Axel Ruoff: Complete Works for Organ, Volume Four
The organ works of Axel Ruoff, born in Stuttgart in 1957, constitute one of the most important contributions to the literature for the instrument by any composer since Messiaen, with Ruoff often using its unparalleled resources to write music of extraordinary power and dramatic flair. This fourth volume in Jan Lehtola’s complete recording presents three large-scale compositions: a set of chorale variations, a sardonic suite and a monumental organ symphony, all displaying the wild sweep of Ruoff’s imagination.
Jan Lehtola, organ
Listen To This Recording:
- Introduction, Grave – Audio Player
- Variation 1, Andante tranquillo – Audio Player
- Variation 2, Lento assai – Audio Player
- Variation 3, Scherzando – Audio Player
- Variation 4, Vivace con fuoco – Audio Player
- Variation 5, Presto agitato – Audio Player
- Variation 6, Maestoso – Audio Player
- Variation 7, Misterioso – Audio Player
- Variation 8, Moderato, molto marcato – Audio Player
- Variation 9, Pastorale, Lento assai, dolcissimo – Audio Player
- Variation 10, Allegro precipitando – Audio Player
- Variation 11, Moderato – Audio Player
- Variation 12, Allegro molto – Audio Player
- Variation 13, Presto con fuoco – Prestissimo – Audio Player
- Fugue, Lento – Più mosso, misterioso – Allegro – Allegro vivace – Largo – Grave assai
- I Prélude, Prestissimo Audio Player
- II Danse champêtre, Agiatamente; farsesco Audio Player
- III Nocturne, Lento strascinando Audio Player
- IV Marche héroïque, Alla marcia, malizioso Audio Player
- V Finale: Allegro con fuoco; molto marcato
- I Grave – Lento assai, tristamente – Grave – Lento assai Audio Player
- II Prestissimo – Grave Audio Player
- III Adagietto – Audio Player
- IV Toccata: Allegro precipitando
Introduction, Variations and Fugue on the chorale ‘Das Volk, das noch im Finstern wandelt’ (2005)*
Audio PlayerSuite grotesque (2019)*
Audio PlayerSymphony No. 1 (2013)
Audio Player*FIRST RECORDINGS
MusicWeb International :
‘What we have is a contemporary composer who combines a wide compositional palette with a complete formal command of his material. […]
Toccata Classics has an established reputation for producing high quality recordings of contemporary music and the opportunity to get to know new music of such quality is to be greatly valued. The standard of production is always uniformly high, as are the performances. […]
Jan Lehtola is an excellent advocate for this music, seemingly making light of the technical challenges and holding the listener’s attention throughout. The recording is excellent and the organ in St Paul’s Church, Helsinki , an instrument of 52 stops, has all the colour and variety that the music requires. A most satisfying release.’
—Martyn Strachan, MusicWeb International