Bruckner: Complete Symphonies Arranged for Organ, Volume 4

Symphony No. 4 (1878/80)
1. Anton Bruckner (1824–1896): "The Evening's Enchantment" WAB57
(Organ arrangement by Hans-Jörg Albrecht)

2. Philipp Mainz (born 1969): Chorale Prelude No. 46
"Morning Glow of Eternity"
- For solo organ (2022) -

Bruckner Fest St. Florian
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in E-flat Major "Romantic" WAB104
(Second version, 1878/80)
Arranged for organ by Thomas Smeekner

3. I. Beweg, nicht zu schnell (Moving, not too fast)
4. II. Andante quasi Allegretto (Lied, Prayer, Serenade)
5. III. (Hunting) Scherzo. Beweg (Moving)
? Trio: Nicht zu schnell, keinesfalls schleppend (Not too fast, definitely not dragging)
6. IV. Finale. Beweg, doch nicht zu schnell (Moving, but not too fast)

*Complete symphonies by Bruckner arranged for organ*
OC476…Vol. 0 Symphony No. 0
OC477…Vol. 1 Symphony No. 1
OC478…Vol. 2 Symphony No. 2
OC479…Vol. 3 Symphony No. 3

Performed by Hans-Jörg Albrecht (organ)
Recording: April 18–22, 2022
Konzerthaus Vienna (Austria)
Recording Engineer: Martin Fischer

This is the fifth installment of the complete Bruckner symphonies arranged for organ, being developed in anticipation of Bruckner’s 200th birth anniversary in 2024. The series is supported by conductor Christian Thielemann.

The arrangement of Symphony No. 4 "Romantic" was made by Thomas Smeekner, born in 1964. He studied organ at the Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts, has taught at various institutions, and serves as the organist at St. Anna Church, frequently performing with orchestras. The arrangement is based on the second version from 1878/80. Given its popularity, high expectations for the interpretation are anticipated.

In this series, works inspired by Bruckner’s music are also included under the title "Bruckner Fenster" (Bruckner’s Window). Here, we feature "Morgenglanz der Ewigkeit" ("Morning Glow of Eternity") by German composer Philipp Mainz, also appearing in Vol. 0. This piece, inspired by the sound of celesta at the start, is a dreamlike work with fragments of Bruckner woven throughout, culminating in a beautiful and majestic chorale that concludes the piece.

The opening piece, "The Evening's Enchantment," is a choral work by Bruckner, arranged by performer Hans-Jörg Albrecht. It skillfully transforms human voices into organ sounds. One of the charms of this series is the use of different organs for each recording. The organ used in this recording, located in Vienna’s Konzerthaus, is one of the largest concert organs in Europe, featuring five manuals and 116 stops. Its clear, bright sound differs from that of a church organ.

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