Austria mourns a venerable organist, 93
RIPThe conductor Martin Haselböck has announced the death of his esteemed father Hans Haselböck, organist at Vienna’s Dominikanerkirche for 65 years and an international soloist.
After one recital at the Royal Albert Hall, the Times critic wrote : ‘The audience applauded as if Bach had risen from his grave to play his D minor toccata once more.’
Didn’t know the father but went to a recital by Martin Haselböck at All Hallows-by-the-Tower back in the late 1970s. Excellent programme, including some rather fun Schubert. The incumbent organist at the time, Gordon Phillips, had a phenomenal memory for names and could recall anyone’s moniker years later after only a single meeting.