Catalogue Connection: 25205

Showing no evidence of running out of steam, Divine Art’s commitment to the ever-prolific Carson Cooman reaches its 14^th volume with a baker’s dozen of characteristically eclectic but approachable pieces composed between 2000 and 2019.

As before, Cooman’s music carries itself with a light, attractive lyricism and politely pointed drama, voiced here with appropriate delicacy and fluency by Philip Hartmann. The title track is refreshingly bright and spirited, the Hartmann-dedicated Suite in F an exercise in lavish harmonics and modal variety, and Sonatina No. 4 a pleasingly variegated triptych.

With the festive opener, Musica da processionem, listed as op. 1305, more volumes can be expected by Coomanites and aficionados of light organ music.

This May 2020 release is played by Philip Hartmann on the organ of Pauluskirche. Philip is the District Cantor for the Ulm Deanery and has been church musician since 1991.

This disc provides the history of organs in this church from 1910 to the current 4/86 instrument following Thomas Gaida’s work in 2015. This recording is on the organ itself, unlike many other Divine Art CDs, that use the Hauptwerk system. 13 of Carson Cooman’s compositions are performed, written between 2000 and 2019, all really good music. Great disc!

The lockdown could have stopped one-man organ machine Carson Cooman from composing, but it’s unlikely. He’s prolific and never stops. Normally we expect Erik Simmons to be playing Cooman’s work but for this it’s German organist Philip Hartmann, and he does a fine job.

We used to find organ music hard going but repeated forced exposure to Cooman has given us appreciation, admittedly not always shared by members of the Review Corner household. This is a nice collection of music and, even setting aside our recent appreciation of the organ, we think it’s an album that people who may not always listen to organ music might like. It’s not an album with any great pieces on, which means anything too organ-ish (organic?) is largely absent. We wouldn’t be so rash as to call it ambient but it’s tranquil and creates an ambience.

Musica Da Processione opens proceedings and its origins as wedding music are obvious from the opening notes, a preamble as the bride walks to the door, swelling fanfare as she pauses dramatically and more melodic music as she walks down the aisle. There’s a definite feel of a melody from a pop tune buried in there somewhere. Arioso is next, dedicated to Scottish organist Geoffrey Atkinson; it’s simple and pleasant, the kind of music you’d want to hear if you stumbled upon a country church and caught the organist having a quiet noodle.

Cortège, Intermezzo, and Litany on the Joseph-Hymnus follows, a much grander piece; cortège is a ceremonial procession, and the sleeve notes report the theme is found primarily in the bass; after a grand ending to the first movement, the Intermezzo is slower before the Litany perks up again. A run of meditative tracks follows before the livelier Suite In F, dedicated to Hartmann. Again, there’s the feel of this being a pop tune, maybe a synth-based club classic. The sleeve notes explain the music in detail (“a fanfarelike march figure and a pattern of quickly alternating 3rd”) but if someone played this on synth and added a beat, it would be a banger.

Damn it, Cooman, you’ve made us fans of organ music. Cooman is organist and composer in residence at the Memorial Church, Harvard University. Hartmann has been organist at Ulm Cathedral, Germany since 1999 and in 2005 was appointed as district Cantor for Ulm deanery.

Carson Cooman is organist and Composer in Residence at the Memorial Church, Harvard University, as well as a prolific American composer, concert performer, critic and writer. Born in 1982 his catalogue of works includes many forms, ranging from solo instrumental pieces to operas, and from orchestral works to hymn tunes. His music has been performed on all six inhabited continents and has appeared on over 25 recordings. As a concert organist, he specialises exclusively in the performance of new music and over 130 new works have been written for him by composers from around the world. He is also a writer on music, producing articles and reviews, and serves as an active consultant on music business matters to composers and performing organizations.

Cooman’s organ compositions come in many styles, from liturgical models, to more gritty and substantial pieces such as his organ symphonies and preludes and fugues. Divine Art has long been a champion of Cooman’s music, including The Cloak With The Stars. This new recording by top German organist Philip Hartmann includes pieces previously recorded by Erik Simmons for Divine Art as well as several premieres. Highlights include the majestic Musica da processione, the impressive Suite in F Major, a sparkling Invocazione brillante, and two evocative Nantucket Sketches (Idyll and Danza rustica). Hartmann has been organist at Ulm Cathedral, Germany since 1999 and in 2005 was appointed as district Cantor for Ulm deanery. He has played more than 600 recitals throughout Europe, specialising in American and British organ music, and has had 40 new works dedicated to him. Here he plays the magnificent 2013 Link-Gaida organ at Pauluskirche, Ulm.

This is the latest in the seemingly inexhaustible Divine Art series of recordings of the organ music of Carson Cooman. The earlier volumes all featured Eric Simmons playing a series of ‘virtual’ organs reconstructed via the digital Hauptwerk system. I reviewed Volume 5 back in 2017 and Volumes 7 and 13 in Spring 2020/2.

Convincing as those virtual organs sound, for Volume 14 Divine Art have recorded a real organ, that of the Pauluskirche Ulm, played by its organist and cantor, with some of the music specifically composed for the town, the instrument or the performer. The new recording brings us up to works composed as recently as 2019. As before, a contemplative, often ethereal, mood dominates, no bad thing in these Covid-infested times; the music is enjoyable rather than very distinctive. If you enjoyed some or all of the earlier volumes, you will not be disappointed; otherwise, new listeners start here.