Stephen Thackeray

WHEN composer Caesar Franck first encountered the new age of organs in the 19th century, he reportedly said: "my organ is an orchestra." And Westminster cathedral organist Martin Baker certainly entered into the spirit of that statement as he explored the sounds of the Bridgewater Hall organ for the first time.

Throughout his unusual programme of Mendelssohn, Franck, Reger, Mussourgsky and his own improvisation, Baker brought the organ alive.

His range of tone colours and use of different sounds was awe-inspiring as he effortlessly played through a series of challenging pieces.

The organist, who played for Princess Diana's funeral at Westminster Abbey and who originally comes from Manchester, started his recital with Mendelssohn's Sonata in F minor Op.65 which used a subtle range of stops through the Allegro.

In the second movement, there were whispers of "I know that piece" and "I can play that one" as the Adagio is a piece frequently played in churches across the country.

And the third and the fourth movements - Andante Recitativo and Allegro assia vivace both encompassed contrasting sounds from quiet flutes to rich reeds.


Franck's Priere was certainly an interesting contrast to the Mendelssohn and very different in style, but it was Max Reger's Fantasia on the Chorale "Ein Feste Burg ist unser Gott" which ended the first half and where Baker's exploration of the organ he'd never played before started.

The piece is essentially a hymn tune with unusual and discordant harmonies underneath. As Baker put it, "The man (composer) was either a genius or an idiot. You decide."

But it was Baker's performance of Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, originally written for piano and arranged by Baker, which stole the show. Baker first played his arrangement at St Paul's Cathedral 12 years ago - and he hadn't played it since until last night.

The piece describes ten pictures at an exhibition which were inspired by the composer's friend Victor Hartmann. Baker brought the pictures 'alive' through music and captured the real spirit of the piece with varying sounds during the repetitions of the Promenade, particularly in the "water colour depicting a lively scene of children" using light flutes and the energetic rendition of "The Market at Limoges."

It was clear the audience certainly enjoyed it from the raptuous applause. And the finale - an improvisation based on a theme given by the concert organiser, William Walton's Spitfire Prelude and Fugue, Belshazzar's Feast and the Promenade from the Mussorgsky - went down a treat. The Walton theme especially important in the Oldham-born composer Walton's 150th centenary year.

While there were around 100 at the recital, it was a shame more people weren't there to hear a great organist at work for the evening was a fantastic recital of romantic organ music.