Reviews ...

... on the production
sic04-2Mahler at the Schwerin Cathedral
Kindertotenlieder, Adagietto, Rückert-Lieder
Phillip Langshaw (bass-baritone)
Jörg Abbing (organ)

THE AMERICAN ORGANIST (January 2005)
  Mahler at the Schwerin Cathedral
Jörg Abbing, an active church and academic musician in Germany, has transcribed three Mahler works: Kindertotenlieder, Lieder von Rückert, and the Adagietto from the Fifth Symphony. Phillip Langshaw, active as a concert and recording artist in Europe, Asia and Australia, sings with deep feeling and sincerity, his rich, resonant voice well suited to these somber texts. Abbing’s transcriptions recast the original orchestrations into the idiom of the organ, retaining the essential character. Registrations are sensitive to the texts. Although the harp’s rhythmic reiterations are missed in the Adagietto, Abbing’s performance is deeply spiritual. These are fine interpretations, providing a fresh way to experience the piquant beauty of Mahler’s music.
 
de ORGELkrant (2003/3)
  Mahler at the Schwerin Cathedral
The organist Jörg Abbing presents his own adaptations of Gustav Mahler's Kindertotenlieder and Rückert-Lieder for organ and baritone, performed together with bass-baritone Philip Langshaw at the Schwerin Cathedral, Germany. Although the Ladegast-organ in Schwerin (built in 1871) is audibly "older" than Mahler, this organ copes wonderfully with the tasks given by Abbing  –  the lieder as well as the adaptation of the Adagietto from Mahler's 5th Symphony. This CD was produced by SICUSKlassik, a new label in the world of classical music.
 
MUSICA SACRA (July/August 2002)
  Mahler at the Schwerin Cathedral
This CD contains transcriptions of Mahler's orchestra Lieder and is designed to add some more works to the repertoire of church music. With Rückert and Kindertotenlieder, Jörg Abbing chose two vibrant works belonging to the core of the symphonic repertoire. Abbing does not stick slavishly to the orchestral score; instead, he finds his own way. With the original in mind, the recording forces the audience to get used to a completely different organ sound. As soon as one experiences this new sound, an illuminative new listening event is guaranteed. Some of the sounds Abbing creates are of exhilarating beauty. Phillip Langshaw, with his cultivated and expressive voice, is an excellent partner for Abbing. Langshaw gives the Lieder a personal touch with extremely clear diction and an unpretentious but clearly superiour composition. The most distinctive mark, however, remains the purely instrumental Adagietto from the 5th symphony. Here, Abbing manages to draw a bow full of tension, commanding one's attention from beginning to end. Furthering this musical banquet is Abbing's dexterous use of the Ladegast organ at the Schwerin Cathedral, which possesses a rich pool of orchestral voices.


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