Andreas Etlinger, Organ

"Brahms meets Bruckner."
CD release with the Bruckner Organ for the 123. anniversary of Brahms' death (04/03/1897)

Brahms and Bruckner – two of the "greats" in the history of music. They were contemporaries, yet lived in completely different worlds. However, there was one essential interest the two of them shared at the close of the 19th century: they both cultivated the old art of counterpoint.
With his complete recording of the organ works by Johannes Brahms, performed on the Bruckner Organ of St. Florian, Andreas Etlinger brings all the beauty of this art to life.

"Another complete recording?
It was not until I had started my studies in the early 1990s that I got to know – and love – Brahms’ organ works. From the very beginning I was enchanted by the longing, beautiful intensity of this music and in the following years studied one piece after the other with undiminished fascination.
A first complete performance was made possible the year of the 100th anniversary of the composer’s death, and in view of the “sad” aspects of these organ works, I deliberately chose All Souls’ Day (Sunday, November 2, 1997, Bruckner Organ St. Florian) as date for the concert. Eleven years later, on the occasion of the 175th birthday of Johannes Brahms, there was a “repeat” of the organ concert of 1997: Sunday, November 2, 2008, Bruckner Organ St. Florian. I played the 15 Brahms works on the Bruckner Organ once more on various liturgical occasions during the (church) year 2014.
"Constant dripping wears away the stone," we say and marvel at how the element of water is able to round off corners and edges over long periods of time. I would like to justify this complete recording with reference to after all 25 years of "dedication to Brahms" – and therefore many constant drops ..."
Andreas Etlinger (extract of the booklet text)

CD programme / Tracklist: