Étude No. 12 A Concert on a lake, interrupted by a thunderstorm. A grand dramatic Fantasia.

Chevalier Sigismond Neukomm (1778-1858).
His first important musical teacher was Michael Haydn at Salzburg. From 1797 Neukomm was pupil - and later - assistent of Joseph Haydn. Later he moved to Paris and worked for a while also as a director of music at St. Petersburg and at the imperial court at Rio de Janeiro. He was also pianist at the house of Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord. The connection to Talleyrand opened him after the restauration from 1815 in France many doors and possibilities. So he became also Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur. He traveled from Paris through the whole Europe and was a succesfull composer of large oratorios, conducter, and concertorganist.
His most important organ compositions were published with the title "25 Grandes Études pour Orgue". Neukomm followed with his music the Austrian music tradition in the style of the "Vienna"-Classicism. He knew, but didn't understood the late Baroque French organs and the new romantic organs at France and at Great Britain. This explains his use of the organ stops.
I present here his most utstanding and curious piece which is a painting of a weather event. I allowed me to use in my performance also the to chamade stops. Later will follow some other Grandes Études of Neukomm.