J.S. Bach on the Organ

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

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Coopmv

Quote from: Bulldog on April 25, 2009, 09:54:08 AM
Sorry to hear that you're not pleased with the first set.  Maybe things will improve as you progress.

I wonder if I should have played the CD on my big rig instead of my desktop.  My bipolar speakers and the 230 watts/ch amp are a world different than my desktop. 

Bulldog

#381
Quote from: Coopmv on April 25, 2009, 10:15:15 AM


I wonder if I should have played the CD on my big rig instead of my desktop.  My bipolar speakers and the 230 watts/ch amp are a world different than my desktop. 

Yes, give it your best equipment.  The king of instruments deserves nothing less.

Coopmv

Quote from: Bulldog on April 25, 2009, 10:35:55 AM
Yes, give it your best equipment.  The king of instruments deserves nothing less.

You are absolutely correct.  Playing organ works on a desktop makes little sense since I am missing all the bass of the pipe organ.

Coopmv

This DVD is almost like a compendium to Marie-Claire Alain's 3rd cycle of Bach Organ Works for which various historical organs were used for the recording of that cycle.  In fact, I believe the DVD (shot in 1990) was filmed during the time of that recording cycle.  For those of us who love organ works but really have never seen how that king of instruments is played, this DVD is great.  With a three-tiered keyboard and the pedals make up another keyboard on the foot level, the organ is helluva musical instrument to play.  The DVD not only shows some virtuoso organ playing by one of the greatest organists in the last 50 years, it also shows some fancy footwork on the part of Alain to make that organ hit the spine-tinkling lows.  For about $15 with shipping from Amazon MP, it is a bargain.



Marc

Quote from: Coopmv on April 25, 2009, 08:10:59 PM
[Very positive remarks about the Marie-Claire Alain DVD]

Seen that one on the internet before. Thanks for the reminder!
My wallett is rather empty, but I'm sure I'll be ordering this one before the year has ended!

Coopmv

Re-playing CD2, which includes the 6 Schubler Chorales of this set on my big rig.  The organ playing definitely comes alive compared with playing the same disc on my Dell desktop, as I could hear the pedals and the music gets pumped through the bipolar (tower) speakers by the 230 watts/ch amp.  Indeed, pipe organ music has to be played on a real sound system, not a computer.


premont

Quote from: Coopmv on April 26, 2009, 11:51:42 AM
Re-playing CD2, which includes the 6 Schubler Chorales of this set on my big rig.  The organ playing definitely comes alive compared with playing the same disc on my Dell desktop, as I could hear the pedals and the music gets pumped through the bipolar (tower) speakers by the 230 watts/ch amp.  Indeed, pipe organ music has to be played on a real sound system, not a computer.



Having listened now to all the four extant doubleCDs Margaret Philips has released so far, I would say, that she plays like a first class organ pupil, doing all the things the teachers and the great books tell her to do, but I certainly miss some individuality, some individual authority, some sort of individual interpretation, - actually you know all to early in the listening process what she is going to do all through, no surprises there, and in fact listening to her resembles score reading. Well, what about the interesting organs she uses? Yes, but others have made more interesting recordings upon the same organs.
γνῶθι σεαυτόν

Bulldog

Quote from: premont on April 27, 2009, 12:54:55 PM
Having listened now to all the four extant doubleCDs Margaret Philips has released so far, I would say, that she plays like a first class organ pupil, doing all the things the teachers and the great books tell her to do, but I certainly miss some individuality, some individual authority, some sort of individual interpretation, - actually you know all to early in the listening process what she is going to do all through, no surprises there, and in fact listening to her resembles score reading. Well, what about the interesting organs she uses? Yes, but others have made more interesting recordings upon the same organs.

I pretty much feel the same about the Philips discs, but don't you love the sound on vol. 4?

Coopmv

Quote from: Bulldog on April 27, 2009, 03:23:29 PM
I pretty much feel the same about the Philips discs, but don't you love the sound on vol. 4?

I will report on the sound on Vol. 4 when I get there.  It looks like all 4 volumes were recorded after 2000 and as such, most should have been recorded with the latest recording technology, which may or may not result in better sound.  According to Margaret Phillips' biography, Marie-Claire Alain was her teacher at some point.  I wonder if she has inherited something from that old master ...

Bulldog

Quote from: Coopmv on April 27, 2009, 04:56:39 PM
 

I will report on the sound on Vol. 4 when I get there.  It looks like all 4 volumes were recorded after 2000 and as such, most should have been recorded with the latest recording technology, which may or may not result in better sound. 

