Book release

A great moment: my new book is now available in stores!

„…das Gewaltigste, was ich je auf der Orgel gehört habe“

Franz Liszts Ad Nos als Tor zur Wiederentdeckung einer verborgenen Aufführungspraxis des 19. Jahrhunderts

„…the most powerful thing I have ever heard on the organ“. Franz Liszt’s Ad Nos as a gateway to the rediscovery of a hidden 19th century performance practice.

This book tells the eventful story surrounding Franz Liszt’s Fantasy and Fugue on „Ad Nos, ad salutarem undam“ for organ. The exceptional work and its famous performance at Merseburg Cathedral in 1855 are not only a dazzling piece of music history, but also open up a unique view into Liszt’s interpretation and performance practice – and into his understanding of tempo. The key point is the surviving duration of the work under Liszt’s direction: 45 minutes. This duration differs from today’s habits by more than 15 minutes…

With numerous previously unpublished sources.

With a guide to listening score study.

Editor: Königshausen & Neumann

ISBN 978-3-8260-7242-0

Reviews:

Diane Kolin (for www.liszt-franz.com)
Musik und Liturgie
Franz Lüthi (for the Bulletin of OFSG)
Dieter David Scholz
Ars Organi
Musik und Gottesdienst
Het Orgel
Tijdschrft van de Franz Liszt Kring
Die Tonkunst

Order in Switzerland
Order in Germany & International

Bernhard Ruchti, Franz Liszts Ad Nos als Tor zur Wiederentdeckung einer verborgenen Aufführungspraxis des 19. Jahrhunderts

Similarly as Bernhard Ruchti who already anticipates a „Summarized is this result…“ in the preface of his book, I do the same in my review with the statement that today no historically affine performers of Franz Liszt’s Fantasy and Fugue „Ad nos, ad salutarem undam“ should pass by Ruchti’s research work. And I will underline this explicitly with a supplementary „Sic!“.
Martin Hobi, Musik und Liturgie

The conclusion of Bernhard Ruchti’s publication is based on a concept of „artistic virtuosity“ coined by Hans von Bülow and leads to the term of a „moderate tempo and tempo modifications following a periodic performance“ (Ruchti). An extensive appendix with further sources and an interesting side view on the interpretation of Julius Reubke’s organ sonata rounds off the book, which is well worth reading. It is highly recommended to all who deal with Liszt’s organ music.
Felix Friedrich, Ars Organi