Bach's Bungalow

[robnewman]

David is a music lover.  You see how your remark implies a false dichotomy?

Tin Foil Hats:  Gimme two!

My remark is a plain fact that I, and only I am uniquely qualified to state. If it represents a dichotomy it does so to you. And not to me. 

[karlhenning]

I have been absolutely exulting in the harpsichord recordings by Christiane Jaccottet!

[DavidW]

I really would like to listen to those youtube clips, but I forgot again to bring my headphones back into the office.

Noticing Newman's selections it's interesting to note that he is not biased towards or against HIP, he has a broad eclectic taste in performances.

[DavidW]

I listened to some of the Sokolov, but it's really hard to feel engaged by the modern piano with Bach.  For contrast, I found Koopman's Bach much more engaging just due to the choice of instrument.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OocLZgmIR0
----------------
Now playing: J.S. Bach Toccata in G major BWV 916 Allegro

[DavidRoss]

I listened to some of the Sokolov, but it's really hard to feel engaged by the modern piano with Bach.  For contrast, I found Koopman's Bach much more engaging just due to the choice of instrument.

And yet some of us are enthralled by Bach on the modern piano and find it difficult to stay engaged with the harpsichord's thin sound.

[DavidW]

And yet some of us are enthralled by Bach on the modern piano and find it difficult to stay engaged with the harpsichord's thin sound.

Yup, diversity is a wonderful thing.   Do you like the sound of the organ btw?

----------------
Now playing: J.S. Bach - Prelude & Fuga BWV 541, T. Koopman

[Marc]

Well, I have by now listened to more than a quarter, but probably not quite half, of the "Premium Edition" 40-disc box . . . maybe I've been lucky, but apart from there being hardly any duds (maybe the Italian Concerto on piano falls within that bucket), almost everything has been flat-out excellent.

Considering buying this, but detailed information (including musicians and artists) seems hard to find on the internet, though it could be me.

Could you inform me/us about (some) performers, Karl?

Most importantly , I'd like to know one thing ....
(Dare I ask?)
Karl: who plays the organ works?

[karlhenning]

Yup, diversity is a wonderful thing.   Do you like the sound of the organ btw?

----------------
Now playing: J.S. Bach - Prelude & Fuga BWV 541, T. Koopman

Not all organs sound alike!

And (FWIW) I enjoy both the piano and the harpsichord.

[DavidW]

Not all organs sound alike!

And (FWIW) I enjoy both the piano and the harpsichord.

Yeah I've heard a Handel recording once (organ concertos I believe) where the organ was very puny sounding, I was surprised, very surprised.  I haven't really explored the organ and it's music that much (outside of casual Bach and Handel listening) and I don't know what flavors they come in.  In a concert once I've heard some Bach performed and the organ sounded very bright, light and airy and I loved it.  When I heard the same works on cd I was disappointed because the music sounded bloated and heavy.  I would like to find that kind of organ sound I heard that day, makes Bach much more musical to my ears.

[DavidRoss]

Yup, diversity is a wonderful thing.   Do you like the sound of the organ btw?

In person I've heard some organs I liked and some I didn't much care for.  The Italian Baroque organ in the collection of the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester is one that I liked very much.  I have yet to hear one on record that I wanted to hear more than once.

[DavidW]

In person I've heard some organs I liked and some I didn't much care for.  The Italian Baroque organ in the collection of the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester is one that I liked very much.  I have yet to hear one on record that I wanted to hear more than once.

You know since I have the same impression about live vs recordings for organs I wonder if the reverb and room acoustics factor prominently in the sound?

[Marc]

Considering buying this, but detailed information (including musicians and artists) seems hard to find on the internet, though it could be me.

Could you inform me/us about (some) performers, Karl?

Most importantly , I'd like to know one thing ....
(Dare I ask?)
Karl: who plays the organ works?

Karl, no need to answer anymore, because I did another search again and found some names.
Otto Winter (rather well-known, did some Bach for the budget Pilz/Vienna Master Series), Esther Sialm (has got a reputation in f.i. Germany & the Netherlands), Susanne Doll (plays Bach, Dupré & Messiaen regularly), Ivan Sokol (was also included with some recordings in the budget Point catalogue), Eberhard Kraus (well-known as both harpsichordist & organist) and Miklos Spanyi (did some recordings for the Forum label, AFAIK, though there are claims on the net that some of these performances were actually by Otto Winter .... ).

I did an offer on a dutch kinda eBay site. Now let's wait and see ....

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

This one is a particular favorite lately.



Keyboard fugues (some from the WTC, some originally for organ) of Bach transcribed for brass quintet.  This is Bach paradise, the clarity of counterpoint in these arrangements is unsurpassed.   Particularly impressive are the great organ fugues, which in these performances have a stunning transparency as well as a feel of authenticity.  Gorgeously performed and recorded.  Each Bach fugue is followed by a fugue by Shostakovich in the same key, as if to prove by comparison how great a genius Bach really was.

