J.S. Bach on the Organ

[prémont]

Six and a half?

Whose is it? By half do you mean part on organ and part on other instruments?

See my answer to Dry Brett Kavanaugh above.

I do prefere AoF with an instrumenarium that distinguishes voices, but IIRC I only have 2 on organ--Gould and (I think) Isoir. And I don't particularly like the Gould.

My preference for the AoF is the organ and next to this harpsichord or clavichord. Ensemble versions may be pedagogically instructive and may also be nice to listen to but makes a chamber music work of it which it isn't.

Neither is Gould my cup of tea. There are more than fifty other organ versions - almost all of them preferable to Gould's. I'm rather happy with Isoir's confident and elegant recording. But if you want I shall recommend you alternative versions.

[JBS]

See my answer to Dry Brett Kavanaugh above.

My preference for the AoF is the organ and next to this harpsichord or clavichord. Ensemble versions may be pedagogically instructive and may also be nice to listen to but makes a chamber music work of it which it isn't.

Neither is Gould my cup of tea. There are more than fifty other organ versions - almost all of them preferable to Gould's. I'm rather happy with Isoir's confident and elegant recording. But if you want I shall recommend you alternative versions.

Thank you! I'll keep that list in mind.

[Holden]

My preference for the AoF is the organ and next to this harpsichord or clavichord.

This has prompted me to investigate and am listening to Lionel Rogg at the moment. Already I like the colour that the organ is producing as parts of the piano version can be somewhat meh. Depends who's playing it.

[prémont]

Depends who's playing it.

So is indeed always the case, whatever the instrument. 

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I have no particular objection as to the sound of the organ, but my recommendation is first and foremost about the musician.

The five ½ others are

Bernard Lagacé

Louis Thiry

Robert Costin

Daniele Boccaccio

Frédéric Desenclos

and an individual recording of book II by Christoph Bossert

And Robert Levin and Daniel Chorzempa play a few of the prel. & fugues on the organ in their complete WTC recordings.

My own preference of these is Louis Thiry with a human and well sounding version on a suitably small organ, but Frédéric Desenclos may be the most "organistic" of them. His interpretation is a bit "strict" and reminds me sometimes of Helmut Walcha. Lagacé is reliable but lacks inner tension when needed. The same may be said about Bossert. Costin and Boccaccio haven't done much for me.

I like the the Frédéric Desenclos.

[prémont]

I like the the Frédéric Desenclos.

So do I.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

So do I.

I just found that Sachi Ozawa released the Books 1 and 2, also from Waon label.
They're on Spotify etc.

[prémont]

I just found that Sachi Ozawa released the Books 1 and 2, also from Waon label.
They're on Spotify etc.

I'm completely inexperienced as to streaming. I see, that Amazon.de offer both books as mp3 download for the modest cost of 10 euro's each, but usually I try to avoid mp3.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I'm completely inexperienced as to streaming. I see, that Amazon.de offer both books as mp3 download for the modest cost of 10 euro's each, but usually I try to avoid mp3.

I don't know her performance. The organ maybe built by the same builder. You may want to check some YT videos of her playing before you purchase the albums.

[vers la flamme]

I'm sorry if this question has already been asked a thousand times, but what are some of the good complete sets of Bach's organ music? I listened to bits of the Ton Koopman on Teldec, which sounded very good. I expect the Rübsam/Philips would be very good but as far as I can tell it's completely unavailable. The single disc I have from that cycle contains some beautiful music:

[JBS]

I'm sorry if this question has already been asked a thousand times, but what are some of the good complete sets of Bach's organ music? I listened to bits of the Ton Koopman on Teldec, which sounded very good. I expect the Rübsam/Philips would be very good but as far as I can tell it's completely unavailable. The single disc I have from that cycle contains some beautiful music:

As a person who isn't quite so heavily into the organ works as others:

Alain 1 (Warner)
Isoir (a brand new re-issue has been just released or is on the way)
the Hanssler set that was part of its Complete Bach, and uses several organists.

My real preference is Vernet but that may be unobtainable.

[JBS]

BTW I just realized that Rubsam CD was the first CD I ever got of Bach's organ works.

[prémont]

Both the Rübsam (Philips) set and the Vernet set may still be purchased in the shape of a lossless download from Presto Classical.

[Mandryka]

I'm sorry if this question has already been asked a thousand times, but what are some of the good complete sets of Bach's organ music? I listened to bits of the Ton Koopman on Teldec, which sounded very good. I expect the Rübsam/Philips would be very good but as far as I can tell it's completely unavailable. The single disc I have from that cycle contains some beautiful music:
 

Maybe the place to start is to say which ones are available in your preferred format at a price you want to pay. That'll narrow it. Here's a list of all complete Bach organ sets

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

At the moment, my preferred set is Stockmeier's, and it has been for a while.  It's just so relaxing. But that'll change, and I wouldn't want anyone to think I'm saying that Stockmeier is "the best" or even one of "the best"

[Atriod]

Why was this thread locked this morning?

[Mandryka]

And Stockmeier here, 20 CDs for a fiver. Billy Bargain.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/BACH-Organ-Complete-WOLFGANG-STOCKMEIER/dp/B01K8NKCPG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=EN54BZV6LXG1&keywords=stockmeier+bach&qid=1685814175&sprefix=stockmeier+bach%2Caps%2C71&sr=8-1

[JBS]

Either someone grabbed the last copy of the Stockmeier set after you posted that, or they won't ship to the USA (it's telling me it's currently unavailable).

Amazon US lists it in the form of two 10 CD Membran boxes
https://www.amazon.com/Das-Orgelwerk-Organ-Works-Vol/dp/B000H9HZGG/

https://www.amazon.com/Das-Orgelwerk-Organ-Works-Vol/dp/B000H9HZGQ/

Roughly $50 for the two combined.

[JBS]

Good lord!
I just went through Jens' discography and realized I have 10 complete sets, and I wasn't even trying.

Alain 1
Alain 2
Vernet
Foucrolle
Koopman
Hurford
Isoir
Preston
And two multi-organist sets: Hanssler and Berlin Classics Silbermann Organ set.

[prémont]

I just went through Jens' discography and realized I have 10 complete sets, and I wasn't even trying.

Calm down, I have them all (and more to) except the two sets I have opted out (Guillou and Tillmanns).

BTW I think Stockmeier's set is good indeed. As Mandryka writes very relaxing. It's well worth $50.

[prémont]

Here from Amazon.de Market Place the original release of all 20 CDs for less than 8 Euros. I don't know if they deliver overseas though:

https://www.amazon.de/Das-Orgelwerk-CD-Set-Wolfgang-Stockmeier/dp/B000025U7V