J.S. Bach on the Organ

[Antoine Marchand]

0:)

Your namesake will be soo dissapointed!

Q

He shouln't be dissapointed, Q, after all my musical knowledges are almost inexistent  . Besides, I just was trying to recall the reasons of my disconformity about some discs of that integral, but there are several Koopman's recordings -as a soloist and director- that I love.   

P.S.: BTW, I have noticed other cases in which human voice has a beneficial influx over directors and musicians in general, being Fasolis a notorious example (just compare his passions or, even better, his Membra Jesu Nostri to, for example, his Brandenburgs). Something similar happened with Cafe Zimmerman under Leonhartd (BWV 30a & 207), although probably here it was Leonhardt's steel fist.

[Marc]

2009 is almost at its end ....

For me, it was the first musical year that I spent with (almost) just the one instrument. I celebrated my rediscovery of the organ, and especially JSB's oeuvre for that instrument.

Greatest thrills?
Too much to mention.

Still, here are some:
BWV 533 played by Stanislas Deriemaeker on the Metzler-organ of Onze Lieve Vrouwekathedraal in Antwerp, Belgium.
CD: Rene Gailly CD 87 137 (OOP?)
Philipp Spitta called this one Cathedral and Deriemaeker proves it!

BWV 565 played by Daniel Chorzempa on the Flentrop-organ of the Grote Kerk in Breda, NL.
CD: PentaTone Classics 5186 127
Dazzling experience, that's all I can say.
'Second-best' BWV 565 that I heard this year: Thiemo Janssen on the Arp Schnitger-organ of the Ludgerkirche in Norden, BRD.
CD: MDG 906 1502-6

Orgel-Büchlein, dead heat between Bram Beekman (Lindenberg) and Ewald Kooiman (Coronata), both OOP.
Highly spiritual in a protestant way, I would say.

BWV 582 played by Jacques van Oortmerssen, live concert at the Agricola/Schnitger/Hinsz-organ of the Martinikerk in Groningen, NL.
(See comments on that one earlier in this thread .)

BWV 562 played by Piet Wiersma on the Lohman-organ of the Hervormde Kerk in Eenrum, NL.
CD: Eurosound ES 47.431 (OOP)
Just a few hours later Piet Wiersma died, leaving his Bach in Groningen integral unfinished, as did Bach with this masterpiece. There were lots of troubles with the reed stops that recording day, because of the extreme tropical temperatures, but the way Wiersma played it .... it's the ultimate Aus tiefer Not feeling. Such heartfelt playing. Perhaps Wiersma sensed what was gonna happen to him soon after .... ?

[Lilas Pastia]

The 1978-1980 Marie-Claire Alain integral set one Erato is available at BRO for just  59.84$

Marc, add to your list of favourites the Fantasia and Fugue in a minor, S. 542

[Coopmv]

The 1978-1980 Marie-Claire Alain integral set one Erato is available at BRO for just  59.84$

Marc, add to your list of favourites the Fantasia and Fugue in a minor, S. 542

Unfortunately, I have some 70% of the set when I accumulated the singles over the years but never managed to own every CD ...   

[Marc]

[....]
Marc, add to your list of favourites the Fantasia and Fugue in a minor, S. 542

Ha! You got me there.
But also you've got yourself! Because, yes: BWV 542 is a miracle work. But it's in g minor!

Yesterday my head apparently was a bit emptied, after going to the movies and watching Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi for about 100 minutes (Les regrets).

The Bach list I made was constructed by the ones that came immediately to my mind. I didn't really do any preparation.

Concerning BWV 542, I was (and still am) very fond of the first recording by André Isoir (70s), part of his integral (Calliope), and better than the second one he did (early 90s).

I'd also like to add my favourite recording (or: one of my faves, I should say) of the lovely Schübler-Choräle.
I borrowed this summer a single library copy by Per Fridtjov Bonsaksen, playing on the Wagner-organ of Trondheim Cathedral, Norway. I think these recordings were (partly?) reissued in a 2cd-set by Challenge Classics, labelno. CC72146. IMO, it's a beautiful experience for anyone who likes fresh, vivid and no-nonsense Bach-playing.

If you were referring to BWV 543 in a minor, I really like the performance by (here we go again) a Dutch organist called Cor Ardesch. Playing the famous Silbermann-organ of the Freiberger Cathedral. CD: MPD-classic 17142408. Ardesch, like f.i. Wim van Beek, is able to keep Bach's polyphony clear even in the pleno outbursts. I'm not sure if this CD is available outside the Dutch Mountains, though. Anyway, here's a link to a disc, that definitely deserves a listening IMHO:
http://www.corardesch.nl/bachinfreiberg.html

[jlaurson]

The 1978-1980 Marie-Claire Alain integral set one Erato is available at BRO for just  59.84$

Marc, add to your list of favourites the Fantasia and Fugue in a minor, S. 542

It might be just as inexpensive (and space-saving!) to get the re-release from Europe...
(Cheaper still, if "used" is acceptable.)



Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.de

Amazon.fr

Just listening to--and absolutely loving it--Walcha's Fantasie in G, BWV 572 from this recording:


Bach
Organ Works
Archiv

[DarkAngel]

Just listening to--and absolutely loving it--Walcha's Fantasie in G, BWV 572 from this recording:


Bach
Organ Works Archiv

Jens do you like the Walcha stereo set in general or just that work in particular........is it one of your favorite complete sets?
Have you heard the mono Walcha set?

[jlaurson]

Jens do you like the Walcha stereo set in general

Yes...

or just that work in particular........

No...

is it one of your favorite complete sets?

