Dana Marsh
Bach at Haarlem. Jonathan Dimmock, organ (Loft Recordings, LLC, 2013, www. Amazon.com), $20.89.
This recording is a major achievement. The tonal brilliance and eloquence of the justly-famous Müller Organ in the Bavokerk, Haarlem, The Netherlands (1738) are brought fully to life through Loft’s superb engineering and production. The organ’s broad range of color is everywhere vivid, and the grand acoustical environment which it inhabits conveys the sound with clarity—even at its most live and reverberant. One might be thankful for these sound-characteristics by themselves in such a recording, but the true value comes from Jonathan Dimmock’s sensitive, artful handling of a supreme historic instrument. The selection of repertoire is intelligent and judicious. There is a bold beginning with the “Wedge” Prelude and Fugue in E Minor (S. 548), and indeed, there are other monolithic works as well: the great Passacaglia in C Minor (S. 582), Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (S. 565) and the “Jig” Fugue (S. 577). A welcome surprise comes in a transcription of the slow movement from Bach’s Harpsichord Concerto in F Minor (S. 1056). In all cases, the performer’s intention seems not at all to impose “novel” interpretation or personal idiosyncrasy upon the music. Jonathan Dimmock persuasively offers the listener a more intrinsic, essential understanding of this oeuvre. While he is clearly in control of it, he can also allow it to speak entirely for itself, making him a fitting steward of the works he performs on this disc. Tempi and pacing are carefully judged; the color palette of the instrument is exploited to the fullest, yet always in an appropriate context. Even at moments where my own subjectivity might intrude on the listening process, Dimmock molds his performances as one who everywhere sees the bigger picture; the formal articulation is always clear and expressive, but never over-the-top. The ubiquity of the Toccata and Fugue in D Minor has always inclined me to hold that work at arm’s length. In this case though, Dimmock’s rendition communicates its spirit with an interpretative force that is undeniably genuine.