KÄMPF: Hirtenweise, played on Mason & Hamlin chapel organ

Описание: Karl Kämpf (1876-1950) was a German composer, based in Berlin. Besides songs, choral works, piano and chamber music, he composed a significant body of works for the Normal-Harmonium, the negative-pressure reed organs produced in Germany, a much more standardized instrument than the American reed organs. The Mason & Hamlin company of Boston made several models of reed organ with the Normal-Harmonium specifications; some of Kämpf's works were written for the Mason & Hamlin instruments. Kämpf's Opus 7 were three Stimmungsbilder (Tone Pictures), published in 1900. The second piece in the set is this "Hirtenweise" (Shepherd's Way) in A major, with the tempo indication "Simple and sensible." The composer indicates the bass 4' Viola Dolce throughout, changing the melody from Melodia Dolce, to Seraphone, to Melodia. The 2' Eolian Harp is added in the bass for the final coda. The instrument is a chapel-model Mason & Hamlin reed organ, built in Boston in 1915: Style 93BF, No. 239146, and # 4874 in the Reed Organ Society database. The black walnut cabinet contains five ranks of reeds throughout, plus a 16' SubBase. Our friend Kenneth C. Pratt restored this instrument about ten years ago. Thanks to my friend Tomasz in Poland for sharing this rare score with me. Performed by Michael Hendron; recorded 27 January 2025.