Search - Johann Sebastian Bach, Helmuth Kolbe, E. Power Biggs :: Bach: The Four Great Toccatas & Fugues

Wendell J B. from HOUSTON, TX
Reviewed on 4/17/2007...

Wind organ at it's best

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Antiphony to the second Power

Joseph Ekaitis | Southern California | 09/27/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In the heyday of Quadraphonic recording, E. Power Biggs found the perfect place to record the four "Great" Toccatas and Fugues by Johann Sebastian Bach: the Cathedral of Freiburg, with its 4, count 'em, 4 rafter-rattling organs, all of which can be played by one keyboardist at a central console.



The organs have the typical slack-jawed sound of electric action pipe organs, but Biggs gives it all he's got and whips the four instruments into some truly spectacular sonic fireworks. Consider this CD as an addition to a collection that already contains a few typical performances of these works on a Baroque tracker action organ, a new way to hear Bach's experiments with music that moves (specifically from one pipe division to another). Here, Biggs gets to toss the music all over the Cathedral. Particularly enjoyable is the "Dorian" Toccata as each organ emerges from beneath a tangle of notes to be heard over the other three.



While Sony's "a little bit of this, a little bit of that" programming of Biggs's Columbia recordings leaves something to be desired, the sound survives intact."

A great recording by a great organist

Joseph Ekaitis | 08/12/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This recording of Bach's four great Toccata & Fugues is noteworthy for two reasons. First, Biggs' performance in all four is exceptional, leading me quickly from indifference to the two least-known to being a great fan of all of them. Second, this recording, heard in a good pair of headphones, gives you not only left and right stereo but an astonishing sense of forward and back. The way the engineers managed to create this effect, in a way that's easily reproduced without expensive audiophile equipment, is simply amazing. At the time of this recording, the Freiburg Muenster boasted two large organs in the crossing, a choir organ, and a supplemental set of pipes (mainly trumpets and other ornamental stops) near the main entrance on the nave, all of which could be operated from one console. Biggs handles this awesome array of organ power superbly, choosing his stops for maximum musical -- and spatial -- effect. While the rare effect of playing four organs at once is apparent with speakers, the front/back effect is best heard through headphones.Despite its age, this recording holds up well to comparison. If you want to split hairs, some recordings of individual Toccatas may be more faithful to a live experience in the lowest bass and harmonics. And if you have been raised on (spoiled by?) subwoofers, there are probably more floor-thumping renditions captured by newer recording equipment. But I have yet to encounter one recording of all four Toccatas which is so much fun to listen to. If you only buy one recording of these pieces, this is the one to get!"