Pachelbel: Aria Secunda - Holy Trinity Organ, Ottobeuren, Hauptwerk

These variations by Pachelbel have been recorded on the beta version of the sample set of the fantastic Holy Trinity organ of Ottobeuren, sampled by OrganArt Media.
Hexachordum Apollinis is a collection of keyboard music by Johann Pachelbel, published in 1699. It consists of six arias with variations on the aria themes. It's considered as being one of the pinnacles of Pachelbel's oeuvre. A rough translation of the title is 'The six strings of Apollo', which refers to Apollo's lyre. Although the nature of these works were, according to Pachelbel's preface of this work, to have a friendly nature towards friends like Dietrich Buxtehude, they are all very fine pieces. The six themes themself are in itself already very beautiful, mostly lyrical in nature. But in the variations Pachelbel shows that he is one of the most talented masters of 'the art of variation' history has ever known.
This Aria Secunda sounds wonderful on this sample set with its many colours, perfect for this South German keyboard music.
I plan to record all six arias with variations on different organs. A few months ago I recorded the Aria Prima:
• Pachelbel - Aria Prima...
Sample set by OrganArt Media (not available for purchase yet):
www.organartmedia.com/de/karl...
Sheet music:
imslp.org/wiki/Special:Revers...
00:00 Aria Secunda
01:48 Variatio 1
03:37 Variatio 2
05:20 Variatio 3
06:52 Variatio 4
08:31 Variatio 5
10:27 Aria Secunda (reprise)

[@SecretsofOrganPlaying]

I could listen to this piece non stop for hours❤

[@RalphLooij]

Thanks, Vidas, please do, good for my watch hours ;)

[@jerrymartin79]

Beautifully played - and this organ sounds so truly wonderful - thanks for these ongoing treasures Ralph!

[@RalphLooij]

Thanks, Jerry!

[@AprilClaytonflute]

Another wonderful performance!

[@RalphLooij]

Thanks, April!

[@nils-olekrafft1769]

What belongs together simply comes together here: the piece, this organ and your tasteful playing.
Especially the echo in Variatio 4 is really great.

[@RalphLooij]

Thanks, Nils-Ole! This organ is really perfect for South-German masters like Pachelbel, Buttstett, Krieger etc

[@MarekMichalakMusic]

Great recording. Your registrations are beautiful. The acoustic of this sample set is mouth watering gorgeous!

[@RalphLooij]

Thanks, Marek! Exactly, and these acoustics aren't easy to catch in a sample set, because the divisions are at big distances in the church, but as usual OAM managed very well.

[@nilsvanvelzen]

What a beautiful sounding organ. Very well played and nice to hear this (for me) lesser known work of Pachelbel.

[@RalphLooij]

Thanks, Nils! Be sure to check the Hexachordum collection out, high quality and not that difficult.

[@pieterluijk9403]

Pragtig Ralph. Mooi klank-kleure in die verskillende variasies. Groete uit Pretoria, SA.

[@RalphLooij]

Dankie, Pieter!

[@marklindseykirkmanorganist5681]

Ralph, this is so spellbinding to listen with your approach to the "strong and weak" beats/groupings and your beautifully transparent touch. This sample set sounds so wonderful under your control. Bravo!!

[@RalphLooij]

Thanks very much, Mark!

[@emile.secheret]

Bravo, always a pleasure to hear you play on this beautiful instrument!!! And nice variations too !

[@RalphLooij]

Merci, Émile!

[@salemsokiredor9225]

What a nice presentation of the second aria! Thank you for adding the registrations. It is always interesting to see differences but also similarities in each organist’s approach. If you have the chance to play this on a meant one instrument, I can strongly recommend it as the harmonies are even more touching….

[@RalphLooij]

Thanks for listening! That would be interesting indeed, some harmonies certainly would sound spicey to say the least, for example D# ;)

[@gravicembalo74]

wow, wonderful played Ralph, as always....!!

[@RalphLooij]

Danke, Thomas!

[@RienSchalkwijk]

Fantastic colorful collection. For me number 2 is the most beautiful. But maybe it’s the registration that attracts me. Anyway. Well done! Bravo!

[@RalphLooij]

Thanks, Rien!

[@KravchenkoAudioPerth]

Delicate, flowing and lovely through and through. More please!
Mark

[@RalphLooij]

Thanks, Mark! Pachelbel fits this organ like a glove.

[@KravchenkoAudioPerth]

@@RalphLooij It should Ralph. It's a South German Organ and Pachelbel was also from the south. A wonderful mix of North German and French influence. That organ can sing and be so wonderfully sweet. And it can roar like a dragon.
Mark

[@grinpax1334]

Thank you very much, dear Ralph, for the wonderful recordings! I'm always waiting for them. I want to send you the sheet music, let me do it. Which mail should I send the collections to? I would be very grateful!

[@RalphLooij]

Thanks for your appreciation! We can contact eachother via [e-mail].

[@MrLoknar]

Wonderful interpretation, thank you so much! I'm grateful that you systematically indicate registration, I find it very instructive.

[@RalphLooij]

Thanks, Waldemar. It's a lot of work, so nice that you appreciate it.

[@colinjenkins8124]

Congratulations on such a wonderful performance of this glorious music. It's sad that we hear so little of Pachelbel's extremely vast output, including his vocal and choral works.

[@RalphLooij]

Thanks, Colin! I completely agree. For me, Pachelbel is one of the cornerstones of the baroque period. And I'm not alone in that, since Bach, Buxtehude and others greatly admired him.

[@marcelobrunorodrigues7630]

Yes, Pachelbel's organ works are very adequate on both Riepp organs in Ottobeuren; I have one exemplar of Vox album "South German Baroque Organ Music" (DL 223) with Walter Kraft that includes a small but significant variety of sonorities in both instruments: there are also many other equally beautiful works from other composers, everything very well performed and recorded (it's almost 70 years old, precisely from 1953). The idea of mentioning both registration and score is very didactic.

[@peternaryd_operasinger]

Amazing Ralph!😁👍👏👏👏

[@RalphLooij]

Thanks, Peter.

[@peternaryd_operasinger]

You're welcome!😁

[@theovanwyk5277]

Thanks a million for this, Ralph! These type of works are such gems and should be performed, heard and enjoyed more often.

[@RalphLooij]

Thanks, Theo, I completely agree! Pachelbel was more than just his Canon in D...

[@OttobeurenKaiser]

Dear Ralph, when will this sound sample of the Holy Trinity organ be available for purchase? It's my favorite organ in the world. :)

[@RalphLooij]

It's still in beta test phase. Check this channel out, as soon as it will be published you'll notice it. I hope at the end of 2022.

[@oam-soundengineering6772]

Thanks! Working hard in the final phase, should be available before Christmas

[@Nikeairxxx]

Bedankt, Johann Pachelbel is mijn favoriete componist, jammer genoeg wordt hij nog steeds vaak ondergewaardeerd, maar probeer het maar eens in een eenvoudigere stijl zulke muziek te schrijven, groot zijn in eenvoud is net zo goed briljant.

[@RalphLooij]

Dank en helemaal mee eens uiteraard! Alhoewel, eenvoudiger zou ik Pachelbel niet noemen, sommige stukken ogen eenvoudig maar zijn nog verdraaid lastig goed te spelen.

[@TempodiPiano]

Do you earn enough money with this organ to avoid another job?

[@RalphLooij]

I have a fulltime non-organ related job ;)