J.S. Bach on the Organ

[prémont]

Here are the pics:
The first pic is of the vinyl issue of 1983, which btw was the first organ recording I bought myself. It was also issued on CD and MC.

So she recorded the Passacaglia twice on the same organ (Saint-Donat) during a period of 2 - 3 years?? Strange, since the first of these recordings (the 2. integral recording) hardly could be bettered.

[kishnevi]

Well, at first I was pretty much convinced 'bout that 2nd integral story, but the image of the backcover of Kishnevi's disc at Amazon.de (link posted before) gives the idea, although it's hardly legible, that only two organs were 'used' for the 'Bonsai' cd: the Marcussen and Schwenkedel. Which doesn't correspond with the little research I did earlier today .... but maybe Erato did some sloppy source mentioning. This happens sometimes with sampler discs.

Here are the pics:
The first pic is of the vinyl issue of 1983, which btw was the first organ recording I bought myself. It was also issued on CD and MC.



The second pic: cd reissue of 1985.



About the sources: in almost every searching matter, I use Google first or, in specific Bach cases, I immediately check Bachcantatas.com. Thanks to both I could acquire recording data and pics of these discs ....

I'll go on the hypothesis that my CD originated in the second cycle. 
I should mention that the timings on my CD differ on each track from the timings shown at the Amazon.de link by anywhere from four to sixteen seconds , with my CD always being the shorter one.

There's no hint on the Bonsai CD of what organs were used or when, or anything useful other than the copyright date.  (And the cover differs slightly from the one shown in Marc's post: it is a white background with a photo of the Bonsai tree on the bottom half.

Come to think of it, Erato gave more information about the tree on the CD cover then they did about the recording data.)

[Que]

Plz plz plz, let me upload one more .... .
A special one for moderator Que: Ewald Kooiman is playing the Concerto in A-minor, BachWorshipsVivaldi 593, at the Hinsz-organ of the Bovenkerk in Kampen, NL.
http://www.mediafire.com/?25t5jggyymm

Much appreciated, Marc!

[Verena]

Anyone interested in Demessieux? I found this link; I rather like her playing, but then, I'm no specialist:
http://themusicparlour.blogspot.com/2010/02/blog-post.html

[Verena]

Re Rogg: there are these three budget double CDs from EMI




At least some of these are recent (2007/2009) remasterings.

These do look tempting. 

[Marc]

Anyone interested in Demessieux? I found this link; I rather like her playing, but then, I'm no specialist:
http://themusicparlour.blogspot.com/2010/02/blog-post.html

Any link of this kind is interesting in my book.
Thanks for posting, and let's get back to the fifties!
Where's my Brylcreem?

Re Rogg: there are these three budget double CDs from EMI [....]
At least some of these are recent (2007/2009) remasterings.

These do look tempting.

Did you win a lottery recently or what?
Anyway: Rogg's Die Kunst der Fuge is a must-have IMO. He also offers a completed 'final Fugue'. The other discs are fine examples of solid Bach organ playing, all chorale-free works btw. There are some experienced Rogg-listeners somewhere on this board, like Bulldog Don and (of course) a certain mr. Premont. From what I've read in reviews and in forums, I think most of the Rogg-connaisseurs value his earlier Harmonia Mundi recordings more than the EMI ones. Alas: the HM integral is officially OOP and the EMI integral has never been issued on CD. The first is available on some sites though (like Amazon.fr) and maybe the latter will be rereleased by EMI the upcoming years. At least they made a start.

[Verena]

These do look tempting.


Did you win a lottery recently or what?

No, because, if I had won, I would not feell tempted any longer, I'd simply buy them .. 
On the other hand, I do plan to win the lottery in the foreseeable future (of course)

[kishnevi]

While at the Vox website, I noticed this one being announced as a " new" release

http://voxcd.com/VOX/MC191.htm
Price is given as $50 inside the USA, $70 outside. 

Worth getting or no?

[sTisTi]

FWIW: I placed a link before, with a download possibility of the Rübsam-Philips integral.

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=a9bde7d5f3ec24dcab1eab3e9fa335cada2afa0b1a1c041e

Again: if the links aren't working or creating any problems, please let me know.

Thank you for the links, I downloaded the files. Although the downloading worked fine, however, the following tracks came up with a checksum error when I unpacked them:
7-04 Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr', BWV 771
9-01 Gott der Vater wohn' uns bei, BWV 748
15-21 Die Kunst der Fuge, BWV 1080_ Contrapunctus V
16-15 Die Kunst der Fuge, BWV 1080_ Contrapunctus XIV

Can anyone confirm this problem? The affected files stop playing about halfway through, except the last one, which works despite the checksum error (at least in WinAmp...) .
Some of the other files seem to be irregular as well, a program I regularly use for checking MP3 files ("EncSpot") refuses to even read some of the tracks, e.g. tracks 9-10 to 9-22, although they play OK in Winamp

Any ideas?

[Opus106]

Thank you for the links, I downloaded the files. Although the downloading worked fine, however, the following tracks came up with a checksum error when I unpacked them:
7-04 Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr', BWV 771
9-01 Gott der Vater wohn' uns bei, BWV 748
15-21 Die Kunst der Fuge, BWV 1080_ Contrapunctus V
16-15 Die Kunst der Fuge, BWV 1080_ Contrapunctus XIV

Can anyone confirm this problem? The affected files stop playing about halfway through, except the last one, which works despite the checksum error (at least in WinAmp...) .
Some of the other files seem to be irregular as well, a program I regularly use for checking MP3 files ("EncSpot") refuses to even read some of the tracks, e.g. tracks 9-10 to 9-22, although they play OK in Winamp

Any ideas?

