Im Bemühen um die Erweiterung des klassischen Repertoires gilt Armin Beckers besonderes Interesse Transkriptionen, Arrangements und der Improvisation, vor allem zu Werken der bildenden Kunst. Auch widmet er sich der Entwicklung außergewöhnlicher Konzertprojekte im Bereich von Jazz, Tango und Filmmusik. Diese Programme umfassen Jazz-Standards und Tangoklassikern, Improvisationen und eigene Kompositionen.
Lesen Sie mehr im Anschluß an die Konzerthinweise!

- Armin Becker at the console of the
Steinmeyer organ in St. Matthäus, Munich

Meet one of the most popular organists around!
Armin Becker's recitals are usually packed, and on occasion completely sold out. His exceptionally varied repertoire, always tailor-made to suit the event, the organ and the church or concert hall, his thoughtfully prepared programmes and approachable audience introductions, his reliable technique and, last but not least, his sunny personality are amongst the many keys to his success. Things are not necessarily mutually exclusive for Armin Becker, and so it comes as no surprise to read that he is not only a historian, a linguist and a mathemetician, but that he has also recorded a CD of jazz music and improvisations played on the organ.
Read more about Armin below, after his recital news.

- Armin Becker amongst the pipes of the
Steinmeyer organ in St. Matthäus, Munich

- Armin Becker with jazz singer
Christiane von Kutzschenbach

ENGLISH BIOGRAPHY
Armin Becker (*1964) studied French literature, musicology and mathematics in Munich and Paris. Since the age of 14 he has worked as an organist. He has given organ recitals in Germany, Austria, France (Paris: Saint Germain l'Auxerrois, Saint Étienne du Mont etc.), England and Canada (Montreal: Christ Church Cathedral, Oratoire Saint-Joseph etc.). Aiming to extend the classical repertoire, he is also interested in unknown composers, forgotten pieces (Daniel Steibelt (1765-1823): "An Overture in Commemoration of His Britannic Majesty's Solemn Procession to the Cathedral of St. Paul's", Friedrich Joseph Kirmair (1770-1814): Variations on Mozart tunes, Gerard Bunk (1888-1958) etc.), transcriptions of orchestral works and improvisations. With innovative projects in the realms of jazz and tango he strives to revitalize the secular tradition of organ music: these programmes include new arrangements of jazz standards and tangos, transcriptions of original pipe organ recordings (by Fats Waller and others), cinema organ pieces, improvisations and compositions of his own (for example "Swing G.F.H.", published in 2009). Furthermore, he is particularly interested in the relationship between music and art: he provides music for previews of art exhibitions as well as for poetry readings, and has conceived improvisations referring to the works of Max Beckmann, Max Ernst, Andy Warhol, Damian Hirst and many others.

