Search - Johannes Brahms, Robert Parkins :: Brahms: Complete Organ Works

Rare Brahms

A. Hayes | Chinook, MT USA | 03/06/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD presents hard to find music of Brahms, the organ works. Brahms himself was unsure of these works, resulting in their relative obscurity. In the works, he imititates Baroque style well and gets quite a lot from the organ. The fugues in particuler are very good. Some Brahms fans may not like this disc because Brahms himself meant not for this music to be published. It does however show his classic inclinations."

The last composition of Brahms, Op. 122

Uriah Heep | Bloomington, IN | 01/31/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"These organ pieces of Brahms are wonderuflly written and it is sad they are nowadays neglected. Especially the last piece Brahms ever penned, the 11 Chorale Preludes of 1896. All of these are beautiful but track 5 "O Welt, ich muss dich lassen" is especially so. My German is a bit rusty but I believe the translation is "O world, I must leave you." Indeed, Brahms did, within the next year after Op. 122 was composed.



I always like to hear the last thing a composer wrote before death, as it usually reveals an inner part of themselves that we don't get in other compositions. Brahms'last thoughts before leaving this world reflected much on death and eternity, as this work definitely evokes those subjects.



The other pieces on the disc are also wonderfully performed by Robert Perkins as well, but they are lacking in the mature style that Brahms showed in the 11 Chorales. Track 1 is from 1857, track 2 also from 1856 but published in 1864, track 14 from 1857 but revised in 1882, and track 15 from 1856. It is interesting that Brahms neglected the organ for much of his life but then came back to it in the end. In the 1850s, he actually aspired to become an organ virtuso before realizing how difficult the instrument is to play.



As for the performance, it is well above average. Perkins is an accomplished American organist who I believe now teaches at Duke University. I believe he adequately expresses through his playing here what Brahms was trying to convey. Bravo for Naxos for making this music so easily available and at a low cost. The sound quality here, as always with Naxos discs, is excellent."