Who are your favourite organists in Bach? And some stand-out performances?

Some mighty preludes and fugues but also the sonatas, concerti and a lot of choral preludes plus other works.

I like Peter Hurford, Simon Preston, M-C Alain, Chapuis, Vollenweider.

Not so sure about Rubsam, Koopman, Isoir, Weinberger, Bowyer, Walcha, Ghielmi, Richter, Dupre, Demessieux, Rogg mostly because I'm not so familiar with their playing. Plus I'm very out of date and unfamiliar with new faces.

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On Saturday, December 3, 2022 at 5:39:05 PM UTC, Andy Evans wrote:

Who are your favourite organists in Bach? And some stand-out performances?

Some mighty preludes and fugues but also the sonatas, concerti and a lot of choral preludes plus other works.

I like Peter Hurford, Simon Preston, M-C Alain, Chapuis, Vollenweider.

Not so sure about Rubsam, Koopman, Isoir, Weinberger, Bowyer, Walcha, Ghielmi, Richter, Dupre, Demessieux, Rogg mostly because I'm not so familiar with their playing. Plus I'm very out of date and unfamiliar with new faces.

Someone asked me in September for some ideas about a single disc of trio sonatas. I said that I think all of these are tasty performances in decent sound on decent organs, and are available as individual discs. They should be on Spotify etc. That'll
keep you busy.

Simon Reichert
Wolfgang Rübsam (Naxos, my favourite, by far)
Kei Koito
Rainer Goede
Hubert Meister
Christopher Herrick
Helmut Walcha
Marie Claire Alain
Ton Koopman
Wolfgang Stockmeier
Daniel Chorzempa

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On Saturday, 3 December 2022 at 19:05:54 UTC, Mandryka wrote:

Someone asked me in September for some ideas about a single disc of trio sonatas. I said that I think all of these are tasty performances in decent sound on decent organs, and are available as individual discs. They should be on Spotify etc. That'll

keep you busy.

Thanks for that. Rubsam isn't my favourite here - that would go to Hurford, M-C Alain and Hans Vollenweider. But possibly my actual favourite version of these pieces is by Florilegium, an ensemble of instrumentalists who really make these works come
alive. In this version they come out sounding half way to the Brandenburgs, which is fine with me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rygm1C1gfy0

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If you fancy something complete, I think Stockmeier is quite consistently enjoyable - variety of organs and agreeable, easy going performances.

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On Saturday, December 3, 2022 at 8:15:11 PM UTC, Andy Evans wrote:

On Saturday, 3 December 2022 at 19:05:54 UTC, Mandryka wrote:

Someone asked me in September for some ideas about a single disc of trio sonatas. I said that I think all of these are tasty performances in decent sound on decent organs, and are available as individual discs. They should be on Spotify etc. That'll

keep you busy.

Thanks for that. Rubsam isn't my favourite here - that would go to Hurford, M-C Alain and Hans Vollenweider. But possibly my actual favourite version of these pieces is by Florilegium, an ensemble of instrumentalists who really make these works come

alive. In this version they come out sounding half way to the Brandenburgs, which is fine with me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rygm1C1gfy0

Well I think there’s some evidence that they were organ transcriptions of preexisting trio sonatas a chamber ensemble of some kind.


Try the new Benjamin Alard Orgelbuchlein. It’s only just been released, and I haven’t much enjoyed the other CDs in the series, but when I dipped into this one I felt really quite positive.


For the Leipzig Chorales, I really enjoy Chorzempa - I find myself very moved by the modesty and simplicity of the performances.


I’d need to think about CU 3, though I have to say that I think Kei Koito is very satisfying, decent organ, decent performances, decent sound. Walcha’s good there too.

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On 12/3/22 9:39 AM, Andy Evans wrote:

Who are your favourite organists in Bach? And some stand-out performances?

Some mighty preludes and fugues but also the sonatas, concerti and a lot of choral preludes plus other works.

I like Peter Hurford, Simon Preston, M-C Alain, Chapuis, Vollenweider.

Not so sure about Rubsam, Koopman, Isoir, Weinberger, Bowyer, Walcha, Ghielmi, Richter, Dupre, Demessieux, Rogg mostly because I'm not so familiar with their playing. Plus I'm very out of date and unfamiliar with new faces.

I have always liked Chapuis.

