Franz Liszt: Organ Works (Zsuzsa Elekes on organ of Matthias Church, Budapest)

Altough the 'Ad nos, ad salutarem undam' Fantasia and Fugue is Liszt's first organ work, it is perhaps, unsurpassed in its monumentality and wealth in invention, particularly when one considers that is based on a single theme. He composed it in 1850, borrowing a melody from Meyerbeer's opera, The Prophet.

For a long time Gregorio Allegri's Miserere was among the special Easter Week pieces performed in the Sistine Chapel, and it was not permitted to copy it. After a legend, on April 11, 1770 the 14 year old Mozart listened this nine-part choral work, and noted it down from memory. The 'Evocation' remembers this occurrence.

Liszt has his Trauerode (in other sources has he the title written French: Ode funebre) composed in 1860 to the memory of his dead son, setting Abbé Lamennais' poem "Les Morts" (the piano and symphonic variant of work has this title).

The 'Nun danket alle Gott' choral setting is Liszt's late work, composed 1883, for inauguration of Riga Cathedral's organ.

Mrs. Zsuzsa Elekes studied at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music (Budapest), graduated with distinction as an organist and piano teacher in 1978. She continued her studies until 1980 in Leipzig under Hannes Kästner, organist of Leipzig Thomas Church. She has attended master classes by noted organists as Köhler, Guillou, Alain, Radulescu and Tagliavini. In 1978 she won second prize of First International Liszt Ferenc Organ Competition in Budapest.

Tracklist:

1. Fantasie und Fuge über Choral 'Ad nos, ad salutarem undam' R 380 (29:06)
2. Evocation a la Chapelle Sixtine R 400 (14:12)
3. Trauerode (Ode funebre) R 390/2 (9:09)
4. Nun danket alle Gott R 408 (6:05)