J.S. Bach on the Organ

[Marc]

I felt so lucky this weekend when I found the officially OOP Lagacé integral on Amazon (as part of a UK reseller catalogue), for € 80,--! Hurrah!
So... I ordered it immediately. Yesterday, four days later, I received this e-mail: Bestelliung storniert; Artikel nicht lieferbar (Order cancelled; item not available). These are the downsides of internet shopping, I guess. Even though I already knew (thx to a few discs of the library) that Lagacé wasn't my fave Bach interpreter, my greedy collector's heart feels hurt.

I need the comfort of a sultry woman now, who's playing a Bach Trio Sonata in a cold church, shielded by the Rückwerk, with me listening downstairs with my eyes closed, shivering yet enjoying the beautiful music, and after all that she heats me up in the pulpit.

Well, at least my fantasy world is still working... too bad I have to work.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

I felt so lucky this weekend when I found the officially OOP Lagacé integral on Amazon (as part of a UK reseller catalogue), for € 80,--! Hurrah!
So... I ordered it immediately. Yesterday, four days later, I received this e-mail: Bestelliung storniert; Artikel nicht lieferbar (Order cancelled; item not available). These are the downsides of internet shopping, I guess. Even though I already knew (thx to a few discs of the library) that Lagacé wasn't my fave Bach interpreter, my greedy collector's heart feels hurt.

I need the comfort of a sultry woman now, who's playing a Bach Trio Sonata in a cold church, shielded by the Rückwerk, with me listening downstairs with my eyes closed, shivering yet enjoying the beautiful music, and after all that she heats me up in the pulpit.

Well, at least my fantasy world is still working... too bad I have to work.

While I totally empathize with the collector's feeling of loss of having an oop goodie on the shelves, don't you think you might secretly be blessed in having saved $80 AND listening to what... 22? CDs all played on that Von Beckerath instrument?  That seems like a lot of Bach on the same organ... given that it's said not to be a particularly magnificent sounding (or well recorded) instrument.

[Marc]

While I totally empathize with the collector's feeling of loss of having an oop goodie on the shelves, don't you think you might secretly be blessed in having saved $80 AND listening to what... 22? CDs all played on that Von Beckerath instrument?  That seems like a lot of Bach on the same organ... given that it's said not to be a particularly magnificent sounding (or well recorded) instrument.

I agree about the instrument.
But was it really that bad recorded?

Anyway: I was mostly curious about / interested in the 'add-on' discs... WTK, Inventionen, Kunst der Fuge et al.

For the rest: of course you're right, I'm blessed.
And I've got € 80 left to spend on beer.

(I was mostly pissed off by the seller... putting it for sale on Amazon whilst not having it in stock.)

[SurprisedByBeauty]

(I was mostly pissed off by the seller... putting it for sale on Amazon whilst not having it in stock.)

Yes... he probably thought he could source it for less from somewhere else -- and it turned out then that he couldn't, after all. Tsk. Enjoy the beer! Having one, right now.

[Marc]

[...] Enjoy the beer! Having one, right now.

Ha! Franziskaner!
Makes a nice combi with organ music.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Listnening to these lesser-known albums nowadays. If anybody has opinion or thoughts on the recordings, I would appreciate it.

[milk]

What do folks think of this?

[prémont]

Listnening to these lesser-known albums nowadays. If anybody has opinion or thoughts on the recordings, I would appreciate it.

I do not know any of them.

The first with Luc Ponet contains very little Bach - only some spurious chorale preludes.

The second with Pierre Méa sounds interesting (judged from clips) so I have ordered it.

[prémont]

What do folks think of this?

Luca Guglielmi is a reliable and sometimes original performer, and I had my eyes on this CD some months ago, but I passed it by because of the (only moderately interesting) programming.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I do not know any of them.

The first with Luc Ponet contains very little Bach - only some spurious chorale preludes.

The second with Pierre Méa sounds interesting (judged from clips) so I have ordered it.

The non-Bach compositions by Ponet sound good to me.
I am looking forward to hearing your opinion on Mea.
Btw, the both are on YT and SF

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeFIyXVO5hEv2GwNZHTXHu_nDeqEJjeXa

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeM9udOVLkmmoDDiYYtnE1gCLV-utQQ8x

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Solid recordings with great sound.

[Marc]

Solid recordings with great sound.

Indeed!

(And part of the 'old' recommendations by Premont in the first post of this thread, about 10 years ago.)

And now... a recommendation of me myself and I:
Bach's 'Orgelmesse', played by Bram Beekman on the 17th century organ of the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam.
Beekman's Bach boxset is OOP already since autumn 2008, but here's a clip of CU 3 with acceptable sound:

https://www.youtube.com/v/y3JHvAvEfh4

[Marc]

Indeed!

(And part of the 'old' recommendations by Premont in the first post of this thread, about 10 years ago.)

And now... a recommendation of me myself and I:
Bach's 'Orgelmesse', played by Bram Beekman on the 17th century organ of the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam.
Beekman's Bach boxset is OOP already since autumn 2008, but here's a clip of CU 3 with acceptable sound:

https://www.youtube.com/v/y3JHvAvEfh4

Listening to Beekman's BWV 688 right now... this one is probably my favourite BWV 688 cd/recording experience ever (and ever), expecially with the sounds of the Bovenwerk floating and 'echoing' around as if some angel is answering from the vaults of the church.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Indeed!

