St George’s Cathedral lends its name to the main business street in Perth, St George’s Terrace. At the start of Law Week, with events scheduled for legal-themed events along the Terrace, the Cathedral presented the Sir Francis Burt Memorial Recital.
The organist of Lausanne Cathedral, Switzerland, Jean-Christophe Geiser, presented a varied programme of organ pieces. Commencing with a surprisingly sprightly Concerto in A Minor BWV 593 from J S Bach, the realisation that the piece was a study of the style of Vivaldi explained the singing nature of the rapidly moving higher registers. The second piece from Bach, his Prelude and Fugue in E Minor BWV 548, was the mighty beast of layers of organ music, demanding precision from the player and attention from the listener, that was expected. The audience were given a “break” from the rich and busy work of the Prelude and Fugue, with the Prelude being followed by Chorale Prelude “Erbarme Dich mein, O Herre Gott” BWV 721 before submersing us back into the delicately dense work of the Fugue.
An abrupt change from Bach with his precise intricacies was the selection of Prélude funèbre by Ropartz, with its plaintive singing motifs recurring in a subdued, simple piece after the opening onslaught. The opening of the first carillon piece by Vierne, Carillon de Longpont from 24 Pièces en style libre, made some jump, and featured playful blasts from the trumpets that put one in mind of cartoons with their bulging pipes. Lefébure-Wély’s Boléro de concert next demonstrated that an organ can provide rich sound and a vivacious dance inspired mood. Delightful and all too brief, the Bolero was a vibrant exploration of the lighter possibilities of the instrument. The following Prélude from 24 Pièces en style libre by Vierne felt a little flat after the preceding joyous effusion, but set the scene for the concluding Carillon de Westminster from 24 Pièces de fantaisie. Opening with the familiar tones of the Westminster bells, known locally also from Perth’s London Court clock, an increasingly elaborate styling grew and rose around the main theme. With some surprising changes in tempo, an extensive and confident use of pre-sets, the exuberant finale had us all relishing the full measure of the crashing chords that closed the performance.
Geiser is world-acclaimed, and has enjoyed himself in exploring the range of the impressive organ of Perth’s St George’s Cathedral. The acoustics worked well, and the simple device of a fixed camera and a screen with projector in front of the audience allowed us to watch the master in action. It also allowed us to see the camera shaken with the intensity of the performance in places, bringing another dimension to the already impressive performance.
As with other concerts in the series, I only wish they were accessible to larger audiences, whether through additional performances or broadcast recordings, as the standard is so impressively high.
Rating: 4½ stars out of 5
Sir Francis Burt Memorial Recital
Featuring: Jean-Christophe Geiser
Cathedral Concert Series 2013
St George’s Cathedral, Perth
13 May 2013
