View from the Green Room: It’s all about Bach

REVIEW: Waterford Organ Festival at Christ Church Cathedral

Well, I was in my heaven. A concert of Bach music played on the magnificent Christ Church organ with a sparkling organist that just loves what she does.

Mahela Reichstatt, Cathedral Organist at St Peter’s Cathedral in Schleswig since 2021, comes with a CV to die for. 

A Master’s in Organ and Church music with the highest music award in Germany and a shelf full of prizes for organ music. 

Mahela’s also a dab hand at jazz piano, sometimes performs as a trumpet soloist and is a smashing soprano.

With a reputation like that, tonight’s concert was always going to dazzle and Mahela’s opener is a well-known favourite. 

We may not always recognise the catalogue reference but the Praeludium in C-minor BWV 546 is the first movement of a two-part organ work by Johann Sebastian Bach and is better known as the Prelude in C Minor. 

The minor key gives the prelude its sombre and dramatic feel that overwhelms the listener. Little wonder then, with its solemnity and grandeur, that it was chosen for the funerals of Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth.

A number of chorales or hymns follow. There’s strong variety here. “Schmucke dich…” is strong on melody with elaborate ornamentation; “O Mensch...” is gentle, stately and reverential and quite uplifting, while the Fugue in C-minor is strong and muscular and gathers pace as short melodies are taken up and interwoven.

It feels like Bach’s having fun with “Wer nur den lieben Gott” with massive chords, flying scales and deft changes. It’s strong, it’s muscular with a final chord that would waken a deaf man in a coma in Dingle. 

“Wer nur der lieben” offers the perfect contrast. It’s gentle, soothing and peaceful with moods of things-to-do resting with me to allow time for thought and reflection. 

“Wo soll ich fliehen hin” is just the hopper with single notes just hopping off the upper keyboard over some dark and sombre chords to anchor the piece. 

“Alla Brave” sends us out into the night on a massive, dramatic drama as moods swirl as Mahala’s hands drift over the keyboards.

Mahala is a superb organist and we’re fortunate to view her work in the organ loft on the video screen just in front of the altar. Always in the moment, Mahala floats and weaves her way through these complex pieces like a swallow in flight.

And…just in case she hasn’t done enough…she encores with Bach’s “Jesu Joy” on the organ as she sings the soprano line from the keyboard.

Wow!