Felix Mendelssohn: Prelude and Fugue in E minor, Op. 35
Marco Enrico Bossi: Theme and Variations Op. 115
Franz Liszt: Consolation in D flat major
Johann Sebastian Bach: Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, BWV 542
Jehan Alain: Deuxième Fantaisie
Maurice Duruflé:
- Sicilienne
- Toccata from Suite Op. 5
Joseph Jongen:
- Chant de Mai Op. 53, 1
- Scherzetto Op. 108, 1
Louis Vierne: Final from Symphony No. 6 Op. 59

In this day and age of mobile phones, autonomous cars, Smart TVs, and voice-activated Internet-of-Things home devices, it's reassuring to see that steps are still undertaken to preserve and even restore important musical artifacts from the past, back when things required human interaction to come alive. And in this particular case in point, it wasn't the restoration of a church organ used on a regular basis, but of the Sauer-Organ in the Bremen concert hall Die Glocke, which was built in 1928 and has laid dormant for many, many years. It is one of only two operational concert hall organs in Germany. Its full restoration by Christian Scheffler was completed in 2008. It's a pneumatic action instrument with 4 manuals equipped with stops ranging from a 1' Sifflöte to 32' Bourdon and Untersatz stops in the pedals.

Its overall sound palette is not as "bright" as say organs from the Silbermann ilk for example, but based on what I hear, and possibly the stop configurations used by the four organists on this recording, it projects a mellow, almost "woody" sound. Mind you most of the pieces on hand here are not of the 'loud and proud' variety. The only two that really give the organ and organist a full workout are the Duruflé Toccata from Suite Op. 5 and the Vierne Final from Symphony No. 6. And the two pieces that completely display this instrument's charms, are the Scherzetto by Joseph Jongen (audio clip below) and the Consolation in D flat major by Franz Liszt. Its almost inaudible final chord seems to melt away into the ether.

The four organists honored in taking part of this organ's first recording are: Stephan Leuthold who is Professor of artistic and liturgical organ playing at the College of Arts in Bremen, Felix Mende who is choral director and organist at the Lutheran Church of St. Martini in Bremen, David Schollmeyer who pursues a concert schedule as organist as well as jazz pianist, and Lea Suter who aside from training as an organ builder is presently organist at the artist colony in Worpswede. Each of them add their unique touch and personality to their selected pieces, and all well convey this instrument's singular character.