Brahms' Choralvorspiele op. 122 suit the sound of the organ in Tholen particularly well. I recorded three of them and intend to record the others in the autumn and winter. Brahms' music is beautiful and represents the best of German romanticism, but I have to dose it, it is all water and if I play too much of it at a time it takes away the fire.
Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele is so peaceful:
In O wie selig seid ihr doch, ihr Frommen represents the crescendo and the modulation from F to D major at the end the soul ascending to heaven:
I used Es ist ein' Ros' entsprungen in my harmony lessons for second year piano students at Rotterdam Conservatoire. In stead of using the piano's pedal, they had to practise my finger substitutions in order to get a full-bodied legato.
