Search - Johann Sebastian Bach, Kevin Bowyer :: Bach: Leipzig Chorales

Anyone undertaking to perform, much less record, the complete organ works of J.S. Bach deserves credit for stamina and strength of will. Here, Kevin Bowyer gives us the 18 Chorale Preludes from the Leipzig autograph, volume 10 in his Bach organ works series. These are classic works, recorded on an outstanding instrument--the Marcussen Organ from the Sct.-Hans-Kirke in Odense, Denmark--and the acoustics are superb. Interpretively, however, the recording is hindered by Bowyer's sense of musical timing. For this listener, it was irksome to hear him slow down and otherwise lose intensity at inoipportune moments: before bar lines, trills and significant points of arrival. Whether this is a technical limitation on Bowyer's part or just an affectation of some kind is hard to discern. In any case, it's regrettable. --Gwendolyn Freed