Fantasia Prima

Registration:
I - Hauptwerk: Prestant 16', Principal 8', Octav 4'

Audio settings
- Audio: Organ (127) - Church (127)
- Video: Organ (000) - Church (127)

Paul Siefert was born in Gdansk/Danzig in 1586 and received a scholarship from the city council to study in Amsterdam in Jan Pieterszoon Sweelink from 1607 to 1610.
Upon his returned he was assistant organist to Cajus Schmiedtlein at St. Marien (St. Mary's), the city's main church until Schmiedtlein's death in March 1611.
Sieferts applications to become main organist at St. Mary's in 1611 and in 1613, when the post became vacant again, were not received very positively.
When the post opened up again in 1623 Siefert's application succeeded and he became the main organist of St. Marien until his death on 6 May 1666.

Siefert's surviving organ works do not explore the vast possibilities of the organ he has had at his disposal in Gdansk, and it is possible that this Fantasia, along with the other compositions, dates from his time in Amsterdam when he was Sweelink's pupil.

I recorded this 18 months ago (http://www.contrebombarde.com/concerthall/music/14062) and by now think my approach and skill level in the original recording was rather unsatisfactory.

So this a new rendition recorded last night. I am still not convinced I am 'quite there' yet with my interpretation of this composition, but I certainly feel much more comfortable with my approach here than in my 2014 recording. Let’s see how I feel about this in 2018 :)