The Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg represents a distinct form of musical power and simplicity, often described as being in a “sunny C major.” As spontaneously interpreted by Ramírez, this otherwise careful organization of leitmotivs brings out every bit of what the modern pipe organ can do in terms of pure volume and grandeur.

— Gregg Wager is a composer and critic. He is author of Symbolism as a Compositional Method in the Works of Karlheinz Stockhausen. He has a PhD in musicology from the Free University Berlin and a JD from McGeorge School of Law.