Damn, there's another disc to go on my To Buy pile...I really should stop hanging around here  and unlike Scarp, I love Shostakovich, which makes it even more imperative

[prémont]

Karl, no need to answer anymore, because I did another search again and found some names.
Otto Winter (rather well-known, did some Bach for the budget Pilz/Vienna Master Series), Esther Sialm (has got a reputation in f.i. Germany & the Netherlands), Susanne Doll (plays Bach, Dupré & Messiaen regularly), Ivan Sokol (was also included with some recordings in the budget Point catalogue), Eberhard Kraus (well-known as both harpsichordist & organist) and Miklos Spanyi (did some recordings for the Forum label, AFAIK, though there are claims on the net that some of these performances were actually by Otto Winter .... ).

Interesting information in the Amazon com forum from a poster "Wachovia":
"Otto Winter is not the actual organist!
The real organist is MIKLOS SPANYI of Hungary.
He made the recording in 1987 and sold it to a german record producer. That record producer sold Spanyi's recording to several labels. Such as Point, Madacy, etc.
Some cds say Otto Winter at a Silbermann Organ.
Inactuality it is Miklos Spanyi at the Calvary Chuch in Szombathely, Hungary. The organ was built by the Eule Orgelbou of Germany.
Mr. Spanyi himself emailed this information to me.
Otto Winter is not an organist at all."

Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/ADCES8TQLRK34

[Marc]

Interesting information in the Amazon com forum from a poster "Wachovia":
"Otto Winter is not the actual organist!
The real organist is MIKLOS SPANYI of Hungary.
He made the recording in 1987 and sold it to a german record producer. That record producer sold Spanyi's recording to several labels. Such as Point, Madacy, etc.
Some cds say Otto Winter at a Silbermann Organ.
Inactuality it is Miklos Spanyi at the Calvary Chuch in Szombathely, Hungary. The organ was built by the Eule Orgelbou of Germany.
Mr. Spanyi himself emailed this information to me.
Otto Winter is not an organist at all."

Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/ADCES8TQLRK34

Thanks for updating, Premont!
So, the conspiracy theory was: Spanyi is not the real organist. Otto Winter is.
But in the end it turned out that it's the other way around.
These things happen, you know.

[robnewman]

''Seb. Bach is said to have played with so easy and small a motion of the fingers that it was hardly perceptible. Only the first joints of the fingers were in motion'

(J.N. Forkel - 'Uber Johann Sebastian Bachs Leben, Kunst und Kunstwerken' - (1802) - Leipzig).

J.S. Bach
Concerto in D Minor
1st Movement
BWV 1052/1
Trevor Pinnock
English Concert Baroque Orchestra

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF-p_RGVjUQ&feature=related

[karlhenning]

Interesting information in the Amazon com forum from a poster "Wachovia":
"Otto Winter is not the actual organist!
The real organist is MIKLOS SPANYI of Hungary.
He made the recording in 1987 and sold it to a german record producer. That record producer sold Spanyi's recording to several labels. Such as Point, Madacy, etc.
Some cds say Otto Winter at a Silbermann Organ.
Inactuality it is Miklos Spanyi at the Calvary Chuch in Szombathely, Hungary. The organ was built by the Eule Orgelbou of Germany.
Mr. Spanyi himself emailed this information to me.
Otto Winter is not an organist at all."

Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/ADCES8TQLRK34

Thanks!  And, sorry, Marc!

[Marc]

Thanks! And, sorry, Marc!

No problem.
BTW: made a deal about the 40cd box set, and hopefully I'll receive it at the end of this week, or maybe next week.
I'm especially interested in the discs with Klavierinstrumente.
Something to look forward to.

[Antoine Marchand]

Yup, diversity is a wonderful thing.  Do you like the sound of the organ btw?

In a concert once I've heard some Bach performed and the organ sounded very bright, light and airy and I loved it.  When I heard the same works on cd I was disappointed because the music sounded bloated and heavy.  I would like to find that kind of organ sound I heard that day, makes Bach much more musical to my ears.

You know since I have the same impression about live vs recordings for organs I wonder if the reverb and room acoustics factor prominently in the sound?

Hi, David.  On the basis of your description, probably a useful tip for you would be to explore those sweet neo-baroque Metzler organs used by Christopher Herrick in his Bach integral.

Here a link: http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/a.asp?a=A644

I will try, for example, the Orgelbüchlein (BWV 639 or 603, just to say), the Trio Sonatas or The Italian Connection disc (BWV 596).

[DavidW]

Listened to some samples Antoine and that is EXACTLY what I'm talking about!  Awesome!!  It looks like mdt has the best price, so I've added it to my wishlist there.