Music / organ recital, Martin Rein. At Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest, August 27. Reviewed by GRAHAM McDONALD.

 

IT has now been more than 20 years since the manual, electro-pneumatic organ in the Wesley Uniting Church was rebuilt into the largest and most versatile organ in the ACT.

The rebuild incorporated ranks of pipes from three other organs, some dating back to the late 19th century and allows a wide range of music to be played. 

 

Organist Martin Rein was born and trained in Germany, but has studied throughout Europe and now based in Canberra. This concert was most satisfyingly conceived and performed with two works each from JS Bach, Charles-Marie Widor and Max Reger in addition to a couple of improvisations.

The Bach works, the opening Sinfonia from Cantata BWV 29 and the Trio super BWV 664 were played with precision, the three voices clear and distinct. Rein was a study in concentration, intensely reading a long strip of music, taped together across the width of the shelf above the keyboards.

 

These were followed by the first two movements from Widor’s Symphonie Romane, op. 73 written in 1900. The first movement explored many of the voices of the instrument and contrasted nicely with the softer tonality of the second movement. It was interesting and varied music that led into the first of two improvised pieces. This started with a riff on the bass pedals and added increasingly complex variations on the keyboards before returning to a quiet ending.

 

Two works by Max Reger were the penultimate and major works of the program. A quiet and pretty Kanzone op.69/9 led to the Fugue on Bach op 46/2 which growled and rumbled as it built towards the end. This is a complex piece of music and used the full range of what this organ is capable of in a most impressive display. It was noted by the organisers of the recital that this is the only organ in Canberra on which this work can be properly performed.

 

The final work of the recital, a second improvisation on the melody of “Advance Australia Fair” as suggested by the concert organisers, produced five quite charming variations on the theme, but seemed a strange choice. Rein had requested that the audience not clap between works, but waited until the end when there was spontaneous and enthusiastic applause to recognise a very fine performance.