1929 Skinner organ at Woolsey Hall, Yale University

Wagner at the Console

This week’s program redirects Richard Wagner’s focus to an instrument which sounds as lofty as any of as his own artistic ideas. Unlike Bach, Wagner never composed for solo organ but LIKE Bach his music adapts well to transcription. Listen to and enjoy your favorite overtures, choruses, arias and scenes convincingly transformed by such keyboard greats as Thomas Murray, Simon Preston, Carlo Curley and Anthony Newman.

Hold onto your horses. It’s opera without singers, pipes without preludes and fugues, and an atypical anomally as some of the grandest 19th century music is magically transformed in a manner possible only in the realm of the King of Instruments. This week we discover a surprise in every measure when we find Wagner at the Console.

Listen to the program

Program Broadcast dates:

March 24, 2003

Featured Organs:

1929 Skinner at Yale University
1937 Harrison at Westminster Abbey
1954 Schantz at Sacred Heart, Newark
1988 Kleucker-Steinmeyer at Tonhalle, Zurich

Music played in the program

RICHARD WAGNER (arr. Thalben-Ball): Entry of the Guests/Grand March, from Tannhaüser –Thomas Murray (1929 Skinner/Woolsey Hall, Yale University, New Haven, CT) Priory CD-338

WAGNER (arr. Lemare): Pilgrims’ Chorus, from Tannhaüser –Simon Preston (1984 Harrison/Westminster Abbey, London, England, UK) London CD-430145

WAGNER (arr. Fox): Evening Star, from Tannhaüser –Virgil Fox (Aeolian-Skinner Opus 1118/Riverside Church, New York, NY) EMI Classics CD-65426

WAGNER (arr. Thalben-Ball): Bridal Chorus, from Lohengrin –George Thalben- Ball (1929 Willis/Alexandra Palace, London, England, UK) Beulah CD-1PD5

WAGNER (arr. Nordwall): Act III Prelude, from Lohengrin –Jonas Nordwall (Wurlizter/Vollum Studio, Portland, OR) Organ Grinder CD-111

WAGNER (arr. Lemare): Die Meistersinger Overture –Anthony Newman and Friends (1954 Aeolian-Skinner/Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York, NY) Columbia MS-33268 (out-of-print)

WAGNER (arr. Curley): Liebestod, from Tristan und Isolde –Carlo Curley (1933 E.M. Skinner/Girard College Chapel, Philadelphia, PA) Argo CD-430200 (out-of-print)

WAGNER (arr. Cailliet): Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral, from Lohengrin-Ridgewood Concert Band/Christian Wilhjelm, conductor; David Fedor Pro Organo CD-7055

FRANZ LISZT: Am Grabe Richard Wagners –Gregory D’Agostino (1976 Moeller/National City Christian Church, Washington, DC) Centaur CD-2246

LISZT/WAGNER: March to the Holy Grail, from Parsifal –Justin Bischof (1988 Kleuker-Steinmeyer/Tonehalle, Zürich, Switzerland) Ethereal CD-106

WAGNER (arr. Thalben-Ball): Ride of the Valkyries, from Die Walküre –Anthony Newman (1954 Aeolian-Skinner/Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York, NY) Columbia MS-33268 (see above)

Though Richard Wagner did include a noteworthy organ part in his opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, his vision was directed towards areas other than the organ loft. We’ll forgive him…if he’ll forgive us!