Colossal organ sounds

Moments are particularly special when the musical work and its presentation are in harmony. Such a symbiosis could be felt on Wednesday at the sixth summer organ concert in St Paul’s Church in Darmstadt. The Italian organist Giorgio Parolini (born 1971) played „Thème et Variations“ op. 115 by his compatriot Marco Enrico Bossi, born on Lake Garda in 1861, like lush Mediterranean landscapes. Parolini spanned almost 400 years of organ music.
He played Buxtehude’s Ciacona in E minor very precisely, with a clearly emphasised bass theme and flowing figures, rich in contrast, which, after a strict beginning with chromatic lines emerging suddenly, revealed how advanced Bach’s teacher already was in his compositions. The idyllic chorale ‘An Wasserflussen Babylon’ (BWV 653b) and Praludium and Fugue in E flat major (BWV 552) were written by Bach himself. Parolini presented the works like mighty colossi, emphasising the immense harmonic tension in the pre-recorded dissonances and the breakneck chasing, occasionally overzealous cascades of notes and brilliant clusters of sound.
Alexandre Pierre François Boely’s effective, almost sensational ‘Fantaisie et Fugue’ corresponded to this in its gripping, optimistic basic attitude. Here, Parolini suggested orchestral fiction and illuminatingly flashed up the B-A-C-H motif in homage to the St Thomas cantor. Romantic works by Schumann, Brahms and César Franck – all lovingly and colourfully registered – complemented the exciting orchestral evening.

Albrecht Schmidt (Darmstaedter Echo, August 9th 2002)