Bob Harper

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I've assembled a YT playlist of the trio sonatas for small ensembles. Some nice performances, and a variety of instruments. Recommended

#1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6r5LnHe3Co House of Time
#2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvzu9Gh4wpk House of Time
#3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aDqPN2ylY4 Red Dot Baroque
#4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KndexWkN5qw Suys Trio
#5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmmQfCWrBQA Nevermind
#6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPUaNeC6XB4 House of Time

The Suys Trio have recorded #4, 5, 6 which are all on YT - there's an index with BWV525

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For organ recordings in general I look for three things. First, obviously the performer, second - the instrument and third the sound engineering. Organs can be tricky to capture well and too many organ recordings, particularly on smaller labels sound
lifeless. Also reverberation in churches is an issue- not too much or too little but just right is a problem for mike placement.

I find Simon Preston in the Trio Sonatas and Concerto Transcriptions excellent.

I may not get much agreement on this next choice, but I’m still very fond of E. Power Biggs in the famous works and the Preludes and Fugues, as well as the Schubler Chorales - most of which was reissued on great sounding Columbia CDs in that short
period before Sony took over.

Biggs recorded these on the Flentrop Organ which he gave as a gift to Harvard. It’s the perfect Bach organ IMO. Biggs was obsessed with clarity in both the instrument itself and the way it was captured on recordings.

I’m a fan of his recordings even now.

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You have my agreement on Biggs. I have been building up an LP collection, of Biggs mostly through used bins and they are rarely disappointing. My liking is perhaps biased from hearing the Flentrop live dozens of times, just a handful performed by Biggs.
Biggs brings a sense of delight to Bach without being overly dramatic. He makes the chromatic transitions seem right. I have the full Chapuis CD set and it is OK.

BTW, the Biggs LPs usually sound a lot better than the CDs/. Some early CD transfers were pretty bad.

I may not get much agreement on this next choice, but I’m still very fond of E. Power Biggs in the famous works and the Preludes and Fugues, as well as the Schubler Chorales - most of which was reissued on great sounding Columbia CDs in that short

period before Sony took over.

Biggs recorded these on the Flentrop Organ which he gave as a gift to Harvard. It’s the perfect Bach organ IMO. Biggs was obsessed with clarity in both the instrument itself and the way it was captured on recordings.

I’m a fan of his recordings even now.

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Biggs also recorded the trio sonatas

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On Sunday, December 4, 2022 at 11:30:12 AM UTC-5, Mandryka wrote:

Biggs also recorded the trio sonatas

Yes - you’re probably referring to his recording on his Challis Pedal Harpsichord. A bit difficult to listen to IMO. Very clunky after a while. Something about the pedal mechanism causes lots of noise.

He did record #1 and 3 on the Flentrop organ but it was not reissued on CD, as with the majority of his recordings.

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On Sunday, December 4, 2022 at 5:38:18 PM UTC, JohnGavin wrote:

On Sunday, December 4, 2022 at 11:30:12 AM UTC-5, Mandryka wrote:

Biggs also recorded the trio sonatas

Yes - you’re probably referring to his recording on his Challis Pedal Harpsichord. A bit difficult to listen to IMO. Very clunky after a while. Something about the pedal mechanism causes lots of noise.

He did record #1 and 3 on the Flentrop organ but it was not reissued on CD, as with the majority of his recordings.

This recording by David Ponsford is another way of presenting them on harpsichord, I remember thinking it was perfectly OK when it came out. The ideal non organ performance for me would be on stacked clavichords

https://www.wyastone.co.uk/j-s-bach-six-trio-sonatas-bwv-525-530-arranged-for-two-harpsichords-by-david-ponsford.html

Re ensemble versions, one I enjoy is the Purcell quartet - not very Bachian as a transcription, but I find its reticence really quite appealing.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7923087--bach-trio-sonatas

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On Sunday, 4 December 2022 at 13:03:28 UTC, JohnGavin wrote:

I may not get much agreement on this next choice, but I’m still very fond of E. Power Biggs in the famous works and the Preludes and Fugues, as well as the Schubler Chorales - most of which was reissued on great sounding Columbia CDs in that short

period before Sony took over. I’m a fan of his recordings even now.

No disagreement from me - I love his playing and the sound he produces.

I've been liking these organists as well, who were unfamiliar to me - maybe others know them?
Hans Vollenweider
Christoph Albrecht
Iveta Apkalna
Weinberger
Herbert Tachezi
Helmut Tillmanns

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On Sunday, December 4, 2022 at 3:04:50 PM UTC-8, Andy Evans wrote:

I've been liking these organists as well, who were unfamiliar to me - maybe others know them?
Hans Vollenweider
Christoph Albrecht
Iveta Apkalna
Weinberger
Herbert Tachezi
Helmut Tillmanns

Since César Franck French
organists rule absolutely! ;-)

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On Sunday, December 4, 2022 at 9:31:10 PM UTC-8, Mandryka wrote:

On Monday, December 5, 2022 at 1:25:48 AM UTC, [email protected] wrote:

Since César Franck French
organists rule absolutely! ;-)

The best of the French organists
in Bach are Kei Koito and Bernard
Coudurier, unless I’m forgetting
someone.

