Diederik Blankesteijn, Bätz Organ (1831), Domkirk, Utrecht, Netherlands

(Brilliant Classics) ★★★

For Liszt, piano and organ were often interchangeable, with the composer pushing the boundaries of tonal possibilities for both instruments.

At the core of this album is Diederik Blankesteijn’s own transcription of the great Sonata in B minor S178. This monumental work can be seen as a struggle between the holy and the satanic.

Maintaining a sense of connection with the church, this is bookended with Sposalizio (a wedding piece) and La lugubre gondola (a kind of funeral procession).

The music translates extremely well to the sonorous Bätz organ in the generous acoustic of Utrecht’s Domkirk. The drama and colour of this music is expressed with great conviction by Blankesteijn and captured well on this recording.

This review originally appeared in the Spring 2024 issue of Choir & Organ magazine. Never miss an issue – subscribe today