American Record Guide

Leon Berben plays the extant organ works of Johann Ulrich Steigleder (1593-1635) on the 3-manual, 35-stop organ by Antonius Wilde from 1598-99 as rebuilt and enlarged by Arp Schnitger in 1680-83 in St James Church in Ludingworth, a small town near Bremen, Germany. It is a beautiful instrument carefully restored by Jiirgen Ahrend. Berben explains in the booklet that he chose this instrument for recording pieces by a composer who lived and worked in the south of Germany because Schnitger was so careful in his preservation of Wilde's work and because no instrument survives from this period in the south.
Steigleder was a well connected musician from a family in service to the Holy Roman Imperial Court that he, too, eventually served. He is thought to have been a teacher of Froberger. His pieces are of two kinds: very short ones based on chorales and longer, more elaborate, sectional ricercares. Berben has prepared playing editions of these pieces from tablature manuscripts.
I reviewed a recording of Berben playing pieces of Murschhauser (July/Aug). I found Berben to be a brilliant organist who brought much life to Murschhauser's work. This recording confirms that opinion. This is wonderful playing.
BLAKELY