BRIDGEWATER HALL ORGAN Jonathan Scott ASC CS CD42 ££ Glinka (arr. Battiwalla): Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla; Bach: Fantasia and Fugue in g minor (BWV 542); Pitfield: Short Sonata for Organ; Stevenson: Fugue on Shepherd's Air from Tristan and Isolde, Reflection on an Old Scots Psalm-Tune [sic]; Saint-Saëns (arr. EH Lemare): Danse Macabre; Duruflé: Prélude et Fugue sur le nom d'Alain, op. 7; Dukas (arr. Scott): The Sorcerer's Apprentice. No TPT or track time provided.

'I can climb higher and run faster than the rest of you!' cried the little boy in the fairy tale. And what sufficed for that little boy suffices for this recording ten times over. A first solo CD for both Jonathan Scott and the organ at Manchester's premier concert venue, The Bridgewater Hall, Scott provides a staggering display of technical agility and, in most places, exactitude in an exciting rendering of popular 'classics' of both echt organ music and transcriptions; although there are a couple of places where the music gets in the way of Scott's considerable dexterity, these are, overall, exciting performances of considerable merit. So what a shame it is that this talented young performer has been let down by a catalogue of poor production techniques: many of the tracks are considerably distorted, making the organ sound more like a Wurlitzer than a Marcussen, and sound-stage shifts, gain control variations, poor edits and a collection of fluffs that should never have got through the editing procedure, will do much to damage rather than enhance Scott's reputation. In this respect, I feel that both he and the Bridgewater Hall have been served badly by ASC's nameless producer. Poorly-written liner notes, without track timings, contain copious grammatical errors throughout. Which is a shame, since, as Scott's first solo recording, one would have hoped for and expected much better.

Darius Battiwalla's arrangement of Glinka's Overture: Russlan and Ludmilla is approached with all the technical panache and fireworks one associates with the orchestral original, and Scott displays an almost Guillou-like approach to registration, keeping the performance varied and the listener captivated throughout. It is a shame, though, that the same cannot be said of Bach's g minor Fantasia and Fugue (BWV 542). In no doubt as to his intentions regarding its performance, Scott's aggression in the fantasia falls short of the dignity this piece requires. The opening recitative-like passage is given neither time nor space, and this wearisome, relentless approach is carried forward into the polyphonic sections without any thought or care for the affekt of the work. Overall line and direction of the fantasia is destroyed by a pedantic approach and unsettled articulation. The fugue fares little better: it might be rhythmically driven, but there are a couple of places where both entries and tempo feel insecure, where the underlying effect is one of panic rather than control; a host of embarassing mistakes are also very apparent. Again, I am concerned that the dignity required by this piece has been transcended by a teenage, speed-merchant approach that lacks both insight and maturity. A short miniature from the pen of Thomas Pitfield is a delight: the Short Sonata for Organ, a rarity that should be heard more often, is well handled and sounds effective on the instrument. I can personally do without the two cumbersome Stevenson pieces, which have neither weight nor much musical substance. Of the remaining works, two are transcriptions: Camille Saint-Saëns' Danse Macabre, in an arrangement by the early twentieth-century organist Edwin H Lemare, is dashed off with an exciting degree of panache, and Scott's own excellent transcription of Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice is given a pyrotechnical reading that, without doubt, suits his technical virtuosity. Maurice Duruflé's Prélude et Fugue sur le nom d'Alain is another showpiece that suits Scott's quintessentially technical approach. A fast, nervous piece consisting of a scherzo-like prelude and a fine fugue with a broad, lyrical subject, it receives quite a dazzling reading. There are a couple of moments where musical substance is lacking, especially in the prelude: although Scott adopts Duruflé's relatively quick speed, somehow he pushes aside Duruflé's heartfelt, pathos-ridden writing. But the fugue is handled beautifully with a sense of urgency and excitement permeating the texture throughout, with well-chosen registrations that show off the Bridgewater Hall instrument magnificently.

So, something of a pale curé's egg: there are moments when Scott's obvious talent does come through, and from this point of view, it is a delight to listen to. The sad thing is that unless one is prepared to put aside the poor recording quality and general lack of polish, this is not a disc that can be heartily recommended.

Jonathan Baxendale