Article Contributed on: 2/2/2009 11:14:01 AM
Dr. Horst Buchholz returned to Denver, Friday, January 30, to perform and organ concert at St. John's Cathedral in Denver. Dr. Buchholz left Denver last year to become Organist/Choirmaster and Canon for Music and Worship at Cleveland's Trinity Cathedral, where he also serves as Artistic Director of the Music & Performing Arts series, as well as the Conductor of the Trinity Chamber Orchestra.
He has won international acclaim as conductor, concert organist, scholar, and educator. While being in Colorado, he has served as Associate Conductor with Opera Colorado and as Music Director of Denver's Young Artists Orchestra. Currently, he is Music Director and Conductor of the Denver Philhar¬monic Orchestra.
Horst Buchholz received his early musical training in a boys choir in his native Germany and started conducting at age 16. When he was 21 years old, he had his Berlin Philharmonic debut as organ soloist, and shortly thereafter he founded the Berlin Chamber Orches¬tra. Dr. Buchholz holds two terminal degrees, one in Church Music from the University of Arts in Berlin, and one in Orchestral Conduct¬ing from Indiana University in Bloomington. His organ teachers were Heinz Lohmann, Peter Wackwitz, and Rudolf Heinemann. As an as¬sistant with the Berlin Philharmonic Chorus he had the opportunity to work with and learn from such eminent maestros as Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Muti, and Herbert von Karajan.
Dr. Buchholz' organ recitals are always extraordinary, and this one was no exception. His program consisted of works by Arthur Foote, Max Reger, and Leon Boellmann. What made this program exciting was the programmed request by Buchholz for themes from the audience upon which he improvised.
But first things first. Buchholz changed all of the registrations (the "voicing" of the instrument) in the works that he played so that the sound of the organ at St. John's could be emphasized. Though the St. John's organ is a truly fine instrument, it is gong to be fully restored in the coming year. Nonetheless, its tone, particularly in very soft sections of the music is beautiful, and that is what Buchholz emphasized at his concert.
He opened the program with two pieces by Arthur Foote: Festival March and Canzonetta. Foote was an American composer ( 1853 - 1937), who was stylistically associated with the American Composers George Chadwick, Amy Beach, Edward McDowell Horatio Parker, and John Knowles Paine. That is to say that he is considered a Romantic period composer, and not a 20th Century composer in spite of his dates. He did not create an American sound in the sense that William Schuman, Aaron Copland, and Roy Harris did. The two pieces that Buchholz performed are excellent works - a typical march, while the Canzonetta was pastorale-like in its mellifluousness.
After the Foote, came the Phantasy and Fugue in d minor, Op. 135b, by Max Reger. Reger (1873 - 1916) had a very short composing life - he died of a heart attack at the age of 43. However, he rose to fame very quickly, and his output was prodigious, much of it for organ, and much of it fugues. He was particularly attracted to them, and he is quoted as saying that, "Other people write fugues, but I live inside them." The work that Buchholz performed is dedicated to Richard Strauss, and it uses the extended harmonies of Strauss and Wagner. It also has many small gestures that are technically difficult, including a very wide dynamic range. But it is the Fugue that attracts one's attention. It is a five voice double fugue that must cause many organists to gasp in disbelief. Buchholz, who is a fine organist, did appear to work, but by and large, simply did what Reger requires with grace and aplomb. The first subject of the fugue is very disjunct with large leaps (at least for a fugue subject) while the second subject is more conjunct and flowing. The difficulty is that the reaches keep getting bigger and bigger, and at the end of the fugue everything melds together into huge chords. One can hear the difficulties as they listen, but Buchholz didn't seem to be unduly bothered. He simply did it all, and made wonderful and engrossing music.
The third piece on the program was the Suite deuxième by Leon Boellmann (1862 - 1897). Boellmann, who died an untimely death from tuberculosis, performed throughout Europe. He was strongly influenced by Faure and Franck in his harmonic structure. He is very chromatic and modulates often. This four movement work Prelude pastoral, Allegretto, Andantino, and Marche, is full of repose, and even the final Marche does not seem to be as aggressive in style as most marches are. The third movement contained some wonderful rhythm that exuded an unusual fresh innocence. The registrations that Buchholz used surely had an effect, but the piece is very dulcet and lyrical.
Now we come to the last "piece" on the program. I have put that in quotes because it really was not a piece; Buchholz invited the audience to supply themes so that he could improvise upon them. Everyone knows that organists have to improvise. It is usually done to fill gaps of silence in a church service while the minister or priest is conducting a part of the service that requires no music. However, many organists seem uncomfortable carrying out this duty, while others use extremely simple chord progressions as a basis for their improvisation. Not so, Dr. Buchholz. He chose three themes from the audience, and proceeded to create three complete works using advanced harmonies and tone clusters. His impressive pedal technique was clearly in evidence, as was his musicianship. The third motive was stated first in the pedal and then to the manuals. His ability to improvise reminded me of the French musician, Pierre Camonin (1903-2003) who was the organist at the Notre Dame Cathedral in the city of Verdun. He was a stellar improviser and organist in every way, and so is Buchholz.
While it is sad that the City of Denver has lost such a remarkable musician, it is a happy thought to consider how many times Buchholz will return to give us concerts such as the one we heard Friday night. For those people who consider that the organ is used only for church services, I would invite them to attend one of his concerts and have their world opened.