Gerard Gillen (organ)

{TABLE} Dialogue in C .................. Marchand Concerto del Sig Taglietti ..... Walther Sonata in E flat BWV525 ........ Bach Volutnary No 10 in G ........... Russell Andante in F K616 .............. Mozart Four Sketches Op 58 ............ Schumann Prelude and Fugue in D ......... Franz Schmidt {/TABLE} THE musical architect of the series, Professor Gerard Gill en chose to offer an evening that could be regarded as full of musical plunder.

Since neither Mozart nor Schumann paid much attention to the organ, the Mozart Andante is a borrowing of a work originally written for mechanical organ, the Schumann of a set of pieces for the pedal piano, a short lived instrument which sought to bring some of the advantages of the organ's multi keyboard layout to the piano.

Debussy sought to perpetuate some of Schumann's pedal piano music by arranging it for two pianos - musically, a better medium for it than the organ. But, given the rarity of two piano concerts and the organ repertoire's weakness in the mid 19th century, it's on the organ that this music is now most frequently heard.

Both Gerard Gillen's spoken introductions to and playing of this varied repertoire were characterised by colour and good humour.

The opening Marchand Dialogue was as convincing a display as I've heard from this performer in early French repertoire, and the brio that informed the fast movements of the Walt her was a real pleasure; a steadier, more articulate approach, however, would have been welcome in the outer movements of Bach's Trio Sonata in E flat.

The tongue in cheek Mozart was spirited enough to raise a smile, even if all the notes didn't fall exactly into place, and both the Russell and Schmidt were delivered with engaging ebullience.