Heiller playing Reger at Linz

[Fiffaro]

Towards the end of a thread on registration assistants a number of board members expressed interest in the recording of Anton Heiller's performance of Reger's Wachet auf. I added a comment at the end of the thread about the crowd funding effort to cover the cost of remastering and producing a CD but, judging by the lack of responses to my post, it was probably too far down an unrelated thread.

In the meantime, the crowdfunding campaign has ended, close enough to the goal for the release of the CD to go ahead.

More information can be found at a new site:

https://anton-heiller.com/release/anton-heiller-edition/

which is in German. Google translate will probably do a good enough job for all to understand.

The synopse is that the mastertapes of the recording session on the Marcussen organ in the cathedral in Linz are in good condition and have been obtained. Musical samples will be made available shortly.

Like a number of other members wrote in the thread I mentioned above, I was blown away by the original Erato recording, subsequently re-released by the World Record Club. Nowadays, I only have an MP3 copy of the Fantasia, so I am very much looking forward to receiving the CD.

One of Heiller's students, Christa Rumsey, was the English translator of Peter Planyavsky's biography of Heiller. I had written here that I thought Christa was also one of the registrants for the recording, but I have since been contacted by Anton Heiller's son, Bernhard, who has let me know that the registrants were Elli Koiiman and Jozef Serafin, and also Monika Henking for part of the recording session.

David

Edited December 16, 2019 by Fiffaro
Fixing incorrect information in my post

[pcnd5584]

I have a copy of this recording. The playing is stunning - as is the instrument.This is my absolute favourite Reger Fugue. I have played it myself a number of times, either for recitals or as the voluntary after a carol service. The last two pages are really effective, and the final system, with the full harmonisation of the final line of the chorale is absolutely breathtaking.

[Rowland Wateridge]

Ian Tracey played Noel Rawsthorne’s Choral Phantasie on “Wachet auf” at Liverpool Cathedral in the Anniversary Recital yesterday following Evensong and interment of Noel’s ashes alongside those of his predecessor Harry Goss-Custard - a very moving occasion.

Although their structures differ, I feel that Noel Rawsthorne paid more than a passing nod to Reger, especially in the opening and final movements of this five-movement work.