I have no "favorite set" -- I can't at all decide between the ones I have. (Alain II, Rogg II, Walcha II, Weinberger, Stockmeier, Fagius)
I know I like the select Bowyers releases I have...
I would not mind adding/hearing Koopman II (though I care very little for the semi-cycle re-issued on Brilliant.)

Have you heard the mono Walcha set?

No.

[Marc]

I have no "favorite set" -- I can't at all decide between the ones I have.

I do realize that it sometimes occurs if favo(u)rite is my favo(u)rite word.
But I do recognize Jens' feelings towards the Bach organ discs/sets/whatever. There are so many goodies in this field. With very different approaches, sure, but that doesn't mean that I really dislike all the so-called less-favo(u)rites.
On the contrary! It's almost impossible to choose one!

It's just that I wouldn't advice f.i. Michael Murray or Simon Preston .... although Murray has recorded some good chorales and Preston some very fine trio sonatas and .... here we go again.

But dear Dark Angel, if you can find a rather cheap Fagius, Alain, Ritchie or Vernet, Weinberger, Foccroulle, Koopman, Isoir, Rogg, Stockmeier, Walcha .... hey, they're all great IMO!

Was this helpful or what?

[Marc]

It might be just as inexpensive (and space-saving!) to get the re-release from Europe...
(Cheaper still, if "used" is acceptable.)

I ordered a very cheap Walcha 2 this summer. It had to fly from the United States of America to the old continent, and I had to pay around 25 euro's extra for tax import!
Bl.... protectionism!

Dunno what the situation is the other way round, but if you're from the US of A, and ordering music/books from Europe, it might be a suggestion to ask the delivery organisation to write the word gift on the package. Dunno if this helps, but I was recently adviced to try that next time.

[Marc]

[....] economics it the most irrational field in politics these days; makes religious debates look inspired by reason.

And now it's time for Ich ruf' zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ!

[karlhenning]

Well, the quality of the religious debate depends on the quality of those debating, yes?

[Marc]

Well, the quality of the religious debate depends on the quality of those debating, yes?

I'd say: the quality of the religious debate depends on the quality of those debating.

But yes (back to topic): the organ is often assumed to be the instrument of God.
And Bach is often assumed to be a true believer in God.



Any chance, all being members of this quality discussion board, of a quality debate about that?

[Marc]

-------------------------------------------------------------
Therefore: Bach is believed to have been the instrument of God.

No... wait. God assumed Bach believed in the Organ?

Bach believed his organ to be God.

Jens!
Who took away your recent posting about taxes, economics and religion et cetera .... was it the organ, Bach .... or God?
Or is my vision blurred (again)?

[Lilas Pastia]

Ha! You got me there.
But also you've got yourself! Because, yes: BWV 542 is a miracle work. But it's in g minor!

Yikes!  As if I didn't know... I was listening to Mendelssohn's Scottish symphony when typing this (Litton, Bergen), it must have spilled into my writing.

[Coopmv]

I ordered a very cheap Walcha 2 this summer. It had to fly from the United States of America to the old continent, and I had to pay around 25 euro's extra for tax import!
Bl.... protectionism!

Dunno what the situation is the other way round, but if you're from the US of A, and ordering music/books from Europe, it might be a suggestion to ask the delivery organisation to write the word gift on the package. Dunno if this helps, but I was recently adviced to try that next time.

I Have not paid a dime to the US custom after having ordered thousands of dollars worth of CD's from the UK so far this year.  Naturally, I do not pay one pence on the VAT, though the Harnoncourt 60-CD Complete Cantatas set cost me over $20 USD to ship, which I received in 2 days and had to sign for the package.  It does appear EU is more protectionist, that is why it does not run the huge trade deficits like those idiot free traders in Washington have gotten us into ...   

[listener]

-------------------------------------------------------------
Therefore: Bach is believed to have been the instrument of God.

No... wait. God assumed Bach believed in the Organ?

Bach believed his organ to be God.

Considering the number of his progeny, his organ had no stop.

[jlaurson]

Jens!
Who took away your recent posting about taxes, economics and religion et cetera .... was it the organ, Bach .... or God?
Or is my vision blurred (again)?

Oh, I did. When I write something that's not even remotely pertinent, I take it down. No reason to get into economics in this forum. Especially not when my point about irrational idiocy reactions is proven just a few posts later.

But I'm calming myself with more of the Walch II Bach cycle.

P&F in c, BWV 546, Trio Sonata No.1 in E-flat, BWV 525, et al.
Terrific.


Bach
Organ Works
Archiv

Considering the number of his progeny, his organ had no stop.

A German professor of mine once related this introductory sentence in an essay on Bach he (allegedly) received:

"Johann Sebastian Bach had 20 children. He was an old master of the grand organ."

[DarkAngel]

Jens
There does seem to be some beneficial health properties to organ playing........
look how long some of great organ composers lived compared to average lifespan of 1700s European male:

JS Bach - 65
Buxtehude - 70
Handel - 74
Telemann - 86

[Marc]

OMG!

I just did a terrible thing.

Here I am, low on money, eating bread & butter each and every day, and, in the midst of all this misery, in a state of mental derangement , I ordered the bl.... Bach integral by Peter Hurford.

And why?

Only because my greedy soul wanted a Brit box, and declined the invitations of Preston (too neat), Herrick (too sweet) and Bowyer (too quick-freezed).

Oh, I forgot, Preston I already own.

So, will this be my second not so very wise Bach Brit Box purchase?



Plz, connaisseurs, say something nice about Peter H.!

Post Sciptum: of course I expect some bullying by Bulldog Don, not because of Hurford's capacities, but because of another stupid box set greediness.