(And part of the 'old' recommendations by Premont in the first post of this thread, about 10 years ago.)

And now... a recommendation of me myself and I:
Bach's 'Orgelmesse', played by Bram Beekman on the 17th century organ of the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam.
Beekman's Bach boxset is OOP already since autumn 2008, but here's a clip of CU 3 with acceptable sound:

https://www.youtube.com/v/y3JHvAvEfh4

Great performance and great organ sound. Thank you for the link. Also, I will check his "200 Years of German Organ Music" as well.


P.s. I like your previous discussions on Alessio Corti.

[Mandryka]

Listening to Beekman's BWV 688 right now... this one is probably my favourite BWV 688 cd/recording experience ever (and ever), expecially with the sounds of the Bovenwerk floating and 'echoing' around as if some angel is answering from the vaults of the church.

I agree that Beekman's good in it, I like all his CU 3.



There is just one radical reinterpretation of 688 that I know: Rubsam (Naxos.) I think he  takes his inspiration from the opening lines  of the  hymn, because the way I hear it there's loads of anger in the upper voices in Rubsam's interpretation, and the cantus firmus sounds as though it's trying to appease that anger.

Christ Jesus, our Redeemer born,
Who from us did God's anger turn,

[Marc]

I agree that Beekman's good in it, I like all his CU 3.



There is just one radical reinterpretation of 688 that I know: Rubsam (Naxos.) I think he  takes his inspiration from the opening lines  of the  hymn, because the way I hear it there's loads of anger in the upper voices in Rubsam's interpretation, and the cantus firmus sounds as though it's trying to appease that anger.

Christ Jesus, our Redeemer born,
Who from us did God's anger turn,

And, who knows, maybe he's 'right'.
(If there is really right and wrong in this.)

Rübsam's Naxos series is mandatory stuff IMO, but I have to admit that I'm not always in the right mood for it. He makes me think too much whilst listening.

Beekman says: not to worry, despite evil and anger, God is great.
Rübsam says: be aware, evil and anger can be on the lurk, and it has to be defeated.
Maybe that's even how they think about belief and faith in general.

I'm thinking too much (again)...

[Marc]

Great performance and great organ sound. Thank you for the link. Also, I will check his "200 Years of German Organ Music" as well.


P.s. I like your previous discussions on Alessio Corti.

What I like about both Corti and Beekman, is the naturalness of their playing, without 'much ado'.
But I've spoken to other organ and Bach lovers who find Beekman's style rathing boring... tastes differ.

[Marc]

New one.

[asin]B01N4225YS[/asin]

Love it. Subtle and elegant (though I am not crazy about a few pieces).

Mm... I don't think I'm gonna listen to this one quite often.
I even doubt if I'm going to buy another Suzuki organ disc.



Heard Suzuki play live once, in the Martinikerk of Groningen, NL, where one could hear that he enjoyed playing there, and the same goes (more or less) for his Groningen Bach disc (Volume 1 of this-integral-to-be?), but overall I'm beginning to fear that Suzuki the 'lightweight' organist leaves me rather cold. And the Garnier organ in Kobe must be one of the most harmless modern baroque instruments around. Compared to what f.i. builders like Ahrend, Aubertin and the Göteborg team have given us in this métier, this Garnier sounds like the ideal instrument for a friendly Kindergarten.

(Apologies for being a bit harsh.)

[milk]

Mm... I don't think I'm gonna listen to this one quite often.
I even doubt if I'm going to buy another Suzuki organ disc.



Heard Suzuki play live once, in the Martinikerk of Groningen, NL, where one could hear that he enjoyed playing there, and the same goes (more or less) for his Groningen Bach disc (Volume 1 of this-integral-to-be?), but overall I'm beginning to fear that Suzuki the 'lightweight' organist leaves me rather cold. And the Garnier organ in Kobe must be one of the most harmless modern baroque instruments around. Compared to what f.i. builders like Ahrend, Aubertin and the Göteborg team have given us in this métier, this Garnier sounds like the ideal instrument for a friendly Kindergarten.

(Apologies for being a bit harsh.)

I saw him in Kobe playing Sweelinck. It totally transported me. It was almost transcendental for me. Still, I haven't been bowled over by any of his recordings save for the partitas. But the live organ concert in Kobe was, in my opinion, inspired and magical. Maybe it's because it's a very small room so you're right next to the pipes. But, his playing seemed like improvisation. 

[Harry]

Mm... I don't think I'm gonna listen to this one quite often.
I even doubt if I'm going to buy another Suzuki organ disc.



Heard Suzuki play live once, in the Martinikerk of Groningen, NL, where one could hear that he enjoyed playing there, and the same goes (more or less) for his Groningen Bach disc (Volume 1 of this-integral-to-be?), but overall I'm beginning to fear that Suzuki the 'lightweight' organist leaves me rather cold. And the Garnier organ in Kobe must be one of the most harmless modern baroque instruments around. Compared to what f.i. builders like Ahrend, Aubertin and the Göteborg team have given us in this métier, this Garnier sounds like the ideal instrument for a friendly Kindergarten.

(Apologies for being a bit harsh.)

I fully agree with you. I found the first disc recorded in the Martini Church an absolute gem, but the second disc in this series a dead duck.