Description

The pipe organ on this recording was built by Johann Andreas Silbermann (1712-1783). He was born in Strasbourg and completed 54 pipe organs in his lifetime. The pipe organs of Johann (son of Andreas) typically display a blend of French and German organ building traditions, a trait that is undoubtedly the product of Alsatian cross-cultural influences. The gallery pipe organ of Saint Thomas Church is the most notable extant instrument of Johann Andreas Silbermann. Construction of the pipe organ began in 1737 and was completed in February 1741. The pipe organ consists of 31 stops over three manuals and pedal. In 1979 the Silbermann pipe organ escaped doom when Alfred Kern & Son completed a faithful restoration, including the creation of a new keydesk. Frederick Teardo plays this historic pipe organ at Saint Thomas Church in Strasbourg, France. The recording features French-influenced organ works of J.S. Bach as well as music by Nicolas De Grigny and Jacques Boyvin. Dr. Frederick Teardo is Director of Music and Organist at the Cathedral of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama. Previously he was Associate Organist at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, New York. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Yale University. The recording has been released with a 24-page booklet that contains an essay on the music and the organ, a biography of the artist and numerous photos.