It is finished. Peter Kofler’s grand Bach passion has reached its sonorous finale. Only six years after its inception in 2017, the native of Bolzano finalises his complete recording at the four-manual Rieger organ of the Jesuit Church of St Michael’s in Munich. Not only has this ambitious project set entirely new standards in recording engineering, but simultaneously it connects the spirited joy of a historically informed approach and the tonal possibilities of modern organ building. For – unlike other complete recordings of Bach’s organ works – this one does not rely on historical organs, but utilises a single modern instrument – namely the organ that has been Kofler’s musical home since 2008, so rich in colours that he himself describes this richness as almost inexhaustible. Kofler takes advantage of this fascinating range by tirelessly contriving ever fresh combinations of sounds and register, which perfectly unfurl and reinforce the character of every single piece. The final CD – number 16 – ends with a track in radiant D major, the very essence of joy and gratitude in Kofler’s Bachian cosmos. And he adds with barely hidden pride: “I believe that even Bach himself would have found joy in this!”

The organist and harpsichordist Peter Kofler, born in Bolzano in 1979, received his first musical training at the Claudio Monteverdi Conservatory in his hometown. In Munich he studied organ and church music with Harald Feller as well as harpsichord with Christine Schornsheim. Peter Kofler is regarded an established expert for the rhetoric of baroque music and regularly works as a chamber musician, teaming up with the likes of Dorothee Oberlinger and Dmitry Sinkovsky. In addition to teaching organ and choral conducting at Munich’s University of Music and Performing Arts, he has been the organist of the Jesuit church of St Michael’s in Munich since 2008.

This organ production uses the high-resolution Dolby Atmos technology for the first time. It allows the church interior to be authentically reflected not only in its horizontal dimensions but also in its vertical acoustics, its height.

Even conventional stereo CDs benefit from this recording technique, which provides the listener with a fascinating transparency and spatial resolution.

“Everybody who has enjoyed this sound experience even just once will share my enthusiasm. However, what I consider the center of this project is neither the modern organ nor the sound engineering, but purely and simply Johann Sebastian Bach’s music.” – Peter Kofler