Kees van Houten plays Bach chorales on the 1772 Robustelly organ in Helmond.

opnamedatum 4 juli 1996
0:00 Wir glauben all' an einen Gott, BWV 680
In Organo Pleno, con Pedale
G.O: 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 12, 14
Pos.: 1, 2, 5, 8, 11
Ped.: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7
G.O.-Pos.
Ped.-G.O.
Ped.-Pos.
3:33 Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr, BWV 662
a 2 Clav. el Ped. Canto Fermo in Soprano
G.O.: 3
Pos.: 2 (octaaf lager)
E.W.:2
Ped.: 1
G.O.-E.W.
Ped.-G.O.
tremblant
12:44 Dies sind die heil'gen zehen Geboth, BWV 678
a 2 Clav. el Pedal, Canto Fermo in Canone
G.O.: 3, 5, 6, 15
Pos.: 1, 3
Ped.: 1, 3
Ped.-Pos.
19:04 Vor deinen Thron tret ich hiermit, BWV 668
G.O.: 2, 3
Ped.: 1
Ped.-G.O.
24:43 Nun komm der Heyden Heyland, BWV 659
a 2 Clav. e Ped.
G.O.: 3, 6
Pos.: 2 (octaaf lager)
E.W.: 1, 2, 4, 7
Ped.: 1, 2, 3
G.O.-E.W.
29:54 O Lamm Gottes unschuldig, BWV 656
3 Versus
vers 1 G.O.: 2, 3, 5
E.W.: 1, 2, 4
G.O.-E.W.
vers 2 G.O.: + 4, 7
E.W.: +7
vers 3 G.O.: + 10
Pos.: 1, 2, 5, 8, 12
- G.O.-E.W.
+G.O.-Pos.
Ped.: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8
Ped.-Pos.
maat 122: Pos.: + 11
maat 139: G.O.: + 12, 14
maat 144: Ped.: - 8
39:54 Schmucke dich, o liebe Seele, BWV 654
a 2 Clav. el Pedal
G.O.: 3
Pos.: 1, 3, 4
E.W.: 2, 4
Ped.: 1
G.O.-E.W.
Ped.-G.O.
48:17 An Wasserflüssen Babylon, BWV 653
a 2 Clav. el Pedal
G.O.: 3, 5, 6, 15
Pos.: 1, 3
Ped.: 1, 3
Ped.-Pos.
tremblant
54:22 Von Gott will ich nicht lassen, BWV 658
Canto Fermo in Pedal
G.O.: 3
Pos.: 2
E.W.: 2, 4
Ped. 2
G.O.- E.W.
Ped.-Pos.
59:53 Vater unser im Himmelreich, BWV 682
a 2 Clav. el Pedal e Canto fermo in Canone
G.O : 2, 4, 12
Pos.: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 12
E.W.: 1, 3, 7 (disc.)
Ped.: 1, 2, 3, 4
G.O.-E.W.
Ped.-G.O.
1:07:23 Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr, BWV 663
a 2 Clav. el Ped. Canto Fermo in Tenore
G.O.: 3
Pos.: 2, 3
E.W.: 2
Ped.: 1, 3
G.O.-E.W.
Ped.-G.O.
1:15:39 Komm Gott Schöpfer heiliger Geist, BWV 667
In Organo Pleno, con Pedale obligalo
G.O.: 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 12, 14
Pos.: 1, 2, 5, 8, 11
Ped.: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
G.O.-Pos.
Ped.-Pos.
maat 13: Ped :-6, +7
Ped.-G.O.
Kees van Houten