Just want to say that I generally find little correlation between the date of a recording and its sound quality. 


Bulldog

I'm starting a little marathon of recordings of Bach's Liepzig Chorales.  First one up was George Ritchie on the Raven label.  Enjoyed it very much although variety of expression is not wide.  I felt spiritually enriched while listening; that's all to the good.

Marc

Quote from: Bulldog on April 29, 2009, 06:42:06 AM
I'm starting a little marathon of recordings of Bach's Liepzig Chorales. First one up was George Ritchie on the Raven label. 

Ritchie: heard of him, never heard him. But who knows what the future brings. :)
I'm listening to Wolfgang Stockmeier right now. 2 box sets of 10 cd's each, for € 30,--. I hesitated a little while and then I thought: bread & butter tonight, I can afford this!
And I'm quite happy with this purchase after a (very very) short listening: legato in the chorales (which I don't mind), but there seems to be enough spirit in the non-liturgical works. Although the fugue of BWV 565 (why do I always have to start with this??) could use some more bite in the beginning.

Quote from: Bulldog
Enjoyed it very much although variety of expression is not wide. I felt spiritually enriched while listening; that's all to the good.

Well, that's not bad, I'd say. :)

Bulldog

Quote from: Marc on April 29, 2009, 08:52:25 AM
I'm listening to Wolfgang Stockmeier right now. 2 box sets of 10 cd's each, for € 30,--. I hesitated a little while and then I thought: bread & butter tonight, I can afford this!
And I'm quite happy with this purchase after a (very very) short listening: legato in the chorales (which I don't mind), but there seems to be enough spirit in the non-liturgical works. Although the fugue of BWV 565 (why do I always have to start with this??) could use some more bite in the beginning.


Although the Stockmeier set has been around a long time, I've never heard any of it.  I do have Stockmeier performing Scheidt on a CPO disc - very rewarding.








Scheidt

Marc

Quote from: Bulldog on April 29, 2009, 11:42:50 AM
Although the Stockmeier set has been around a long time, I've never heard any of it.  I do have Stockmeier performing Scheidt on a CPO disc - very rewarding.

It looks as if you planned to include a picture of this Scheidt disc, that I could not see though.
Is it the CPO 999 105: Scheidt: Organ Works from Tabulatura Nova (1624)?

Anyway, that's the one I just ordered from the central music library. Thanks for mentioning the Scheidt-Stockmeier connection!

Bulldog

Quote from: Marc on April 29, 2009, 12:11:02 PM
It looks as if you planned to include a picture of this Scheidt disc, that I could not see though.
Is it the CPO 999 105: Scheidt: Organ Works from Tabulatura Nova (1624)?

Anyway, that's the one I just ordered from the central music library. Thanks for mentioning the Scheidt-Stockmeier connection!

My pleasure and, yes, you've ordered the right disc.

Coopmv

The next time I get the chance to buy the 3rd recording of JS Bach Organ Works by Marie-Claire Alain at a good price, I will grab it.  It must be a joy to hear the various JS Bach organ works played on different historical organs throughout Europe ...    ;D

Bulldog

Quote from: Coopmv on April 29, 2009, 04:25:20 PM
The next time I get the chance to buy the 3rd recording of JS Bach Organ Works by Marie-Claire Alain at a good price, I will grab it.  It must be a joy to hear the various JS Bach organ works played on different historical organs throughout Europe ...    ;D

It's not like Alain is the only performer to do so.  Weinberger comes to mind.

Coopmv

Quote from: Bulldog on April 29, 2009, 05:27:21 PM
It's not like Alain is the only performer to do so.  Weinberger comes to mind.

My 22-CD Weinberger set is on its way from the UK.  I ordered it from MDT last week ...

FideLeo

Quote from: Coopmv on April 29, 2009, 05:32:25 PM
My 22-CD Weinberger set is on its way from the UK.  I ordered it from MDT last week ...

The Weinberger has to be the MOST complete of 'em all, even among complete Bach sets.  ;)
HIP for all and all for HIP! Harpsichord for Bach, fortepiano for Beethoven and pianoforte for Brahms!

Marc

In between discussions, etc.:
this Dutch link might be interesting:
http://www.landgoedgerianna.nl/

On the right upper edge of the homepage there are two flags visible: the Dutch 'tricolore' and the Union Jack for the English version. It's possible to order cd's from abroad.
http://www.landgoedgerianna.nl/contact/index.html

For instance, they have (probably a very limited amount) of Bach/Beekman cd's left. One sampler and the volumes 4, 8 and 9.
This series is OOP, so it might be your last chance to get some (only if you're interested, of course).