Looks like you forgot most of them! ;-)

dk

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On Monday, December 5, 2022 at 1:25:48 AM UTC, [email protected] wrote:

On Sunday, December 4, 2022 at 3:04:50 PM UTC-8, Andy Evans wrote:

I've been liking these organists as well, who were unfamiliar to me - maybe others know them?
Hans Vollenweider
Christoph Albrecht
Iveta Apkalna
Weinberger
Herbert Tachezi
Helmut Tillmanns

Since César Franck French
organists rule absolutely! ;-)

The best of the French organists in Bach are Kei Koito and Bernard Coudurier, unless I’m forgetting someone.

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On Monday, December 5, 2022 at 6:04:51 AM UTC, [email protected] wrote:

On Sunday, December 4, 2022 at 9:31:10 PM UTC-8, Mandryka wrote:

On Monday, December 5, 2022 at 1:25:48 AM UTC, [email protected] wrote:

Since César Franck French
organists rule absolutely! ;-)

The best of the French organists
in Bach are Kei Koito and Bernard
Coudurier, unless I’m forgetting
someone.

Looks like you forgot most of them! ;-)

dk

Not most, one. Foccroulle.

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Trying to think now. There's Isoir and Chapuis and Vernet -- but none of them are very interesting in Bach as far as I can see.

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On Monday, 5 December 2022 at 01:25:48 UTC, [email protected] wrote:

Since César Franck French
organists rule absolutely! ;-)

Well, a typical Dan comment there..... But it's not so, apart from the fact that Messiaen is a God and many well-known French composers played the organ.

I've been very disappointed in the recordings of Marcel Dupre, plus the sounds produced aren't as good as others.

I love M-C Alain. Further than that..... you could make a case for Olivier Latry, Jeanne Demessieux, but after that I run out of ideas.

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On Monday, December 5, 2022 at 9:45:15 AM UTC, Andy Evans wrote:

On Monday, 5 December 2022 at 01:25:48 UTC, [email protected] wrote:

Since César Franck French
organists rule absolutely! ;-)

Well, a typical Dan comment there..... But it's not so, apart from the fact that Messiaen is a God and many well-known French composers played the organ.

I've been very disappointed in the recordings of Marcel Dupre, plus the sounds produced aren't as good as others.

I love M-C Alain. Further than that..... you could make a case for Olivier Latry, Jeanne Demessieux, but after that I run out of ideas.

Oh yes, I forgot McA, at least in the second complete Bach recordings. I have never heard Latry, Demessieux or Messiaen in Bach, .

Rogg was Swiss. And it turns out I was wrong to mention Foccroulle, he is Belgian.

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On Monday, December 5, 2022 at 1:45:15 AM UTC-8, Andy Evans wrote:

On Monday, 5 December 2022 at 01:25:48 UTC, [email protected] wrote:

Since César Franck French
organists rule absolutely! ;-)

Well, a typical Dan comment there.....
But it's not so, apart from the fact
that Messiaen is a God and many
well-known French composers
played the organ.

And composed for the organ. Most
of the interesting repertoire written
for organ after 1850 came from
France.

I've been very disappointed in the
recordings of Marcel Dupre, plus
the sounds produced aren't as
good as others.

I love M-C Alain. Further than that.....
you could make a case for Olivier
Latry, Jeanne Demessieux, but
after that I run out of ideas.

Pierre Cochereau et Jean Guillou.

dk

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On Monday, December 5, 2022 at 11:15:29 AM UTC, [email protected] wrote:

On Monday, December 5, 2022 at 1:45:15 AM UTC-8, Andy Evans wrote:

On Monday, 5 December 2022 at 01:25:48 UTC, [email protected] wrote:

Since César Franck French
organists rule absolutely! ;-)

Well, a typical Dan comment there.....
But it's not so, apart from the fact
that Messiaen is a God and many
well-known French composers
played the organ.

And composed for the organ. Most
of the interesting repertoire written
for organ after 1850 came from
France.

I've been very disappointed in the
recordings of Marcel Dupre, plus
the sounds produced aren't as
good as others.

I love M-C Alain. Further than that.....
you could make a case for Olivier
Latry, Jeanne Demessieux, but
after that I run out of ideas.

Pierre Cochereau et Jean Guillou.

dk

Guillou? Tu te fous de ma gueule toi!