Kees van Houten was born in Helmond in 194O. After grammar school, he studied piano and organ as majors at the Brabant Conservatory in TiIburg with, respectively, Paul Niessing and Hub Houet. In 1963 he obtained his teaching certificate for piano and in 1965 his degree for organ.
Kees van Houten has won prizes at improvisation courses in Bolsward and St. Albans. Since 1957 he is the organist of the St. Lambertus Church in Helmond, where he plays the historical Robustelly organ from 1772. From 1971 to 1992 he taught organ at the Highschool for Arts, Faculty of Music, in Utrecht.
Together with Marinus Kasbergen, teacher of theory at the Brabant Conservatory, Kees van Houten studied the number symbolism in J.S. Bach's music in great detail. In 1985 the Walburg Press published their book, "Bach and the Number". A second volume, "Bach, die Kunst der Fuge and the Number" was published in 1989, together with a new score of the "Kunst der Fuge".
As a performer, Kees van Houten plays in the Netherlands as well as abroad. He gives lectures, workshops and courses of interpretation in the Netherlands and abroad, especially about Bach's music and more specifically subjects such as Ars Retorica (relation between text and music) and the age-old Pythagorean and medieval tryptique of Music Theory of Numbers (Arithmatics) Cosmology (Astronomy and Astrology).
Dispositie van bet Robustelly-orgel:
Grande Orgue
1. Grand Bourdon 16'
2. Montre 8'
3. Bourdon 8'
4. Prestant 4'
5. Flûte 4'
6. Nazard 3'
7. Doublette 2'
8. Tierce 1 3/5' (disc.)*
9. Sesquialter II rgs. *
10. Fourniture IV rgs. *
11. Cymbale IV rgs. *
12. Cornet V rgs. *
13. Bombarde 16'
14. Trompette 8'
15. Voix Humaine 8'
16. Clairon 4'
Positif
1. Bourdon 8'
2. Prestant 4'
3. Flûte 4'
4. Nazard 3' *
5. Doublette 2'
6. Tierce 1 3/5'
7. Sesquialter II rgs.
8. Fourniture IV rgs. *
9. Cymbale III rgs. *
10. Comet IV rgs.
11. Trompette 8'
12. Cromorne 8'
Echowerk
1. Holpijp 8'
2. Salicionaal 8'
3. Prestant 4'
4. Fluit 4'
5. Blokfluit 2' *
6. Sesquialter II st. *
7. Dulciaan 8'
8. Vox humana 8' *
Pedaal
1. Subbas 16'
2. Prestant 8'
3. Fluit 8'
4. Prestant 4'
5. Mixtuur III st.
6. Fagot 16'
7. Bazuin 16'
8. Trompet 8'
9. Kromhoom 4'
10. Cinck 2'
De met * gemerkte stemmen zijn nieuw
.
Manuaalomvang C-f'''
Pedaalomvang C-f'
(de omvang van de pedaalladen is C-c')
Tremblant
Koppel G.O.-Pos.
Koppel G.O.-E.W.
Koppel Ped.-G.O.
Koppel Ped.-Pos.
Systeem: mechanische sleeplade