VITA:
   Armin Becker (*1964) arbeitet seit seinem 14. Lebensjahr als Organist. Mit einem Stipendium der Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes studierte er Romanistik, Musikwissenschaft und Mathematik in München und Paris. Sein breites Arbeitsspektrum als freier Organist in München reicht vom Continuo-Spiel über Solokonzerte bis hin zur musikalischen Begleitung von Vernissagen und zur Mitwirkung in Rundfunk- und Fernsehgottesdiensten. Im Bemühen um die Erweiterung des klassischen Repertoires und die Entwicklung außergewöhnlicher Konzertprojekte gilt sein besonderes Interesse Transkriptionen, Arrangements und der Improvisation, vor allem auch zu W erken der bildenden Kunst. Konzertreisen führten ihn nach England, Frankreich, Österreich und Kanada.
   Im Bereich klassischer Orgelmusik reicht Armin Beckers Repertoire vom "Robertsbridge Codex" aus dem 14. Jh. bis hin zu neuesten zeitgenössischen Werken (Gubaidulina, Vasks). Dabei zeigt er allerdings eine gewisse Vorliebe für unbekanntere oder vergessene Komponisten, häufig aus der 1. Hälfte des 20. Jhs. (Karl Hoyer, Jaromír Weinberger). Ein ganz besonderes Augenmerk legt er auf eine sinnfällige Programmgestaltung (Die Orgelreise - Das Urlaubskonzert für Daheimgebliebene 2003 mit Bovets "Hamburger Totentanz", Viernes "Carillon de W estminster", Mohrs "Orient Express"), gerne unter Berücksichtigung von Jubiläen (BACH ohne Bach 2000 mit B-A-C-H-Kompositionen, dreiteilige Mozart-Orgelkonzertreihe 2006 von der "Kleinen Nachtmusik" bis zu Gárdonyis "Mozart Changes" - Wiederentdeckung des Mozart-Zeitgenossen Friedrich Joseph Kirmair, Églises de Paris 2007 zum 100. Geburtstag von Yvonne Desportes zusammen mit Kirchenmusikdirektor Michael Grill, Gedenkkonzert für den Dortmunder Reinoldi-Organisten Gerard Bunk 2008).
   Seit einigen Jahren beschäftigt sich Armin Becker besonders intensiv und mit großem Publikumserfolg mit Jazz, Tango und Filmmusik. Seine Programme umfassen Arrangements von Jazz-Standards und Tangoklassikern, Transkriptionen von Originalaufnahmen (etwa Fats Wallers Orgel-Einspielungen), Improvisationen und eigene Kompositionen. Er knüpft damit einerseits an weltliche Traditionen (Kino-, Theater- und Jazz-Orgel) an, berücksichtigt andererseits aber auch neuere jazzinspirierte Kompositionen, die in den letzten Jahrzehnten im kirchenmusikalischen Bereich entstanden sind. Aus dieser Beschäftigung sind zahlreiche Solokonzerte entstanden (Organ goes Jazz, Tango organito, Jazz und Tango in der Langen Nacht der Musik 2004 in München, Promenades à Paris - jazz, tango, chanson, classique 2005 und 2006 in Paris, An Organ Voyage to Paris 2005 in Montréal, Jazzlights - Mehr Licht: von "Moonglow" bis "Midnight Sun", Django Reinhardt - Orgelkonzert zum 100. Geburtstag).
   Seit 1999 arbeitet Becker mit der Münchner Jazz-Sängerin Christiane von Kutzschenbach zusammen (Duke-Ellington-Konzert 1999, Tango Elíseo mit einem Bogen vom Tango bis zum Latin Jazz, Tango e/moción mit Bühnentanz, Fats Waller's Birthday Concert 2004, Tango-Filmmusik-Jazz unter anderem mit James-Bond-Melodien im Rahmen der Gostenhofer Jazztage 2005 in Nürnberg, Jazz pour chant et orgue in Paris 2005, 2006 und 2009, Sommerlicher Jazz 2010). In der bei den Gostenhofer Jazztagen 2003 aus der Taufe gehobenen Reihe 3 Organs 'n' Jazz tritt er zusammen mit den Nürnberger Jazz-Organisten Christian Martin Gabriel und Alexander Vichnevetsky auf.
   Einen weiteren Schwerpunkt seiner Arbeit bilden Improvisationen zu Werken der bildenden Kunst. In Zusammenarbeit mit der Münchner Pinakothek der Moderne sind Improvisationen zu Werken von Beckmann, Kirchner, Nolde, Warhol und vielen anderen entstanden. Mehrfach hat Armin Becker an der Roma Soundtrack Competition teilgenommen. Im 2009 erschienenen "Münchner Orgelbuch - Musik des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts aus evangelischen Kirchen Münchens" (Musikverlag Thomi-Berg Nr. 969) ist Armin Becker mit "Swing G.F.H." vertreten, einer im Rahmen des Wettbewerbs "Handel Inspired" entstandenen Komposition über Themen Georg Friedrich Händels.

