Letting the organ speak: that is the declared aim of the organist and harpsichordist Peter Kofler. His Bach interpretations instantly make any notion of a highly complex, rigid organ “machine” recede into the background. That is because his complete recording of all Johann Sebastian Bach's organ works, which he commenced in 2017, focuses on Baroque rhetoric, the proverbial message between the lines. It is also for this reason that Kofler always looks for new combinations of sound for each work, coaxing distinctive nuances of colour from the imposing four-manual organ in the Jesuit Church of St Michael in Munich. Even the selection of pieces on each CD is made on the basis of their inherent content and character rather than external categories: key relationships and the interplay of monumentality, delicate polyphony and rhetorical lyricism determine the musical itinerary and invite listeners to participate in a new Bach experience. And all this is underpinned by superb recording techniques and a wonderfully sonorous church acoustic.
Recording produced in Dolby Atmos technology This organ production uses the high-resolution Dolby Atmos technology for the first time. It allows the church interior to be authentically reflected not only in its horizontal dimensions but also in its vertical acoustics, its height. Even conventional stereo CDs benefit from this recording technique, which provides the listener with a fascinating transparency and spatial resolution. Various high-resolution multichannel formats are offered for download at the website www.opusbach.de. Streaming in Dolby Atmos at TIDAL and Amazon Music HD from January 2022.
Press review
Opus Haute Définition
Peter Kofler displays implacable technique and a virtuosity that is eruditely measured. In a majestic sound recording, based on a Dolby Atmos master, this box set, with more than six hours of music, will lavish you in 2022.