Bach sends his greetings

Giorgio Parolini on the Thielemann-Organ.

The organ in the Trinity Church in Graefenhain is over 280 years old. The court organ builder Johann Christoph Thielemann built it in the years 1728 to 1731. It stands today as an important witness from the time of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Giorgio Parolini, organist from Villasanta by Milan, concentrated almost without exception on this musical era of the Bach family and vicinity on his program for the most recent organ concert in Graefenhain. Thereby it certainly would have been enticing to experience more of the Italian representatives in contrast to their German contemporaries. The only such example, the Canzona in g-minor and “All’ Elevazione” by the Italian Domenico Zipoli (1688-1726), were so elegant and subtle that they whetted the appetite for more such colourful pieces. However, as a small further tribute to Italy, there was the transcription of a concerto by Antonio Vivaldi, which Johann Gottfried Walther (1684-1748) had arranged for organ. In the three movements, Allegro, Adagio and Allegro, the organist impressively demonstrated the varied possibilities of the Thielemann-organ.
The Sunday afternoon had begun with the “Ciaccona in B-flat Major” by Johann Bernhard Bach (1676-1749), in the course of the hour several works of Johann Sebastian Bach followed. Parolini performed the Chorale Preludes “Dies sind die heil’gen zehn Gebote” BWV 678, “O Mensch, bewein’ dein Sünde groß” BWV 622, as well as the great, abruptly ending final Fugue from “The Art of the Fugue” along with the Chorale “Vor deinen Thron tret’ ich hiermit” BWV 668, which appeared as an addendum to that cycle.
The organ recital concluded with Johann Ludwig Krebs (1713-1780). From his “Clavierübungen” Parolini played Praeambulum, Choral and Choral alio modo “Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan”, then a “Trio in C Major” exceedingly nicely to be listened to and a Fugue on “B-A-C- H”.
For the long, hearty applause Giorgio Parolini graciously played the Choral “Allein Gott in der Höh’ sei Ehr” by Johann Michael Bach (1648-1694), as a last reverence to the Bach family and the Thielemann organ..

Horst Gröner (“Thüringische Landeszeitung”, 21/07/2013)