As a teenager, Lux walked to Frankfurt am Main to play the new Walcker organ in the Pauluskirche, and by 1837, he was considered a major organ virtuoso.
Composer Biography
Friedrich Lux (1820-95) was a child prodigy, playing the organ in public at age seven and giving his first recitals at twelve.
Compositional Technique
Unusually for his time, Lux wrote no organ suites or sonatas, instead focusing on arrangements of operatic works and miniatures like Lieder ohne Worte, as well as concert pieces and chorale fantasias.
Performer Biography
The performer, Dr. Jan Lehtola, is a successful Finnish organist who has given over 160 world and regional premieres and recorded more than 50 commercial albums.
Recording & Production
This recording features the Martti Porthan organ in Raahe Church, Finland, which is a Ladegast-type organ built in 2013 by a Finnish organ-builder specializing in historically oriented instruments.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Friedrich Lux's organ music often combines sacred and profane elements, reflecting a time when concerts were shifting from churches to concert halls.
Historical Context
The Orgelbewegung ('Organ Reform Movement'), led by figures like Albert Schweitzer, caused Romantic organ music to fall out of favor, leading to the dismantling of many period organs and the neglect of works by composers like Lux.
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