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For lovers of great organ recordings, don’t miss this album with Aare-Paul Lattik playing the superb late Romantic organ in St. Mary’s Cathedral, Tallin, Estonia. This recently (1999) restored organ is a marriage of German traditions. Originally built in 1878 as a three-manual tracker organ, it was modernized in 1913 to expand it to around 4,500 pipes and electo-pneumatic action. The pipes of the 1878 organ were retained and integrated into the new configuration. The result is an organ of great orchestral power and color.

Maurice Duruflé’s great Prélude Adagio et Choral varié sur le theme du Veni creator op. 4 opens the album and Aare-Paul Lattik fully leverages the huge resources of the Ladegast-Sauer organ. This is music for which organs such as this are created—just massive walls of sound, but flowing from the most delicate, even mystical, beginnings. And all with the clarity and definition that is easily be lost by similar large organs in less skilled hands (both organist and recording engineer). Be prepared to be blown out of your listening chair (and jumping for your volume control) beginning around 14:06 as Duruflé and Lattik begin to pour it on…

Recording engineers Priit Kuulmen and Aular Soon have captured the color, resonance and power of this organ beautifully. The balance of direct sound and reverberation is exceedingly well judged. The recording is eminently clear and detailed while still conveying the resonance of the huge space into which the organ projects. This is definitely one of a small group of great organ recordings that I have heard. Well done. Highly recommended.

Rushton Paul - Source