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On Monday, 5 December 2022 at 20:45:15 UTC+11, Andy Evans wrote:

On Monday, 5 December 2022 at 01:25:48 UTC, dan....gmail.com wrote:

Since César Franck French
organists rule absolutely! ;-)

Well, a typical Dan comment there..... But it's not so, apart from the fact that Messiaen is a God and many well-known French composers played the organ.

I've been very disappointed in the recordings of Marcel Dupre, plus the sounds produced aren't as good as others.

I love M-C Alain. Further than that..... you could make a case for Olivier Latry, Jeanne Demessieux, but after that I run out of ideas.

I always thought that Jennifer Bate (who passed away only 2 years ago and was quite lovely), or Gillian Weir, were near the top of Messiaen exponents on the organ. Or maybe there are others ....

Ray Hall, Taree

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On Monday, December 5, 2022 at 9:04:21 AM UTC-8, Mandryka wrote:

On Monday, December 5, 2022 at 11:15:29 AM UTC, [email protected] wrote:

Pierre Cochereau et Jean Guillou.

Guillou? Tu te fous de ma gueule toi!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtPDs0R7WBo

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I've come across another fine organist - Ales Barta who records for Supraphon. The recordings are in wonderful sound - very clear and immediate. Some of the best organ sounds I've so far heard in Bach.

Prelude and Fugue G BWV541
Ales Barta https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekdpvv8aEew

Prelude and Fugue Em BWV548
Ales Barta https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2c_s14pW7o Prelude
Ales Barta https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c78OL6S_G90 Fugue

Prelude and Fugue D BWV532
Ales Barta https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLVyHc2ERNE Fugue

Prelude and Fugue E BWV566
Ales Barta https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_VIADUyf8M&list=OLAK5uy_kIH9734o2q4wo4WMhF55ytc0RA_UKqtJc

Toccata and Fugue Dm BWV565
Ales Barta https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARBN9_nIAxE

Passacaglia and Fugue Cm BWV582
Ales Barta https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqKermOV28E

6 Concertos BWV 592-597 #1
Ales Barta https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sXQ490AaEg

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On Tuesday, December 6, 2022 at 10:46:51 AM UTC, [email protected] wrote:

On Monday, December 5, 2022 at 9:04:21 AM UTC-8, Mandryka wrote:

On Monday, December 5, 2022 at 11:15:29 AM UTC, [email protected] wrote:

Pierre Cochereau et Jean Guillou.

Guillou? Tu te fous de ma gueule toi!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtPDs0R7WBo

The context was Bach, I don't doubt that Guillou can improvise.

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On Tuesday, December 6, 2022 at 4:20:45 AM UTC-8, Mandryka wrote:

On Tuesday, December 6, 2022 at 10:46:51 AM UTC, [email protected] wrote:

On Monday, December 5, 2022 at 9:04:21 AM UTC-8, Mandryka wrote:

On Monday, December 5, 2022 at 11:15:29 AM UTC, [email protected] wrote:

Pierre Cochereau et Jean Guillou.

Guillou? Tu te fous de ma gueule toi!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtPDs0R7WBo

The context was Bach, I don't doubt that Guillou can improvise.

So what? This is not a court of law!

dk

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I forgot Anton Heiller. His Vanguard LP of the Bach-Vivaldi concertos never fails to make me happy. The pure joy of the works shines through. His recordings of the Hindemith sonatas are also special, not sure if they were ever commercially released.

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On Tuesday, December 6, 2022 at 1:20:56 PM UTC, sci.space wrote:

I forgot Anton Heiller. His Vanguard LP of the Bach-Vivaldi concertos never fails to make me happy. The pure joy of the works shines through. His recordings of the Hindemith sonatas are also special, not sure if they were ever commercially released.

This is my favourite bit of Vivaldi/Bach

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE9F39aWU2w&ab_channel=JoskeSiebelink

Apart from that the recording which Kåre Nordstoge made a couple of years ago is on a very impressive organ -- good low notes!

https://open.spotify.com/album/3msC4rZIP5wix71I4GobaA

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On Tuesday, December 6, 2022 at 8:20:56 AM UTC-5, sci.space wrote:

I forgot Anton Heiller. His Vanguard LP of the Bach-Vivaldi concertos never fails to make me happy. The pure joy of the works shines through. His recordings of the Hindemith sonatas are also special, not sure if they were ever commercially released.

Anton Heiller’s organ compositions are worth checking out as well. They grow on you with repeated listening.

Also several of his harpsichord recordings - Rameau, Couperin, Handel Suites.

He tends to be a better player of German composers than French IMO, but his recording of the 6 Double Concertos of Soler with his wife Erna are very fine.

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