Search - Johann Sebastian Bach, Bernard Foccroulle :: Bach: Complete Organ Works

An excellent reference set

Matthew Davidson | Houston, TX United States | 06/04/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Somehow I've managed to accumulate six Bach organ boxes over the years (Walcha I, Chapuis, Rübsam I, Isoir, Koopman, and Foccroulle) that I've liked enough to keep, and this one may well be my overall favorite of the lot. It certainly has all the things I look for: a wide variety of instruments, baroque organs with lots of personality, virtuosity in the fugues, gravitas in the chorals, clarity of counterpoint that does not depend on metronomic rhythms or labored tempos, interesting registrations, excellent sound production, and an overall energy and personality that keeps one from becoming bored. There are other organists with slightly more verve and personality (e.g., Chapuis and Koopman), but clarity and logic sometimes suffer as a result. Similarly, Walcha and Rübsam (on Philips, avoid the dreadful Naxos re-makes) are more rigorous, but the music sometimes becomes ponderous and mental fatigue sets in. Isoir is probably the most virtuosic and (at his best) the most poetic, but sometimes he chooses less than ideal organs, and the set as a whole is slightly inconsistent (ranging from the brilliant to the merely good). Foccroulle charts a sort of middle way that makes his a very solid reference set, with all the good qualities one looks for but without some of the excesses and shortcomings-- in sum, an ideal first (or even only) set. For the record, sets I do not recommend include: Walcha II, Preston, Hurford, Murray, and Rübsam II. I am ambivalent about Herrick and Bowyer (much to admire, but, in my view, nothing special), and I would recommend Walcha I only as a supplement. I haven't heard enough of any other sets to have an opinion. A word of caution: if you're thinking about getting this (or any other set aside from Walcha II-- which seems never to go out of print), do not hesitate. Bach organ boxes are definitely a niche product, and they tend to move in and out of print (mostly out). Some of the older, highly regarded sets (e.g., Chapuis and Rübsam I) are rarer than hen's teeth with secondhand prices to match their scarcity."

Wow

Arje Cohen | israel | 02/10/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"wow, if you like organ music and Bach you should not miss this one, even though it is not cheap. i bought it as a present for my partner (who loves Bach) and we both enjoyed a whole weekend with this soothing music."