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, fr Tannhaüser - Thomas Murray (1927 Skinner/Woolsey Hall, Yale University, New Haven, CT) Priory CD-338 (www.priory.org.uk)

WAGNER (arr. Lemare): Pilgrims' Chorus, fr Tannhaüser - Simon Preston (1937 Harrison/Westminster Abbey, London) London CD-430145

WAGNER (arr. Fox): Evening Star, fr Tannhaüser - Virgil Fox (Aeolian-Skinner/Riverside Church, NYC) EMI Classics CD-65426 (www.ohscatalog.org)

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

WAGNER (arr. Nordwall): Act III Prelude, fr Lohengrin - Jonas Nordwall (Wurlizter/Vollum Studio, Portland, OR) Organ Grinder CD-111 (OLF; organlitfnd@juno.com)

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

WAGNER (arr. Curley): Liebestod, fr Tristan und Isolde - Carlo Curley (1932 E. M. Skinner/Girard College Chapel, Philadelphia, PA) Argo CD-430200 (out-of-print)

WAGNER (arr. Cailliet): Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral, fr Lohengrin-Ridgewood Concert Band/Christian Wilhjelm, cond; David Fedor (1954 Schantz/Sacred Heart Cathedral, Newark, NJ) Pro Organo CD-7055 (www.zarex.com)

FRANZ LISZT: Am Grabe Richard Wagners -Gregory D'Agostino (`976 Moeller/National City Christian Church, Washington, DC) Centaur CD-2246 (www.centaurrecords.com)

LISZT/WAGNER: March to the Holy Grail, fr Parsifal -Justin Bischof (1988 Kleucker-Steinmeyer/Tonhalle, Zurich) Ethereal CD-106 (www.etherealrecordings.com)

WAGNER (arr. Thalben-Ball): Ride of the Valkyries, fr Die Walküre -Anthony Newman (St. John the Divine) 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!