Paul Hindemith: Organ Sonatas …
Organ Sonata No. 1 (1937) / Organ Sonata No. 2 (1937) / Organ Sonata No. 3 (1940) »Nach alten Volksliedern« / Two Organ Pieces (1918) / Eleven Interludes from Ludus Tonalis (1942) (trans. organ by Joachim Dorfmüller)
Kirsten Sturm (organ) / Hubert Sandtner Organ (1978-79), Rottenburg Cathedral
►NAXOS 8.573194 (2014)
The clarity with which the young organist Kirsten Sturm interprets the solo organ works of Hindemith is astounding. The instructions for the individual pieces provided by the composer are not necessarily "specific to the organ" and therefore require a highly creative application form the interpreter in order to convey the stylistic characteristics and most varied expressive content of this music as a musical language of its own. In particular, the interpreter succeeds in impressively profiling the thematic variety in the first movement of the First Sonata with finely nuanced registration. With great virtuosity, Sturm shapes the toccata-like middle section "Phantasie, frei" of the second movement, which alternates between fixed tempi and free passages. The Third Sonata, cast in three movements as cantus firmus adaptations of old German folk songs, was composed during Hindemith's first months in the USA and seems to reflect his emigrant's existence. The organist succeeds marvellously in lending rich expression to the different moods of the folk song texts on which the music is based. Sturm interprets the organ transcriptions of the interludes from "Ludus Tonalis“ as character pieces, some of them whimsical and others evoking an expressive repose. The present CD is the first recording of these organ adaptations. Highly recommended!
HJW