Article "Morning Owls" for The Organ Club Journal, 2006 - "Notes from Munich (1)" by Maggie Pemberton and John Mansfield (c)
   No, I can't resist the pun and yes, there are some real hoots here, too! With a CD like this programmed to wake you at 7 a.m. you'll slip effortlessly into the day, saunter nonchalantly into work and smile knowingly at those who were propelled out of their dreams by a manic bell or that brainless bullying beeping. (The implications are surely worth considering.)
   This is the low-down: 42-year-old Armin Becker, already one of Munich's most popular recitalists and classical organ players, is making an international name for himself with jazz, tangos, Latin and blues on the organ. And we're not talking about Wurlitzers or Comptons. There are 4 different Steinmeyer organs (from the 1930s and 1950s) featuring on this CD as well as 4 tracker-action instruments, two of which were built in the 1990s. All are in churches. Three are in Munich.
   So how does he do it? "How will he do it?" I asked myself, as I led the touring group of the North Hampshire Organists' Association to Armin Becker's jazz recital in August 2005, wondering if I had made the right choice for their evening's entertainment.
   We had arranged to meet him before the recital and there he was in the church, charmingly modest, easy-going yet courteous - putting me for a moment in mind of Phil Kelsall in the 1970s - ready to treat us to a private mini-demo and close look at the historic consoles of the two organs; a Steinmeyer (1936) and an Ott (1967). Both are in the gallery that goes round three sides of the church.
   Let me mention that this took place in Munich's St. Markus church. Karl Richter's church. I had never expected to hear jazz on those instruments! I love them and have heard them on many occasions. Bach's larger works in particular can come across with a monumentality which is almost literally stunning and which sends excitement down my spine. Was taking guests to hear a jazz recital there labelled "An Organ Journey to Paris" simply sticking my neck out? Mais - je ne regrette … I've become an addict!
   But before you begin to think that I am just recommending a local colleague, let me pass you over to the President of the North Hampshire Organists' Association, John Mansfield, who has recently prepared a review of Armin Becker's CD.
   John writes: "There is a strong affinity between jazz and organ playing: organ playing was originally (and still is to some extent) based on improvisation, like jazz. But there is a world of difference between formless meandering over the organ keys while waiting for the service to begin and keen, rhythmical jazz. Keen, rhythmical jazz is what Armin Becker promises us on his CD simply called Jazzimprovisationen, eleven tracks of undiluted jazz played on nine different organs in the south of Germany, and all but two recorded live.
   One of the organs is built by Hermann Eule, whose surname means "owl" in English. So owls make their appearance here: the first track is called Morning Owls to correspond with a piece originally played on an Eule organ by Barbara Dennerlein which she called Night Owls. The other owl is a Latin one - "Strix". Blues Strigis (track 3) uses an unusual stop: when it is drawn a wooden owl comes around from behind the organ case and hoots at you. It is to be heard at the beginning and the end of the track. The track is based on "The Teddy Bears' Picnic", "Baby Elephant Walk" and "The Bare Necessities".
   Track 2, Warnemünder Groschenblues, contains a delicate version of Beethoven's "Rage over a lost penny" ("Die Wut über den verlorenen Groschen", of course), and Souvenirs de Paris (track 8) is based on French chansons. The Zugspitz-Express runs on track 4, powered by the "Orient Express", "Chattanooga Choo Choo", "Take the 'A' Train" and part of Richard Strauss' Alpine Symphony.
   There are some unorthodox effects: in the first of two pieces simply called Jazz Voices (tracks 5 and 6) Armin experiments by drawing the stop knobs out slowly and pushing them in equally slowly to produce a ghostly blues sound (don't try this at home, kids); and in the second track with the same name he uses a Basszink stop (5 1/3') in the pedal in the opening section.
   St. George's Serenade, track 10, played in the magnificent church of St. George, Nördlingen, quotes "Sweet Georgia Brown" (what else?). The final track is the shortest one, Guten Abend, gut Nacht, hinting at Brahms' Lullaby.
   If you are keen on jazz, or improvisation, buy the disc. You will not regret it." Thank you, John.
   Needless to say, I too am impressed by the CD, not only by the sheer virtuosity of Armin Becker's technique and his secure grasp of genuine jazz harmonies and rhythms, but also by his ear-catching registration and bluesy poetic moments. This guy knows what he's doing in every way - indeed, several of the pieces come across as well-thought-out compositions.
   I just love the audaciously swaggering Jazztango (track 7, alas a mere 2:45 mins), the hauntingly nostalgic passages in Souvenirs de Paris (14:39 mins), and the jaunty "stepping out" mood pervading track 9, a free composition entitled Matin après une belle surprise. And I challenge anyone to resist the disarming owl hoots and the prowling, growling pedal reed teddy bear stomping past on his way to join the picnic. Laugh, cry, dance and dream: for a total of 78:41 minutes!
   So - how does he do it? This is the end of my text. It's up to you now to find out for yourselves …
   The CD comes in a slim case with a simple red leaflet in its cover noting the title of each track, the date of recording (between 2000 and 2005), the church, the town and the track length (6 minutes on average). Fortunately there are scarcely any extraneous sounds on those tracks which were recorded live during recitals.
   Armin Becker is producing his CDs privately at the moment, but the details one would expect to get in a full-scale booklet - descriptions of the instruments, a brief biography etc. - can be obtained from him upon request. He also speaks fluent English and French. Price: EURO 10 (+ p&p)

"GELUNGENE VERBINDUNG"- Recital review (May 2006) by Maggie Pemberton (c) - auf der Seite "Artikel - Deutsch 1"