J.S. Bach on the Organ

Started by premont, April 29, 2007, 02:16:33 PM

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Ras

Bach on historic Dutch organ by Koito on DHM. A new release.
[asin]B07P83ZP63[/asin]
"Music is life and, like it, inextinguishable." - Carl Nielsen

Marc

Quote from: Ras on September 23, 2019, 11:06:17 AM
Bach on historic Dutch organ by Koito on DHM. A new release.
[asin]B07P83ZP63[/asin]

The organ looks familiar. :laugh:

Ras

Quote from: Marc on September 23, 2019, 11:11:59 AM
The organ looks familiar. :laugh:

Amazon says about the organ:
QuoteThe album was recorded in the famous St Martini Kerk in Groningen (Netherlands). The historic organ used was enlarged in 1691-2 by Arp Schnitger (1648-1719), a highly influential North German organ builder."
"Music is life and, like it, inextinguishable." - Carl Nielsen

Marc

Quote from: Ras on September 23, 2019, 12:07:22 PM
Amazon says about the organ:

No... I added the 'laugh' smiley cuz I 'visit' the organ about a dozen times a year. Which makes it easy recognizable.
Also: many of the last posts in this thread were about this particular instrument.

SurprisedByBeauty

Quote from: Ras on September 23, 2019, 11:06:17 AM
Bach on historic Dutch organ by Koito on DHM. A new release.


More astonishingly: DHM is still used to publish new recordings?!?


j winter


Greetings.  Cross-posted from WAYLT. 


I've spent a good while over the past week reading through this thread, wonderful stuff.  After spending lots of time with Bach's orchestral, piano and (more recently) harpsichord and choral music, I figured it was past time to devote more attention to the organ.  After rummaging around the net for some bargains, by week's end I'll hopefully have a total of 5 sets on hand.


For the record, for years I've had Walcha stereo and Fagius from the big BC box (which I honestly haven't spent much time with), as well as the 3 disc DG Richter set, and a couple of singles from Powers Biggs and Werner Jacob.  I have just added Alaine II, Koopman, and Hurford (whom I'm talking about below -- Moonfish enquired how I thought Hurford compared to other organists).


I don't imagine that I'll ever get to the point where I'll be able to add much insight for some of the extremely knowledgeable folks on this thread, but I may chime in from time to time with questions and random observations.  Thanks to all for creating such an interesting, in-depth thread, and for prompting me to more fully explore Bach on the organ.   :)



Quote from: j winter on October 17, 2019, 06:20:34 PM
There is indeed, the recent perusal of which actually prompted my purchase.  I'm very much in the exploratory phase here myself.... after having Walcha siting alone on my shelf for years, I've just now taken the plunge and brought in some reinforcements to explore this music in depth -- Hurford's set arrived two days ago, and I've got Alaine II and Koopman coming in the mail.  Based on the older posts in the thread, I got all three sets for less than one of them would have cost back when I bought Walcha, probably almost 15 years ago.

My initial impression is that he's swifter, lighter of touch, and unsurprisingly better recorded than Walcha -- very different in approach.  That said, I really like Walcha as well.... I'm looking forward to spending some time this winter contrasting these four sets, and getting better acquainted with the music...
The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils.
The motions of his spirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus.
Let no such man be trusted.

-- William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

milk

Quote from: Ras on September 23, 2019, 11:06:17 AM
Bach on historic Dutch organ by Koito on DHM. A new release.
[asin]B07P83ZP63[/asin]
I've never heard of this person. Her musical biography looks thick. Anyone heard the recording yet?

Mandryka

Quote from: milk on October 18, 2019, 06:21:50 AM
I've never heard of this person. Her musical biography looks thick. Anyone heard the recording yet?

No, at least not well enough to say anything more than the sound is excellent. She always chooses good organs and she is always well recorded, I made some comments about her trio sonatas recently, and her Nivers, in both these she makes some bold decisions.  I think she's worth hearing.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Marc

Quote from: j winter on October 17, 2019, 06:52:26 PM
Greetings.  Cross-posted from WAYLT. 


I've spent a good while over the past week reading through this thread, wonderful stuff.  After spending lots of time with Bach's orchestral, piano and (more recently) harpsichord and choral music, I figured it was past time to devote more attention to the organ.  After rummaging around the net for some bargains, by week's end I'll hopefully have a total of 5 sets on hand.


For the record, for years I've had Walcha stereo and Fagius from the big BC box (which I honestly haven't spent much time with), as well as the 3 disc DG Richter set, and a couple of singles from Powers Biggs and Werner Jacob.  I have just added Alaine II, Koopman, and Hurford (whom I'm talking about below -- Moonfish enquired how I thought Hurford compared to other organists).


I don't imagine that I'll ever get to the point where I'll be able to add much insight for some of the extremely knowledgeable folks on this thread, but I may chime in from time to time with questions and random observations.  Thanks to all for creating such an interesting, in-depth thread, and for prompting me to more fully explore Bach on the organ.   :)

Sounds like you have the same amount of fun as I had about 10 years ago, when my 'organ search' began, starting with the organ catalogue of J.S. Bach, who already was (and is) my favourite composer for decades.

Marc

Quote from: milk on October 18, 2019, 06:21:50 AM
I've never heard of this person. Her musical biography looks thick. Anyone heard the recording yet?

She's actually quite famous in the Bach/baroque organ world.

