A quintessential organ recording!
938890
A reissue of a classic organ recording. This recording was made on the Flentrop instrument at the Busch Reisinger Museum of Harvard University. This organis a fine example of a North German organ, the kind that Bach would have played. The organist, E. Power Biggs was a household name, even in pop culture, in the 1960's. This is a recording, which I feel every fan of Bach or the pipe organ should have. It is a bit dry acoustically, but that permits you to clearly hear all the inner voices in the fugues, which is important for fully appreciating Bach's genius. This was the first vinyl organ recording I purchased back in the early 1980's, and I am now happy to have a CD version of it as well! I hope other E. Power Biggs recordings will be reissued, as well.
3230861
I have owned this album on disc for probably 55 years, it is my favorite of all the classical organ music recordings I own.  It was a thrill to see this digitally remastered release.  I had previously transferred my LP to CD so I still have some pops in the CD I made of which this recording in largely free.  There are, however, a couple of places where there is distortion on this remastered recording.  Never-the-less, I would recommend that persons who enjoy classical organ music played on a dynamic instrument buy this CD.
3930301
Martin Gester's recording of Handel's Op. 6 set struck me with its shear beauty of both the performance and recording. I listened to it in 5.0 multi-channel SACD sound. The instruments envelop you with gorgeous detailed sound from the front speakers and beautiful reverberation from all around. It sounds like it was recorded in a fine medium size church and it retains great detail as well as beautiful reverberation of the recording venue which is actually The Radio Hall in Wroclaw, Poland. Most other recordings only require 2 discs but this one requires 3 discs because most of the repeats are taken and the tempos are more relaxed. But just because this is a more relaxed interpretation does not mean it boring, in fact just the opposite is true. This is the most beautifully subtle interpretation with great detail revealed by a more expansive melodic line and a lingering over pauses that allow the gorgeous sonorities of Arte dei Suonatori to be savored within the beautiful acoustics. Martin Gester shaping of the melodic lines is what makes this performance stand out among all others. Also, the continuo is extemporized with tenderness and inventiveness with a spontaneous feel. But don't get me wrong, there is no lack of vivaciousness in the fast movements where it is called for. The string sound has great articulation and detail with that beautiful "white" sound that original gut strings are famous for. There are far too many details of syncopations and phrasing to be mentioned here. I urge you to discover them yourself. You'll want to savor every note. This is what a great SACD is all about! It's like a Godiva box of chocolates, each one is different and once you start eating them, you won't be able to stop!
11176
I first heard this piece performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra last year.  I attended a pre-concert lecture about Bruckner and learned that he spent most of his life composing for and playing the Organ.  Nothing is  quite as inspiring as sitting in a cathedral listing to an Organ concert.  Even knowing this could not prepare me for what I was about to  hear.
Somehow Bruckner brought the power and inspiration of the Organ to  this symphony.  I wanted the orchestra to wait a few minutes while I and  the rest of the audience had enough time to digest the first movement.  By  the end of the symphony, I was left in my seat, overwhelmed by what I had  just heard.
I was left in the same condition after listening to this  recording.  My neighbors in my apartment building have become fans of  Bruckner, due in part to me cranking up my stereo during the first  movement.
I guarantee you won't be able to resist turning up your  stereo either if you get this recording.
3019474
This recording of several of Puccini's orchestral works performed by the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Berlin under the direction of Riccardo Chailly is my first introduction to the music of Puccini; and what an introduction!  Just so that it is clearly established, this disc contains a fantastic collection of music filled with hauntingly beautiful melodies that are both irresistable and unforgettable.  The first several tracks are truly exciting and full of "big" sound.  The later tracks are more refined in sound, but are terrifically orchestrated.  Perhaps what surprised me the most was the quality of the sound; it's unbelievable!  This particular recording was made in the Jesus-Christus-Kirche in Berlin during September of 1982 and yet, it sounds as if the orchestra were sitting right in front of you!  Amazing sound, definitely top-notch.  As far as the level of interpretation, with Chailly, as always, it's second to none.

