Choir & Organ

Carson Cooman’s recording of works by two contemporary German composers reveals two different sides to the Mathis organ in St Peter and Paul, Görlitz. This large instrument by Swiss firm Mathis Orgelbau is modelled on the work of 17th century organ builder Casperini and suits perfectly both the pseudo-renaissance world of Raimund Schächer and the neo-romantic fancies of Andreas Willscher. However, read the small print and you realise that this is not a live recording of the instruments itself but made using a virtual model via the Hauptwerk system. I have to say, Cooman makes the music in this context sound fantastic.

—Rupert Gough