Search - Johann Sebastian Bach :: Bachbusters

Carlos Anyone?

slow glass | Big Spring, TX United States | 01/20/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I won't insult the other folks who think Mr. Dorsey invented electronic interpretations of Bach music, but I feel compelled to insert here that Wendy Carlos pretty well covered this 40 years ago, and very,very well. The technology back then was much more cumbersome to achieve results too, but Carlos brought all the glory and genius of Bach to the least and most expensive sound systems. Carlos's use of the stereo field was also much more imaginative (if not a little over the top). Dorsey isn't bad, but his versions seem to lack the personality we get from the Carlos body of work when it comes to Bach. There seems to be a lack of expression, or maybe it just sounds too "robotic". I've used a lot of the "modern" technology in sythesizer / sequencer workstations available for the last two decades, and let me tell you, it IS very difficult to NOT sound robotic. But, to each his own. Kudos to Dorsey for his attempts."

5+ Stars!

Gary Peterson | San Diego, California USA | 11/29/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I purchased "Bachbusters" by Don Dorsey in the mid eighties. I had several reasons for doing so. First, Bach is one of my favorite classical composers. Second, I had put together a moderately expensive stereo system and had added a CD player, a fairly new and expensive component at the time. The "Bachbusters" CD was digitally recorded and put out by Telarc, a recording company that catered to audiophiles. I expected a pristine and dramatic recording and got it. "Bachbusters" was excellent and has aged well. It still reigns as one of the favorite discs in my CD collection. Let's put it this way, if this CD had been a standard LP it would have been worn out long ago.



The "Bachbusters" CD came to mind again recently. I have a new baby boy, now eight weeks old. My wife and I purchased a combination mobile/music box for his crib. We use it all the time. We've noticed that the little tyke pays only moderate attention to the somewhat silly mobile, but seems to enjoy the classical selections by Bach, Beethoven and Mozart. Of the three composers, I'd say he prefers the selections by Bach. Interesting. We're wondering what this might lead to. Well, after listening to this simplified music box for umpteen times, my wife and I are sick of it, and he may be sick of it as well. So I took the kid out into the living room and played some Bach selections for him. He seems to enjoy them, and particularly likes the Don Dorsey disc.



Purists are going to complain about this disc. So what? I think the "Bachbusters" CD is wonderful. I love the "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" and use it to impress new visitors with my stereo system. The other selections are quite good, also. I'd say the CD has two contrasting parts. The "Tocatta" is bold and bombastic, and I love it. All of the other selections are relatively soft and melodic, and I love them too. It's an almost incongruent mixture on a single disc. If I had any criticism, I might say that Dorsey should have produced two discs. I'd buy them both, of course.



Gary Peterson"