A terrific recording full of wonderful music matched with unparalleled sound quality and first-rate performance; excellent buy!
3024089
This recording captures the tonality as well as the timbre of the instruments, fantastic recording quality!  Highly recommended to music lovers and audiophiles.

I was not familiar with Geminiani before being introduced to this CD.  When I'm in the mood to listen to sonatas, this is one of my first choices!
467945
I just love it! You want to listen to this in SACD! The sound is unbelievable! It's almost healing. Not all SACD sounds the same, depending on the recording condition, but this one was a blast!
501412
Karl Richter, apart from his renown as a conductor of baroque music, was also an accomplished organist. These performances, taped in the sixties, are reissued at mid price on three very well filled CDs. The record including the popular D minor Toccata and Fugue was my first featuring the organ and it is a joy to be reacquainted with it. Richter plays the "Grosse Silbermann-Orgel zu Freiberg", certainly an imposing instrument. The program of works, varied and attractive, features some of Bach's great organ pieces. One of the glories of this set is the superb recorded sound; crystal clear and realistic. Richter plays with gusto and is true to the spirit of Bach's music. I strongly recommend this as one of the best sets of Bach organ music available
1664526
This collection of Bach's works for organ is beautifully understated and lacking in the usual organ bombast.  Marie Claire Alain has understood the soul of Bach and offered it to the listener as recordings that  leave you wanting more.  Not to say that she abandoned the forte- she just make's it musical instead of loud.  To get such a collection of musical would be good at any price.  This is a gift from heaven.  The technical aspects of the recordings are first rate.
3041935
I'm another one of those fanatics who has owned or heard dozens of recordings of this piece, so hopefully that at least qualifies me to write this review! Regardless of age, this is definitely one of the best, both in performance and sound quality. A great performance shouldn't come as a surprise, since Monteux premiered this work in 1912. The surprise is how great this recording sounds, being over 50 years old! If you must have a digital recording, try&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Ravel-Daphnis-et-Chlo/dp/B000IY067U/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Ravel: Daphnis et Chlo</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Ravel-Daphnis-Et-Chloe-Poulenc-Les-Biches-Les-Ballets-Russes-Vol-2/dp/B002VQ6T60/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Ravel: Daphnis Et Chloe / Poulenc: Les Biches (Les Ballets Russes, Vol. 2)</a>, which are both excellent in every way. Another of my favorite analog recordings is conducted by Martinon, now available in this set:&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Ravel-Orchestral-Works/dp/B000UZ4EYI/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Ravel: Orchestral Works</a>. You can hear details that are inaudible in most others. But there's something special in the Monteux that makes it unique and indispensable. It's hard to explain except with subjective terms like "magical"!
1702240
This is a must-have album for anyone who appreciates the works of these composers or the unparalleled workmanship of the French organ builder, Aristide Cavaill-Coll, whose instruments formed the stylistic basis on which these compositions were founded. Each piece is remastered remarkably well, given the age of some of the original 78 RPM recordings dating from the late 1920's. It gives one a chance to hear the expression that Dupr intended for his Suite Bretonne, or the "proper" tempo at which Widor (who was 88 years old at the time of this recording!) intended his famous Toccata to be performed. One sees the vision of the blind Vierne, who wrought such beauty out of his miserable life, or the complex harmonies of Messiaen's L'Ascension illustrating a world beyond human comprehension. All works are performed on the original Cavaill-Coll instruments, most of which have since been altered.
3993563
This recording has become my reference recording for Bach's Lute suites after having made more purchases of this music than I care to admit! Lindberg's musicianship is second to none with a pulse that never feels rushed nor ever drags. The sound presence is intimate, warm and feels completely natural - some recordings make you feel like you are hearing things from inside the instrument itself, others have an artificial reverberation that a lute could never achieve; this recording feels like a private recital in one's room. Indeed the cover note suggests moderation with the amplifier gain to reveal the subtlety of the instrument and I could not agree more. Lindberg's articulation has a broad range of colour as he picks out the complex layers of voices in Bach's peerless counterpoint - one hundred and ten minutes of pure pleasure!
1102547
This review is for the SACD multi-channel version only. I have many multichannel SACDs, and most are pretty dull, sound-wise. This one gets it right and lives up to the promise of surround sound. Not only is the performance terrific, but, finally, the antiphonal brass is actually in the back where it belongs. Almost better, you can hear the chorus sound rebound off the back wall, as it does in real life.  I am not meaning so-called "slap back", but a tremendously luminous hall ambience. There is a real sense of spaciousness. This recording will benefit from the best equipment you can throw at it. This is one of those recordings that makes a classical music lover happy to have spent every dollar on the system; every dollar is working to great benefit! This disc is by far the best surround disc I have ever heard.
849794
As an organist, I think Richard has nailed it.

