Jan Zwart | Toccata on Psalm 146 | Hauptwerk Bovenkerk Sampleset

Jan Zwart was a Dutch organist who captivated audiences and drove a revival of interest in organ music - he was the first Dutch organist to play frequently for the radio. His son Willem Hendrik Zwart and grandson Everhard Zwart continued the family legacy of excellence and passion for organ music. I became interested in historical recordings and in particular a style of playing that is associated with this tradition - sometimes called “playing with the wind“ - the use of tremolo repeated notes/chords in inner parts creates a thrilling full-organ tremulant effect, that although I have not personally witnessed, must be incredibly exciting in real life! Examples here: Willem Hendrik Zwart André Nieuwkoop The Toccata on Psalm 146 is a wonderful piece by Jan Zwart that captures this emotion, characteristic harmony, and allowed me to experiment. Clearly in Zwart’s writing (sections that move between broken