Carl Sattler (1871-1938)
Sonate pour harmonium en fa mineur, op. 19
Sonate pour orgue n° 2, op. 17
Weihnachten, op. 22

Reinhard Kluth, orgue

For their Preziosa series, MDG revives one of the most remarkable organ composers of the late Romantic period, Carl Sattler. The uniqueness of his works and the absolute richness of his musical ideas are expertly captured by Reinhard Kluth on the Klais organ at Himmerod Abbey. Still residing at the abbey was a former student of Sattler's, the elderly Father Raimund, whose contributions add a greater degree of authenticity to the interpretation. Sattler's dense harmonies are particularly effective in the slow tempos. Sonata No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 17, in particular, thrives on its colourful registration. In contrast, the Harmonium Sonata uses the organ's horizontal trumpets in an extremely virtuosic and spirited manner. Sattler was the organist at St. Maria im Kapitol in Cologne, but the instrument he played is long gone as the church was destroyed by fire bombs in WWII. Kluth, devoted to authenticity, always performed from Sattler’s own handwritten manuscripts. However after this recording was completed, disaster struck again: Kluth's car burst into flames in an accident, consuming one of the precious originals.Years later, yet another blaze ignited—this time a firebroke out beneath the organ loft at Himmerod Abbey—adding one more chapter to this album's strangely persistent trail of fire. Inspiring"An enthralling performance with a passionate degree of attention to detail... the Himmerod Klais organ complements his skill. Overall, this is an impressive digital production in the finest sound quality which can only be described as momentous"described one critic. Furthermore, this recording was awarded the German Record Critics prize.