Wolfgang Rübsam, Casavant organ (1998), St Louis, King of France, St Paul, Minnesota

Brilliant Classics ★★★

Wolfgang Rübsam is one of the most distinctive Bach interpreters to emerge over the last 50 years or so. His Philips complete Bach-cycle, recorded in the 1970s, was quicksilver and, for its time, excellent if perhaps unremarkable. His later Naxos recordings, largely made on landmark historically oriented organs in the US, was from a different planet; the broad tempi, trademark delayed downbeat and rhetorical whimsy dividing the crowd. This new release of ‘transcriptions’ (are they really written down as such?) of the second and third orchestral suites, as well as the D minor Chaconne, will prompt similarly ‘Marmite’ reactions.

Most striking is the sense of late-Romantic expressive grandeur (amplified by the mid-20th-century tempi) delivered despite the (mostly) conventional registrations, and articulation which is far from universally legato (indeed it occasionally swings too far the other way). There’s something slightly grotesque about the experience…and yet, one realises that every note, every rhythmic delay, every extended up-beat, every spread chord is planned with astonishing detail. Not a single moment is left to chance.

One is likewise aware of Rübsam’s early studies with Helmut Walcha, so linearly conceived is the contrapuntal expression. This won’t be many people’s cup of tea, but I find it hard to deny that there’s a genius at work.

This review originally appeared in the Spring 2024 issue of Choir & Organ magazine. Never miss an issue – subscribe today