I was able to hear this organ in person in 1996 during the national convention of the American Guild of Organists. Jane Parker-Smith marshalled the instrument's resources impressively in a program of Romantic music, if I remember correctly. I think she even played the Liszt "Ad nos, ad salutarem undam." I found the instrument a little mellower in sound than on Columbia's recordings, but it was definitely the same instrument, including those spectacular hooded trumpets at the back of the church.

I first heard this record in the late 1960s when I was in high school. A few weeks ago, I found this record, clicky but unworn, at the estate sale of an organist I knew. Hearing it after all these years, I found that Biggs had surprisingly good instincts with this era of French music. He doesn't play the Widor absurdly fast, and he knows how to let the music breathe. I think he solves in very creative ways the registrational problems presented by this M&ouml;ller; this organ simply doesn't have the "fonds de huit" or the unison harmonic flutes that are the backbone of the French symphonic organ sound.

I have digitized it myself and declicked it. The sound is quite good, within the constraints of Columbia's house sound. There are times, though, when things get a bit congested in full-organ passages. There's a spot in the Widor where the "theme" (such as it is) is played in octaves in the pedal, and it sounds like it's pushing the limits of the equipment of the time, as though something in the chain is overloaded. On the other hand, this record has actual 32-foot-octave fundamental present--no mean feat for a 1962 stereo record!

Sony really should reissue this in a clean mastering from the session tapes, but I'm not holding my breath. They haven't treated E. Power Biggs particularly well, and it's a shame.

I have given it four stars--sometimes Biggs' registrations are just a bit TOO quirky, and I think "really?", and the sound sometimes betrays the effort it must have taken to cut a playable stereo record in the early 60s without compromising the bass too much.
1666002
One learns why a CD such as this is listed as "an essential."  The quality of the recording is so well balanced.
The Saint-Saens Organ Symphony is magnificent.  The organ is delicately used in all its majesty and capabilities.  It swells and then withdraws behind the orchestra only to swell again above it.
Debussey's LaMer is wonderful sounds, roaring and thundering and then backing off into tranquility shimmering.  I guess I'm hooked on water music, as this and Smetana's Moldau are among my favorites.
I so appreciate those who recommed this as an essential.  It certainly has become that in my collection.
339431
I have loved this recording ever since it came out in the early 1970s as a CD-4 quadradisc. This was a  dream come true to have a digital multichannel SACD. There is one drawback. Being true to the original 4 channel recording, there is no sub-woofer channel. You must make sure you have your bass cutoff settings on the 4 channels set up to send the low frequencies to the sub-woofer otherwise it sounds "thin" (=weak bass). Of course if you have 4 full range speakers this is not a concern. Otherwise simply stunning...enjoy a classic in every sense of the word.
522411
A miraculous recording.  I have just listened to it twice, and I am entranced.  To being with, Brahm's easily muddied textures are crystal clear.  This is due in part to playing of the very finest quality and unanimity of understanding - no gimmicks, just very, very good playing and ensemble - and partly due to some of the cleanest, clearest recording I have ever heard.  The quality of the playing and the sound leap out at you from the fist measure: this is something special.  There is full investment in the inner drama of the music, done with musical means, and never beating you over the head with it, as some younger quartets are won't to do.  Buy this.  It is wonderful and amazing, and CD to live with for a very long time.