I Hate Bach Organ Works

[diggedy d]

I was listening to this programme as part of BBC Radio 3's Building A Library series

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vdk4p

... a discussion of various recordings of Bach's organ works in some depth. Despite the standard posh British tone of the programme, this was seriously interesting stuff: the range of organ registers, various wildly differing tunings, modern versus historic versus restored instruments, different performing ambiences, rich sonorous tones versus precise piercing tones, all incredibly fascinating. Plus a lot of the music it was heavy as hell.

The sheer amount of technical jargon was intimidating but also kind of seductive too.

So, anyone have any recommendations (in plain English) for which performers/sets they rate?

[yonhosago]

It's not new, but Karl Richter playing the Dorian Toccata (Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 538), is simply over the top. He plays it with full registers, the XIX century- romantic way.
The other work played by him that shows a lot of different colours and registers is the Passacaglia in C minor (BWV 582).

[schiksalgemeinschaft]

Bach, what can one say?

I have this:

J.S. Bach: Complete Organ Works (by Bernard Foccroulle) (on Ricercar, 2009)


it's complete, relatively cheap (I got it for 45 euros), full, fleshed out liner notes,
by Bernard Foccroulle, apparently a top performer of the genre.

Excellent recordings, and all on historical organs.

it's 16 discs, a bit too much to digest probably, but why buy something else for that price?

my ears say: get it.

[Richard Barrett]

That's a great recording.

[926am]

These are the two I have. I may like the Hurford a bit more.

[frozen reeds]

Bargain: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001R3YJS8/