Joseph Kelemen - Johann Pachelbel: Suddeutsche Orgelmeister, Vol. 3 (2007) [SACD]

In the Southern and Northern German Organ Schools, Johann Pachelbel has a special status. Although the Nuremberg-born composer probably never set foot in Northern Germany, some of his works are very Northern German in style. He was also a friend of Johann Ambrosius Bach, Johann Sebastian Bach’s father, as well as the teacher of the latter’s oldest son Johann Christoph. In addition, Johann Pachelbel is said to have studied the Southern German organ style with Johann Casper Kerll from 1673–75 in Vienna. Joseph Kelemen has chosen two instruments for this recording: the St. Petri organ in Erfurt-Büßleben, built by G.Ch. Stertzing in 1702, and the Crapp organ in Pappenheim from 1720, which is still in exemplary original condition. The instruments have different types of intonation: the Stertzing organ in Büßleben is still conservative mean tone, as was frequently the case around 1700, while the Pappenheim Crapp organ with its original well-tempered intonation points toward the future.