Halgeir Schiager - Gustav Merkel - Organ Works Vol. 2 (2009)

The second of Four CDs of the organ music of the composer Gustav Merkel, a musical figure from the 1800s who in his time was highly renowned but is now largely unknown, features a selection of pieces which includes several of his shorter pieces. As with other recordings in the series they are performed by Helgeir Schiager. The organist Halgeir Schiager here presents the second of four releases dedicated to the organ music of Gustav Merkel. The recording has been made on an instrument similar to those used by the composer himself, in this case the Urban Kreutzbach organ in St. Katharinenkirche, Callenberg. The featured works include the "Variations on a theme of Beethoven", three pieces from each of the "Six Orgelstcke, op. 100" and "Twelve Orgelstcke, op. 102", two "Fantasie and Fugues", and a "Fantasie in Freestyle. Although Gustav Merkel was one of the truly great romantic composers and virtuosos of the organ in the 1800s his name is virtually forgotten today. He was born in 1827 in Oberoderwitz near Zittau in Germany, and after some early lessons from Robert Schumann moved to Dresden where he concentrated his work on writing and performing on the organ. His compositions include nine solo sonatas plus a separate sonata for two organists, opus 30, and several dozen miniatures. In these works his style is strongly influenced by Mendelssohn, and the music similar to his younger contemporary Josef Rheinberger.