear Mr. Fisher,
Thanks very much for a wonderful review. I was at this concert, as well, and agree with most everything that you said.
The only thing I must disagree on is your feeling on Dr. Oquin's piece--I will say, however, that it is a piece that requires a second or third hearing to really get into it...I've been lucky enough to hear it a few times. If you'd permit me, please allow me to paste below my own feelings on the piece (from my own review of this concert). Thanks again for writing this review, and I hope you'll enjoy and consider what I had to say about this piece.
After intermission, we were treated to a Philadelphia premiere: a work entitled "Reverie", by the young and extremely talented composer Wayne Oquin. Wayne is a professor of ear training and composition at Juilliard, having been appointed to that position after graduating with his Masters and DMA from that institution, and his work is absolutely wonderful. I've really enjoyed what I've heard from him so far, clearly he is on his way to do great things. This is his first piece for organ, commissioned by Mr. Jacobs for the dedication of the new Schoenstein organ at Christ and St. Stephen's Church on the Upper West Side of New York City. The piece is structured in an ABA format, where the 'A' section is a ravishing, rather rhapsodic chordal accompaniment, with a rather haunting theme on the harmonic flute. Though I shall try to not
over-interpret, if one closed one's eyes, one might imagine that this were the beginning of a restless sleep: the melody jumps around rather a bit and seems not to settle down until more tranquil chords begin to wash over the listener, transitioning into the 'B' section which is a playful ostinato, with the theme in the pedal. We might perhaps consider this an active dream, ebullient and at times a bit scherzo-like, and providing just the occasional variation in the ostinato to avoid undue fatigue on the ear. Then, the flute comes back, though without its solo accompaniment, and then the full 'A' section returns in what might be called a sort of 5-voice chorale. The theme begins to settle, and then the whole piece is drawn down in dynamic level to a quiet and peaceful conclusion: the dreamer has awoke, perhaps with only a fleeting memory of his reverie. As Jacobs put it in his verbal program notes, this piece requires a different kind of virtuosity to play. While it certainly isn't openly flashy, nor are there any fireworks, the timing is incredibly tricky, and again, one must always have a sense of the musical line and the concept of the piece. One might expect to hear something similar improvised by one of the more traditional French masters, but there is a unique sunniness that belies it as American: perhaps one can hear the slightest strains of Copland; I cannot quite put my finger on it.
Nonetheless, it is a tremendously successful piece and worthy addition to the repertoire. I do hope Dr. Oquin can be convinced to write more for the instrument. Incidentally, in case anyone wishes to hear the work, this performance will be uploaded to his website within a few days. There are many other sound bites to listen to in the meantime.
4 - Wei-Yin
Would tend to agree if I hadn't just heard Cameron Carpenter in Edmonton... now THAT's an organ recital, and a sold out hall too! I've always got Jacobs as a good back up if I can't get CC tickets though. His Bach recording from Pittsburgh is spectacular!