Shines at the organ

Giorgio Parolini guest at the “Organ Recital Series” at the Cathedral (Dom-Orgelzyklus)

MINDEN – Giorgio Parolini’s organ recital was characterized by a very unusual sequence of pieces which didn’t place the musical peak at the end – as expected – because the Italian soloist played Franz Liszt’s masterpiece, “Prelude and Fugue on B.A.C.H.”, between an important piece by César Franck and a very effective piece, but not really first-rate, by a lesser-known composer.
The excellent technical ability of the Italian musician justifies this particular choice. Every work he played took a unique musical form. Even if it would be possible to discuss about the fact that a different sequence of pieces could be artistically more suggestive.
For instance Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Toccata, Adagio and Fugue” BWV 564: Giorgio Parolini begins with a generous gesture, in the Adagio he finds a quiet phrasing which underlines the melody, and ends with the Fugue in an explosive way. A well-knit and admissible interpretation, but one could hope for a more transparent execution too. On the other end the continuous tension expressed by the artist made everything involving.
This was the characteristic of the other pieces too: Johann Pachelbel’s “Ciaccona” was lovable and full of colours, thanks to the Kuhn organ; César Franck’s “Prélude, Fugue et Variation” was exactely played with the lightness typical of the French music, rendering it exciting.
Giorgio Parolini crowned his performance with Franz Liszt’s “Prelude and Fugue on B.A.C.H.” where, thanks to his virtuosity, he was able to control the overwhelming forces of the music. Than he ends – soothing the restless waters – first with an “Andantino” by Dénis Bédard, a recent piece whose romantic theme could let one think to another epoch, then with two works by the Italian Marco Enrico Bossi. Pleasant music but not overwhelming, although Parolini committed himself completely with fervour.
At the end the audience received, as an encore, David Johnson’s “Trumpet Tune”.

Udo Stephan Khne

From “Mindener Tageblatt”, 11/10/2003