Van Eyken studied at the Leipzig Conservatorium, founded by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, and was introduced to Viennese Classicism by pianist Louis Plaidy.
Compositional Technique
Van Eyken's 'Toccata und Fuge über den Namen BACH' op. 38 is considered the first Bach-reverence with this formal structure, harmonically anticipating later Romantic works.
Instruments
The Ibach organ (1864) at the Sint-Gertrudiskerk in Bergen op Zoom, used for this recording, was chosen because it provides the optimal, authentic sounds for German Romantic organ music.
Critical Reception
Robert Schumann, the famous German composer, praised van Eyken's organ playing, stating, 'He plays magnificently; I heard him in Rotterdam. Fugues by Bach... on an organ worthy of such music.'
Composer Biography
Jan Albert van Eyken, the composer featured on this album, was born in Amersfoort, near Utrecht, and died in Elberfeld (now Wuppertal-Elberfeld).
Composer's Artistic Vision
Van Eyken was a passionate devotee of Johann Sebastian Bach's music, even founding a 'Bach-Maatschappij' (Bach Society) on the 100th anniversary of Bach's death.
Composer Biography
Van Eyken is considered the first organ virtuoso of the Rhineland to achieve renown beyond that German region's borders.
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