In transcribing 19th century orchestral music for the organ, the arranger can pursue one of two aims: either show restraint by creating idiomatic versions of fairly simple works, or throw caution to the wind, adapt some of the most elaborately scored compositions, indulge in flamboyant displays of keyboard wizardry, and hope the public has a good sense of humor.
Peter Richard Conte's lavish recreations of
Mussorgsky's Night on the Bare Mountain,
Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Nicolai's Overture to The Merry Wives of Windsor, and
Elgar's Cockaigne Overture "In London Town," Op. 40, are decidedly in the second category; it is important to consider these arrangements together, since they all have technical brilliance and wit to recommend them, and despite their outrageousness, they all work astonishingly well. On the other hand, Edwin Lemare's tedious version of Wotan's Farewell and Magic Fire Music by Wagner, and William H. Harris' stiffly reverent rendering of Nimrod from
Elgar's Enigma Variations, Op. 86, are reminiscent of the staid and timid transcriptions that gave the art its fusty reputation. Yet
Conte's lively imagination is abundantly on display in his own arrangements, and he clearly realizes that to make orchestral showstoppers work on his instrument -- particularly on the awe-inspiring Wanamaker Grand Court Organ in Philadelphia -- he must literally pull out all the stops. Of course, there are some who will feel that this music is excessively gaudy, no matter how cleverly handled, and they may discount
Conte's flashy transcriptions as vulgar kitsch. But anyone who is in the mood for fun organ music, and especially fans of historic American organs, will find this album a delight. Gothic's audio is clear and focused, which helps considerably with capturing the organ's softest stops in Lord and Taylor's highly resonant acoustics.