Luna Works by Debussy, Philip Glass, Max Richter, Hans Zimmer et al Anna Lapwood (organ) Sony Classical 19658831402 74:22 mins
Luna is an apt name for this album, which celebrates the ethereal, otherworldly textures and timbres of the organ. While there are a few high-impact moments, Lapwood has chosen to explore the softer, delicate and lesser-heard colours the organ of the Royal Hospital School offers. Following her solo recital debut at the BBC Proms this year, Lapwood presents a similar programme blending traditional repertoire, contemporary composers and brand new film music transcriptions. There are predictable additions here alongside some surprising treats, such as Florence Price’s rarely performed An Elf on a Moonbeam and Glass’s Mad Rush, which, although initially written for the organ is now rarely heard on anything other than a piano.
Two of the featured tracks – Stars by Ēriks Ešenvalds and the album’s lead single, Max Richter’s On the Nature of Daylight – bring the organ together with the Choir of Pembroke College, Cambridge, of which Lapwood is director of music.
The inclusion of Ludovico Einaudi’s Experience is a hat tip to a request from Lapwood’s 555k-strong TikTok community. It is, like many of the other transcriptions featured here, well suited to the organ with its infinite crescendos and heightened drama. The lack of sustain pedal is often what poses a dilemma to organ transcriptions, but Lapwood has implemented numerous ways to overcome this obstacle across this eclectic programme.
This is a highly considered collection of performances, with close attention paid to phrasing, articulation and voicing. Lapwood has successfully delivered an album that cements her status as a true ambassador for classical music, and she manages to present the organ in new light, without any feeling of ‘dumbing down’. This artist really is an asset to the instrument and and the industry at large.
Freya Parr