Sometimes when you download the file again, it will come through properly.

[Marc]

Sometimes when you download the file again, it will come through properly.

And if this doesn't help, maybe it's a thought to ask your question here? Forums like those can be very helpful!

http://forums.winamp.com/

[sTisTi]

And if this doesn't help, maybe it's a thought to ask your question here? Forums like those can be very helpful!

http://forums.winamp.com/

It's not a WinAmp problem, the files I mentioned give a CRC error when they are extracted from the rar archive. I re-downloaded the dubious parts and the new download has the same damaged files as the first one, so the problem very likely lies in the original files. Or did anyone get a working version of the following files?:
7-04 Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr', BWV 771
9-01 Gott der Vater wohn' uns bei, BWV 748
15-21 Die Kunst der Fuge, BWV 1080_ Contrapunctus V
16-15 Die Kunst der Fuge, BWV 1080_ Contrapunctus XIV

They are in parts 05, 09 and 10 of the rar archive. Please check for error messages when extracting these files and whether they can be played through to the end. Thank you!

[Marc]

For those who have problems with these four BWV's, here's an extra upload.

BWV 771:
http://www.mediafire.com/?jdymtmyhojw
BWV 748:
http://www.mediafire.com/?m5klzd1mmwd
BWV 1080 - V:
http://www.mediafire.com/?huwdiemwnaa
BWV 1080 - XIV:
http://www.mediafire.com/?c4anyt2ywx2

If problems occur, please let me know.

[Marc]

While at the Vox website, I noticed this one being announced as a " new" release

http://voxcd.com/VOX/MC191.htm
Price is given as $50 inside the USA, $70 outside. 

Worth getting or no?

Yes.

Why?

Because I listen to Kraft from time to time, and enjoy him.
His readings are less analytic, more 'bold' and 'free' than Walcha's. He's playing on a nice selection of historical organs. The recordings sometimes sound a bit harsh. But in general, I certainly wouldn't advice against it.

[prémont]

Anyway: Rogg's Die Kunst der Fuge is a must-have IMO. He also offers a completed 'final Fugue'. The other discs are fine examples of solid Bach organ playing, all chorale-free works btw. There are some experienced Rogg-listeners somewhere on this board, like Bulldog Don and (of course) a certain mr. Premont. From what I've read in reviews and in forums, I think most of the Rogg-connaisseurs value his earlier Harmonia Mundi recordings more than the EMI ones.

Fully agreed. The Harmonia Mundi recording on the J.A. Silbermann organ of the Cathedral of Arlesheim is a fine and consistent if far from complete set. The dark character of the organ and the strict but rather introvert and reflective interpretation makes it almost mandatory listening.

[prémont]

While at the Vox website, I noticed this one being announced as a " new" release

http://voxcd.com/VOX/MC191.htm
Price is given as $50 inside the USA, $70 outside. 

Worth getting or no?

A bit oldfashioned but nevertheless very impressive and certainly recommendable. Tempi on the slow side, a bit more legato than we expect nowadays, but telling agogics and in chorale free works generally scholary registrations even measured with the standard of to day. Registrations of chorales generally colourful, but not romantic, rather affective (and effective).

[Antoine Marchand]

A bit oldfashioned but nevertheless very impressive and certainly recommendable. Tempi on the slow side, a bit more legato than we expect nowadays, but telling agogics and in chorale free works generally scholary registrations even measured with the standard of to day. Registrations of chorales generally colourful, but not romantic, rather affective (and effective).

Do you know his Buxtehude, Premont?

[sTisTi]

For those who have problems with these four BWV's, here's an extra upload.

BWV 771:
http://www.mediafire.com/?jdymtmyhojw
BWV 748:
http://www.mediafire.com/?m5klzd1mmwd
BWV 1080 - V:
http://www.mediafire.com/?huwdiemwnaa
BWV 1080 - XIV:
http://www.mediafire.com/?c4anyt2ywx2

If problems occur, please let me know.

Thank you, these files work just fine

[Marc]

Do you know his Buxtehude, Premont?

Let me help you, brother Ton.

From the thread:
http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,3769.0.html

Walter Kraft´s interpretations are grandiose with an almost gothic air and also a tad romantic, but with great authority and expression and often reaching ecstatic effects. He plays the reconstructed Totentanz-organ (Karl Kemper) in Marienkirche, Lübeck. His registrations are full and sometimes a bit heavy. Recordings were made 1957 in early stereo, good for the time but sometimes with some distortion, and always with much reverberation (due to the great church). I don´t think his set is well suited for the first acquaintance with the works, and would rather recommend Vogel (see above) or Foccroulle.

I have attended several of the late Walter Kraft´s organ recitals (playing among others Buxtehude), and he was even better in the real life than on recordings, his playing always exuding marvellous concentration. He perished in a hotel fire in Amsterdam in 1977.

[listener]

re Kraft - Bach organ works
If the reissue is of the Vox Box set, the organs include: St. Nicolai Kirche, Mölln,  St. Ludgeri Kirche, Norden,   St. Pankrantius Kirche, Neuenfelde,   Leufsta Bruks Kyrka,   Krist Kirke, Tønder,  Bielfeld Organ, Stade,  the 2 Riepp organs at Ottobeuren  (organ mass),  Weingarten, Bremervörde,  Amorbach, and Stade.
Late 1950's recordings, were regarded as good in their time.  As they were about the only complete set there was not much competition.    The Vox pressings were okay, the recording quality not too bad, and I'll be getting to a re-hear of these eventually.