Haven't heard this particular recording... I'm a bit in doubt whether I shall ever take a listen. My first 2 encounters with Koito's Bach (CU 3, recorded 1993 and a Bach disc called Volume 1) weren't much to my likings. I remember that I found it tiring to listen to her. But maybe things have gone 'better', or maybe my taste has broadened.
She seems to pick nice historic organs though... the two issues I know are on the Hinsz-organ in Kampen (Bovenkerk) and - there we go again - the Schnitger et al in Groningen (Martinikerk).

Mandryka

#2870
She doesn't phrase Bach in an incisive way, the music in her hands is lyrical - what Egarr called Cantabile Heaven I think.

But the thing which I find most surprising about her is that she combines this style of melting articulions, where one phrase blends romantically into another, with a light and dancing quality.

It's this combination of dance and song which is her trademark IMO, love it or loathe it, I find it intriguing.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

j winter

Quote from: Marc on October 18, 2019, 08:56:24 AM
Sounds like you have the same amount of fun as I had about 10 years ago, when my 'organ search' began, starting with the organ catalogue of J.S. Bach, who already was (and is) my favourite composer for decades.

I hope so :)  I plan on having a great deal of fun spending some quality time with these... the only downside is that I'm probably going to have to switch mostly to headphones, as my wife is not particularly keen on the King of Instruments... 
The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils.
The motions of his spirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus.
Let no such man be trusted.

-- William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

staxomega

I'm looking to explore another larger JS Bach organ box- I enjoy the Walcha and Alain second quite a bit. The other one I have is a reissue set from Isoir on La Dolce Volta (earlier one without Art of Fugue), and maybe an unpopular opinion but I found this a bit all over the place.

Any suggestions? I've been streaming Alain's analog cycle and like what I heard, I'm open to hearing about any in print issues. Thanks.

Mandryka

#2873
Quote from: staxomega on October 22, 2019, 07:03:51 AM
I'm looking to explore another larger JS Bach organ box- I enjoy the Walcha and Alain second quite a bit. The other one I have is a reissue set from Isoir on La Dolce Volta (earlier one without Art of Fugue), and maybe an unpopular opinion but I found this a bit all over the place.

Any suggestions? I've been streaming Alain's analog cycle and like what I heard, I'm open to hearing about any in print issues. Thanks.

There are two aspects to this, the performance and the organ. My suggestion is that you look at recordings which use lots of different instruments, so that you start to get a feel for the variety. Jens did this discography which may help you decide what to do.

https://ionarts.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-survey-of-bach-organ-cycles.html

And this site is good for telling you which organs they're playing

https://www.france-orgue.fr/disque/index.php?zpg=dsq.fra.rch



Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

SurprisedByBeauty

Quote from: Mandryka on October 22, 2019, 08:28:22 AM
There are two aspects to this, the performance and the organ. My suggestion is that you look at recordings which use lots of different instruments, so that you start to get a feel for the variety. Jens did this discography which may help you decide what to do.

https://ionarts.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-survey-of-bach-organ-cycles.html

And this site is good for telling you which organs they're playing

https://www.france-orgue.fr/disque/index.php?zpg=dsq.fra.rch

Thanks for the kind mention! I'm glad if it is of use to anyone.

Btw., I'm also working on including all the organs used on the sets: The information, where available, pops up on Mouse-Over.

staxomega

Quote from: Mandryka on October 22, 2019, 08:28:22 AM
There are two aspects to this, the performance and the organ. My suggestion is that you look at recordings which use lots of different instruments, so that you start to get a feel for the variety. Jens did this discography which may help you decide what to do.

https://ionarts.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-survey-of-bach-organ-cycles.html

And this site is good for telling you which organs they're playing

https://www.france-orgue.fr/disque/index.php?zpg=dsq.fra.rch

Will do, thank you. I think I will be picking up one more Alain cycle, I simply enjoy her interpretations so much. Between the analog cycle and her third, does anyone have any opinions on which might complement the second better?

SurprisedByBeauty

Quote from: staxomega on October 24, 2019, 07:19:22 AM
Will do, thank you. I think I will be picking up one more Alain cycle, I simply enjoy her interpretations so much. Between the analog cycle and her third, does anyone have any opinions on which might complement the second better?

Having all three, I would be much quicker to render the 1st to home-invaders than the second or third.  ;)

FYI: https://ionarts.blogspot.com/2019/02/dip-your-ears-no-226-marie-claire.html

Mandryka

Quote from: staxomega on October 24, 2019, 07:19:22 AM
Will do, thank you. I think I will be picking up one more Alain cycle, I simply enjoy her interpretations so much. Between the analog cycle and her third, does anyone have any opinions on which might complement the second better?

The third uses well restored baroque organs and is well recorded. Can you not hear it on Spotify?
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

bioluminescentsquid

Quote from: staxomega on October 24, 2019, 07:19:22 AM
Will do, thank you. I think I will be picking up one more Alain cycle, I simply enjoy her interpretations so much. Between the analog cycle and her third, does anyone have any opinions on which might complement the second better?

Maybe Jacques van Oortmerssen's partial set? He was an Alain student, and I think they resemble each other in their no-nonsense style. JvO also recorded on wonderful historical organs. But I haven't heard Alain in quite a while so this might be complete nonsense.

Dry Brett Kavanaugh

Quote from: staxomega on October 22, 2019, 07:03:51 AM
I'm looking to explore another larger JS Bach organ box- I enjoy the Walcha and Alain second quite a bit. The other one I have is a reissue set from Isoir on La Dolce Volta (earlier one without Art of Fugue), and maybe an unpopular opinion but I found this a bit all over the place.

Any suggestions? I've been streaming Alain's analog cycle and like what I heard, I'm open to hearing about any in print issues. Thanks.

Gerhard Weinberger and Alessio Corti.