Richard Bartmuß - Organ Sonatas Nos. 1 & 3; Chorale Fantasias (Friedhelm Flamme)

Information

Composer: Richard Bartmuß

• Praeludium in D minor op. 36/1
• Organ Sonata No. 1 in E flat major op. 17
• Chorale Fantasia “Christ ist erstanden” op. 44/1
• Chorale Fantasia “Jesu, meine Freude” op. 44/2
• Organ Sonata No. 3 in G major op. 39
• “Gebet” in F major op. 36/2
• Toccata in C minor op. 36/6

Friedhelm Flamme, piano

Date: 2026

Label: CPO

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Organist Friedhelm Flamme expands his discography by turning from the North German Baroque to the late Romantic repertoire of neglected composer Richard Bartmuß (1859–1910). A contemporary of Mahler and Strauss who served as court organist in Dessau, Bartmuß saw very little of his music published during his lifetime. This album features two of his four organ sonatas, two expansive chorale fantasias, and the dramatic Prelude and Toccata from Opus 36. Through these imposing, highly expressive works, Flamme presents a compelling argument for the rediscovery of a master organ composer whose music has been overlooked for over a century.

Friedhelm Flamme (b. 1963) is an acclaimed German organist, conductor, musicologist, and educator recognized for his extensive discography and commitment to sacred keyboard repertoire. Educated at the Detmold University of Music and the University of Paderborn, where he earned multiple diplomas with distinction alongside a doctorate in musicology, he studied under leading organ masters such as Gerhard Weinberger and Harald Vogel. Over his distinguished career, Flamme has served as Director of Church Music, led prominent choral ensembles including the Vokalensemble Südniedersachsen, and taught as an Honorary Professor at Detmold. An international recitalist and preservation advocate, he is the founder and artistic director of the international organ festival Vox Organi.