Sebastian Küchler-Blessing

"The most important tone color of an organ is always the church," says Sebastian Küchler-Blessing. The Essen cathedral organist, who discovered his love of the organ at the age of two and a half, has developed a lively musical life around the Rieger organ at the cathedral church of the Ruhr diocese and inspires audiences throughout Germany, Europe and even the Persian Gulf with his instrument. Because exploring a "new" organ in an as yet unknown place is a particular pleasure for him, he sets off on an improvisational sound journey through the Kuhn organ in the Jesuit Church. This is framed by a fine cross-section of Bach's organ works and music from the 20th century, crowned by Max Reger's famous homage on the B-A-C-H motif.
Concert without intermission
Sebastian Küchler-Blessing
Organ
Johann Sebastian Bach
Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565
Sebastian Küchler-Blessing
Sound journey through the Kuhn organ (improvisation)
Jehan Alain
Deuxième fantaisie JA 117
Wolfgang Rihm
Parousia op. 5
Johann Sebastian Bach
Chorale "Before your throne I come" BWV 668
Max Reger
Fantasy and Fugue on B-A-C-H for Organ op. 46

What pizza is to Italy, this piece is to the organ - a world-famous, unmistakable "signature dish". In this episode "Genau jetzt", soloist Sebastian Küchler-Blessing and host Maria Gnann take a close look at the ingredients of the baroque masterpiece, raving about its overwhelming sonority, eloquent music and virtuoso pedal solos. You'll also find out what organ playing has in common with extreme sports - and why it's possible that the Toccata wasn't written by Bach at all...?
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