Baroque Organ Impressions Performed by Agnieszka and Marek Stefański

In a small town in the Alicante region called Dolores, an extraordinary organ concert took place on Sunday, October 18, at the local church dedicated to Nuestra Señora de los Dolores. What made it extraordinary was the way two outstanding artists from Poland conveyed the artistic emotions of the Baroque era to the large audience in attendance. The married couple, Agnieszka Radwan Stefańska and Marek Stefański, are artists well known for their concerts throughout Europe and, on the Costa Blanca, for their frequent and highly successful solo performances in recent seasons.

The organ, built in Germany in 1957 and installed in Dolores this year, is a medium-sized instrument, offering musicians approximately 26 stops. Such organs are capable of producing a rich and varied sound, though they can also create extraordinary tonal subtlety.

But let’s move on to the recital, which began with a performance of the “Toccata in F Major” by the German composer J.H. Buttstett (1666–1727), followed by the “Choral Partita ‘Vater unser im Himmelreich’” by J.G. Walther (1684–1748). Marek Stefański performed both of these solemn pieces, offering a deeply thoughtful interpretation that fully captured the artistic value of each composition. The next piece on the Baroque program was J.S. Bach’s (1685–1750) “Fantasia in G Major,” this time performed by Agnieszka Radwan Stefańska, who exquisitely highlighted the improvisational nature of the piece. The playing of both artists is characterized by what can be described as imagination and unity of intent. In each interpretation, the performed pieces become rich in color images that captivate the listener from the first note to the last.

With tremendous expressiveness, dynamism, and bravura, the artists revealed the Baroque complexity of each composition. Marek Stefański once again took his place at the organ console, performing the “Prelude and Fugue in G Major” by J.L. Krebs (1713–1780), followed by Agnieszka Stefańska, who interpreted the “Chorale Prelude—Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott” by D. Buxtehude (1637–1707), in which the chorale melody is charmingly woven into the polyphonic fabric. The performance of the concert’s closing piece—J.S. Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D minor, Dorica”—also left a lasting impression; a virtuosic work characterized by its monumental scale and Baroque sonic splendor. The precision of the performance, the technical flawlessness, and the virtuosity of the playing, which combine to with the sensitivity and profound musicality of both performers in the concert.

The premiere concert by Polish artists, following the ceremonial opening, was warmly received by the audience, who—in gratitude for their standing ovation—were treated to an extraordinary four-hand encore. Agnieszka and Marek Stefański performed together, as a duet, the famous “Habanera” from G. Bizet’s opera Carmen. The artists were able to present the audience in Dolores with a full range of emotions, from the elegiac to the dramatic. Another highlight of their performance was, without a doubt, introducing both the local and visiting audiences to the beautiful, baroque sound of the Dolores church organ, which will also serve successfully as a concert instrument.