Adolph Friedrich Hesse - Variationen über ein Originalthema op. 47 A Dur - Cor van Wageningen

A charming mozartesque piece for organ, by the "Silesian Bach".

Adolph Friedrich Hesse 1809-1863 was a composer, virtuoso organist, conductor, critic and popularizer of musical culture. The virtuoso has performed in Berlin, Darmstadt, Hamburg, Weimar, Vienna, but also in Paris, London, Copenhagen and Prague. His fame as a performer is evident from inauguration concerts of new important organs: in the Parisian church of St. Eustache (1844) and in the Crystal Palace in London (1851).
The composer maintained contacts with romantic masters: Ludwig Spohr and Fryderyk Chopin. With his great German pedal technique, he gave the French symphonic organ school a whole new direction through his pupils such as Jaak Nicolaas Lemmens (teacher of Guilmant and Widor).
Adolf Hesse was an honorary citizen of Breslau (Wrocław). For most of his life (1831-1863) he was associated with the church of St. Bernhardin of Siena, where he was organist, but also performed as a soloist and chamber musician. He participated in concerts with the city orchestra, for which he also composed his own pieces that were performed during city festivals.

Unfortunately his Casparini organ from 1709 (changed by Hartig 1831) was destroyed:
Hauptwerk Oberwerk Pedal
Quintatön16 Prinzipal 8 Majorbaß 32
Quintatön 8 Flaut amabile 8 Principal 16
Principal 8 Salicet 8 Subbaß 16
Flaut major 8 Oktave 4 Violon 16
Spitzflöte 8 Flaut minor 4 Major-Quint 12
Gemshorn 4 Quinta 2 2/3 Violon 8
Doppelflöte 4 Doppelflöte 8 Quintatön 8
Superoctave 2 Mixtur IV Superoctave 4
Quinta 2 2/3 Cymbel II Posaune 16
Superoctave 2 Oboe 8 Trompete 8
MixturV V
Cymbel II
Trompete 8

Pictures of his Casparini/ Hartig organ and Bernhardin church are displayed.

Variationen über ein Originalthema A-Dur op. 47 is clearly a forerunner of Max Regers extensive Variations über ein Originalthema fis-moll op. 73: a fantastic and impressive update of the variations of Hesse. For this reason I posted Hesses charming piece directly after publishing Regers work , which may be watched here:    • Max Reger Introduktion, Variationen und Fu...   recorded in Berlin Cathedral (Sauer organ)

This recording however was made in: Winkel (Knipscheer organ 1863).
Acknowledgements to:
Recording: Gert Altena
Music director and producer: Okke Dijkhuijzen