[@joannescouchet7038]

Introduction
In 1992 a CD was released in the series "Dutch Organ Beauty" with the complete performance of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Orgelbüchlein", played by Kees van Houten at the historical Robustelly organ (I 772) of the St. Lambertus Church in Helmond. Together with this CD, the performer edited "From Language To Sound", a book in Dutch about symbols and backgrounds of the choral preludes in the "Orgelbüchlein". On the occasion of his 40th jubilee as an organist, Kees van Houten edited two new books on his own account, in the seric of "From Language To Sound", namely an elaborate study of Bach's "Dritter Theil der Clavier Ubung" and one, concerning Bach's Leipzig choral preludes for organ. The editions were accompanied by the present CD with twelve choral preludes from both cycles, played by the author at the Robustelly organ. The date of the recording was 4 July 1996. The CD as well as both studies are available at: Kees van Houten Stapelen 4 5281 EH Boxtel The Netherlands telephone: [phone]
The great Choral Preludes of J.S. Bach
The twelve great choral preludes of Johann Sebastian Bach, recorded on this CD, were taken from two important collections of organ works from Bach's Leipzig period.
The first piece is the "Dritter Theil der Clavier Übung, bestehend in verschiedenen Vorspielen Über die Catechismus- und andere Gesänge", which appeared in print in 1739. The main part of this cycle form the six large and small preludes of important catechism songs of Martin Luther.
The texts of these songs concern fundamental dogmas of the christian faith.
On this CD the three great preludes are played of "Wir glauben all an einen Gott" BWV 680, "Diess sind die heil'gen zehen Geboth" BWV 678 and "Vater unser im Himmelreich" BWV 682 (numbers 1,3 and 10, respectively).
In these works Bach strictly applies contrapuntal techniques in order to reinforce the dogmatic aspect of the texts. In BWV 680 it concerns a fugal form of the beginning of the choral's first line, during which a powerful, steadfast principle of the faith is played no less than six times in the pedal. In BWV 678 and 682 the choral melody appears in a strict canon in the octave, as a symbolical indication of the fact that man should follow the God's law and commandments faithfully and obediently.
The other works belong to the series of the Leipzig organ preludes. It concerns a number of choral preludes from the Weimar period (1708-1717), which were very dear to the composer and which he improved, revised and compiled in the period of 1744-175O.
These compositions vary greatly in structure and cantus firmus technique and are characterized by a highly inventive and imaginative treatment of the text. In this way, each piece has its own retoric story and characteristic affect.
One time, the cantus firmus (choral melody) highly ornamented, is heard in the upper part (BWV 662, 659 and 654), then again in the middle part (BWV 653 and 663) or in the long pedal notes (BWV 658 and 667). In the three stanzas of the "O Lamm Gottes" BWV 656 the melody switches from the soprano via the alto to the bass. In the "Vor deinen Thron" BWV 668, the cantus firmus is taken up in an old four-part motet style.
By means of subtle contrapuntal lines, the other voices continously create an affective second part, in which usually motives derived from the choral melody are developed.
Nowhere else are the two most important aspects of Bach's art matched than in these choral preludes: On the one hand, this music conveys a final reflection of the systematic, balanced cosmic order of creation, clear in structure, complete and objective, full of universal images and symbols. At this point, Bach was still part of the age-old tradition in which music had to reflect the divine harmony, the Harmony of Atmospheres. In this tradition, with origins in Pythagorean ideas, music, together with Arithmetics (theory of numbers) and Cosmology belonged to the three most important pillars of the "Philosophia". On the other hand, Bach's music is full of the rhetorical style, which came into being at the beginning of the seventeenth century, taking over all rules and laws of the Latin and Greek Ars Retorica into music. From this point of view, each of Bach's works becomes a story with thoughts and affects, appealing to the feelings of the listener and stirring his emotions.
Bach's large organ preludes belong to the final expressions of a form of music which is, on the one hand, only directed towards the Creator and the Divine and, on the other hand, renders the psychological contents of the text into music in an emotional-human manner.
Moreover, in no other genre does Bach demonstrate so clearly how, within the strict restraint to an invariable (the choral melody), a maximum of artistic freedom and fantasy can be realized.
For a more detailed explanation and psychological interpretation of the works on this CD, I refer the reader to the studies, published at the same time as this CD, about the "Driller Theil der Clavier Ubung" and the Leipzig preludes (see introduction).
The recording was realized spontaneously in one evening. In doing so, I have attempted not to fix on the facts gained by studying, taking it that these are integrated sufficiently, but to give all room and freedom to an intense experience of each affect.
Kees van Houten

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The Robustelly Organ of St. Lambertus Church in Helmond
In 1772 Guillaume Robustelly from Liege completed a large organ with four manuals and a pull-down pedal for the Abbey Church in Averbode (Belgium). Exactly 25 years later, the Abbey was closed and the organ was dismounted and stored into boxes. In 1822 the church council of the St. Lambertus Church purchased the organ. Organ builder Arnold Graindorge from Liege placed the instrument in the medieval St. Lambertus Church, maintaining its structure with only a few alterations.
In the years of 1856-1861 the old church was replaced by the present one. In 1862 the organ was replaced by organ builder F.C. Smits, who radically changed the organ: the former Echo and Swell Organ were replaced by a complete Breast Positive, and an independant pedal and a number of new stops were added. In 1954 a fundamental restoration took place, meant to give the organ a more baroque character.
In the years of 1974-1975 the firm of Verschueren from Heythuysen restored the instrument, during which the Great Organ and the Positive were brought back to the situation of 1772, whereas for the Breast Positive (Echo Organ) and the Pedal the situation of Smits in 1862 was followed.

[@TheGloryofMusic]

This balance of rational order and humanism found in Bach's music was unique until it was recovered in late Beethoven, for example the Sonata opus 110, and the later works of Webern.

[@etienneleuridan3547]

On dirait un dinausaure qui se deplace de plus en plus lentement . . . ? ? ?

[@marcelobrunorodrigues7630]

Excusez-moi, mais j'ai pas compris cette expression.