Organ Recital Iveta Apkalna

Iveta Apkalna, organ

Philip Glass: Act III (conclusion) from the opera "Satyagraha", arranged for organ by Michael Riesman
Johann Sebastian Bach: "Pièce d'Orgue" in G major, BWV 572
Philip Glass: "Music in Contrary Motion"
Johann Sebastian Bach: Passacaglia c-Moll BWV 582
Philip Glass: "Mad Rush"
Johann Sebastian Bach: Chaconne from the Partita in D minor for solo violin, BWV 1004 arranged for organ by Matthias Keller

The organ, at least as far as the popular image goes, seems to be in its element only in a church setting — often you can't even see who is playing or how they are producing the sounds. But not so when it comes to the Latvian organist Iveta Apkalna, who has been shining a limelight on the instrument in the great concert halls. Which is why she will not be taking her place in the choir loft in front of the organ pipes in the KKL Luzern but at a console right on the stage. Apkalna has helped the "king of instruments" achieve fresh heights of glory, thanks not only to her phenomenal virtuosity and musicality but to her effect as a charismatic performer as well. When she was once asked why she bid adieu to the piano and turned to the organ, Apkalna replied that she preferred to work with her whole body, including her feet, hips, stomach, and back. And so she dances over manuals and pedals — a spectacle for ears and eyes alike — and, along the way, shows that the magnificent organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach and of contemporary American Minimalist composer Philip Glass have more in common than you might think: both are about transcendence and drive.

Berthold Herrmann & Mariann Grawe-Gerber – Founding Partners Piano Fest

Photo © Ko-Cheng Lin

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