With Organisms, the Calefax Reed Quintet explores the majestic and mysterious essence of the organ— without an organ in sight. Revoicing centuries of repertoire for reed quintet, they channel the instrument’s spiritual depth, improvisational roots, and theatrical flair through breath and reed instead of pipes. The result is not just interpretation, but transformation—Calefax becomes a living, breathing organ, uncovering the humanity behind the grandeur.
From Sweelinck’s Fantasia Chromatica and Bruhns’ richly imaginative Prelude in E Minor, through the intimate final chorales of Brahms and Franck, to Florence Price’s Suite No. 1, which blends African-American musical traditions with Romantic expressiveness, this album redefines the organ not as a sacred machine, but as a vital force of musical imagination.
In 2025, Calefax celebrates their 40th anniversary. Organisms is the fifth PENTATONE release by Calefax, following their critically acclaimed albums An American Rhapsody (2023), Bach’s Musical Offerings (2020), Dido & Aeneazz (2019), and Hidden Gems(2018), which earned 5 stars from BBC Music Magazine. Praised for their “witty, well-crafted arrangements” (De Volkskrant) and “beautiful playing” (Het Parool), Calefax has been hailed by The Times as “five extremely gifted Dutch gents who almost made the reed quintet seem the best musical format on the planet.”
Calefax Reed Quintet
Tracklist
Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.Total time: 01:14:32
Additional information
| Label | |
|---|---|
| SKU | PTC5187488 |
| Qualities | DSD 256 fs, DSD 128 fs, DSD 64 fs, DXD 24 Bit, FLAC 192 kHz, FLAC 96 kHz |
| Channels | |
| Artists | |
| Composers | Alain, Bach, Brahms, Bruhns, Duruflé, Franck, Heredia, Price, Sweelinck |
| Genres | |
| Original Recording Format | |
| Instruments | |
| Recording Engineer | Holger Schlegel |
| Recording Location | Doopsgezinde Kerk in Haarlem, Netherlands |
| Release Date | November 21, 2025 |
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.




Reviews
There are no reviews yet.