Firstly, 543 has THE ORGELPUNCT in the prelude. THE best bass pedal note that Bach ever wrote. It comes at the wrong beat (obviously on purpose) and it has the wrong bass sustained note (obviously on purpose). It is so different to anything else in north european church music-it reminds a lot of the byzantine church chanting "Ison".
Also you seem to put 582 on the same level as many other compositions in this cd. It is not! It is probably his best organ composition and at the same level as the violin chaconne. (Plus it was played in the Godfather 1). Listen to it by the 1984 version by Ton Koopman: no change of registers through the whole thing. It is all a punch in the face 15 minutes satanic death metal from hell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF8R6fyMFos&t=3s
Funny you mention this as 582 is one of my favorites, along with 564 mentioned in this selection. They both have different structures from many other Bach organ works. I was listening in the background and didn't recognize it from the intro. I am used to this piece sounding 'darker', louder and lower at the start, as in the Koopman version you linked above. But I know nothing about music and don't know what this piece is 'supposed' to sound like. I enjoyed hearing both interpretations.
Well Bach didn't leave any remarks on how the music should be played-throughout his organ pieces maybe he has 1 or 2 comments overall about the sound and the kind of registration the organ should have at that moment. Later composers would leave significantly more on the side of the music score. As a person it is pretty clear Bach would very much enjoy listening to different versions of the same piece he wrote (as long as the right notes are played). On passacaglia: I also like this version by the Notre Dame organists: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN7xYP2i0Bs in which things start peacefully but become violent towards the end, as well as the version for double orchestra by Eugene Ormandy (that sounds very Mahlerian). As Ton Koopman said, the spirit of these pieces is supposed to be violently dramatic like a roller park: it lifts you high with fast notes then stops and then it suddenly it starts dropping etc etc
Per your rec, I checked out 582 again, which is far better in the Koopman version than the Walcha. Not sure I'd put it on the same level as Chaconne, which might be the true GOAT.
2 of my favorites have made an appearance! (1) 582 C minor; (2) 564 C. That adagio is a short movement in which I hear both peace and sadness. It's also of those rare pieces in classical music that get me every time (+ Prokofiev's violin concerto 2, Mahler's 'Resurrection' finale; amazingly, Bach accomplishes in a few minutes what the latter consummates in over an hour). I really enjoyed 550 G major. 572 G major hooked me right from the amazing intro. The middle of 590 really does sound pastoral, like a rest in a field with a gently blowing breeze; leave it to Bach's genius to accomplish such feat with an organ, which I associate with the religious, stately, or formidable. The 552 Eb 'St Anne' is exuberant and grandiose, everything Eb typically stands for. I see only the prelude to this piece way down the playlist in Spotify. While I don't know why the fugue is omitted, the prelude to me is the really special section (I would walk down the aisle to this), so I am OK with the choice!
I agree with you that 565 D minor isn't superior to Bach's other organ works. Question, do you think Bach really wrote this piece? I've read some people believe it isn't as harmonically advanced as the rest of his works. I don't know enough to say.
PS - Can't wait till we get to 537 C minor & 542 G minor 'The Great'
Thanks for your thoughtful words and recommendations on your favorites -- I don't have an opinion on Bach's authorship, it's beyond my pay grade. I'll outsource the historical research to the scholars and play the records instead.
That makes me feel better. I thought that my ear wasn't good enough and I was missing some obvious clue in the music that he didn't/couldn't have written it.
Good selections. Some of these weren't familiar, and I will go back to listen to the entire works. Suggestion: indicate keys as well s BWV numbers. Those of us who have played a keyboard instrument (maybe any instrument) probably remember the keys more readily than the BWV number
Firstly, 543 has THE ORGELPUNCT in the prelude. THE best bass pedal note that Bach ever wrote. It comes at the wrong beat (obviously on purpose) and it has the wrong bass sustained note (obviously on purpose). It is so different to anything else in north european church music-it reminds a lot of the byzantine church chanting "Ison".
Also you seem to put 582 on the same level as many other compositions in this cd. It is not! It is probably his best organ composition and at the same level as the violin chaconne. (Plus it was played in the Godfather 1). Listen to it by the 1984 version by Ton Koopman: no change of registers through the whole thing. It is all a punch in the face 15 minutes satanic death metal from hell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF8R6fyMFos&t=3s
Funny you mention this as 582 is one of my favorites, along with 564 mentioned in this selection. They both have different structures from many other Bach organ works. I was listening in the background and didn't recognize it from the intro. I am used to this piece sounding 'darker', louder and lower at the start, as in the Koopman version you linked above. But I know nothing about music and don't know what this piece is 'supposed' to sound like. I enjoyed hearing both interpretations.
Well Bach didn't leave any remarks on how the music should be played-throughout his organ pieces maybe he has 1 or 2 comments overall about the sound and the kind of registration the organ should have at that moment. Later composers would leave significantly more on the side of the music score. As a person it is pretty clear Bach would very much enjoy listening to different versions of the same piece he wrote (as long as the right notes are played). On passacaglia: I also like this version by the Notre Dame organists: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN7xYP2i0Bs in which things start peacefully but become violent towards the end, as well as the version for double orchestra by Eugene Ormandy (that sounds very Mahlerian). As Ton Koopman said, the spirit of these pieces is supposed to be violently dramatic like a roller park: it lifts you high with fast notes then stops and then it suddenly it starts dropping etc etc
I'll check out the Notre Dame organists! Thanks for the recommendations. I think I'm going to put Walcha away for the next set of organ pieces.
I just listened again to 543. Epic pedal!
Per your rec, I checked out 582 again, which is far better in the Koopman version than the Walcha. Not sure I'd put it on the same level as Chaconne, which might be the true GOAT.
2 of my favorites have made an appearance! (1) 582 C minor; (2) 564 C. That adagio is a short movement in which I hear both peace and sadness. It's also of those rare pieces in classical music that get me every time (+ Prokofiev's violin concerto 2, Mahler's 'Resurrection' finale; amazingly, Bach accomplishes in a few minutes what the latter consummates in over an hour). I really enjoyed 550 G major. 572 G major hooked me right from the amazing intro. The middle of 590 really does sound pastoral, like a rest in a field with a gently blowing breeze; leave it to Bach's genius to accomplish such feat with an organ, which I associate with the religious, stately, or formidable. The 552 Eb 'St Anne' is exuberant and grandiose, everything Eb typically stands for. I see only the prelude to this piece way down the playlist in Spotify. While I don't know why the fugue is omitted, the prelude to me is the really special section (I would walk down the aisle to this), so I am OK with the choice!
I agree with you that 565 D minor isn't superior to Bach's other organ works. Question, do you think Bach really wrote this piece? I've read some people believe it isn't as harmonically advanced as the rest of his works. I don't know enough to say.
PS - Can't wait till we get to 537 C minor & 542 G minor 'The Great'
Thanks for your thoughtful words and recommendations on your favorites -- I don't have an opinion on Bach's authorship, it's beyond my pay grade. I'll outsource the historical research to the scholars and play the records instead.
That makes me feel better. I thought that my ear wasn't good enough and I was missing some obvious clue in the music that he didn't/couldn't have written it.
Good selections. Some of these weren't familiar, and I will go back to listen to the entire works. Suggestion: indicate keys as well s BWV numbers. Those of us who have played a keyboard instrument (maybe any instrument) probably remember the keys more readily than the BWV number
Thanks Raymond!