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Toccata and Fugue


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Hi Guys!

(and Gals)

I so want to find a better recording of this.

Second cut on this CD is "Toccata and Fugue" (OMG OMG OMG!) Cornwalls and "Toccata and Fugue" - chills running up and down my spine, tears in my eyes - really indescribable.

Yet this recording holds much to be desired. (I desire it.)

But I have NO idea where to even LOOK for it.

I am really only set up to play CDs at this time so I am asking y'all for a recommendation of where I can get a CD with a well recorded Toccata and Fugue.

I can tell the Cornwalls will do a stunning job with a good recording.

Thank you,

~Noah

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I've had pretty good luck with Telarc CDs. http://www.telarc.com

I especially enjoy many of the Eric Kunzel albums. I like his interpretations of much of the music. I know what you mean about the chills, though. I use that to demo my new RF7s and QSC amp. I'd love to hear how Cornwalls or Klipschhorns would compare ... but it's amazing on my 7s. [H]

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Noah, I presume you are referring to Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (he composed others in different keys).

Peter Hurford is good (and a good deal):

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...and Karl Richter is the best (and this is a real bargain priced disc).

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E. Power Biggs is kind of the gold standard on this, although some feel the recording technically is not as good as it could have been. The Michael Murray is exciting and a top flight recording as well. Virgil Fox did some recordings which are, shall we say, "idiosyncratic" but fun to listen to.

Supposedly Bach liked to use the Toccata and Fugue to test organs he was going to be performing on. It's kind of fun to think about him slipping onto the organ bench, muttering the eighteenth century equivilent of "Let's see what this baby can do" and letting rip with those opening notes.

You also might like Bach's "Passacaglia and Fugue" and the "Jig Fugue." (or Fugue a la Gigue.)

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I also like Biggs' recordings the best of all that I've heard. The one recommended above has both the D-minor (BWV 565) and F-major (BWV 540) toccatas and fugues, which I think are tops (listen for the bass definition in the fast pedal work in the F Major Toccata). I also think the Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor is a very important work, and the Biggs recording of its opening will show you how well your speakers go down to the low 32.7 Hz C. This CD on Amazon.com has the Passacaglia/Fugue in C Minor: http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Toccata-Passacaglia-Pastorale-Prelude/dp/B0000027BF/ref=sr_1_4/102-1463255-6333714?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1184168988&sr=8-4

Larry

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evening all,

hmm. i personally like the virgil fox renditions a lot better than e. power biggs. in my opinion, biggs is rather stilted... virgil fox belts out the piece with a really engaging romantic flair. so...make your own choice. either way its a lot of fun and definately will let your speakers have a workout!

pete

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p.s. i gather that e. power might be a more "purist" version. not really sure why this opinion or if i agree with it. bach loved to wow a crowd also and i think that a lot of modern "purists" were put off by virgil fox's count dracula cape and flamboyance. i loved it and would very much have enjoyed being able to experience his performances. anyway, as i said, choose for yourself but don't rule out fox's versions because of someone's possible snootiness.

pete

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Not the purist... but I have always liked Leopold Stowkowski & the Philly Philharmonic's 1941 (or 42, whenever?) recording they did for Fantasia. The full orchestra gives it a "grand" and awesome, if but haunting, rendition. I've got a Fox version and a copy of an old Biggs recording; both fine stuff too. Great for Sunday morning....

Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, regardless of the recording, is certainly an impressive test of your amp and C'walls/ K'horns.

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I like the Denon CD 33CO-1667 "J.S.Bach The Masterpieces for the Organ with Heinze Balli at the Thomas Schott organ, though my favorite is "Biggs plays Bach" E. Power Biggs at the organ , both send the cat running for the bedroom. I love to use these to demo any speakers I'm purchasing, sorts out the good from the bad.


James
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1) Get one of the organ CDs listed, e.g., the Biggs.

2) For a modern recording of Stokowski's magnificent ORCHESTRAL arrangement (essentially the version mentioned earlier by Groomlakearea51 that was used in Walt Disney's Fantasia, but a 1990s recording), plus a bevy of other Bah masterpieces orchestrated by Stoke, get Musical Heritage Society's 1998 CD (evidently licensed by Chandos, who made the recording in 1993), conducted by Matthias Bamert, who used to work with the late Stokowski.

This arrangement, definitely not for purists, immerses you in complex orchestral sound -- lets you swim in it.

Crank it up! Hearing it through my Klipschorns, with peaks of full orchestra level, makes me higher than the proverbial kite.

3) Historically, the very first sounds heard by the mass public (if you consider about 10 specially equipped theaters from New York to San Francisco, "mass") in stereo, was this arrangement of Toccata and Fugue in D Minor in Fantasia, in a process Walt Disney called Fantasound (which was described in a Scientific American article by Peck in 1940 or '41). The two old-timers I know who experienced it that way independently selected the word hypnotic to describe it. Stereo had been demonstrated to small groups at Bell Telephone Labs before that, and Stokowski had participated. The various versions of the Fantasia soundtrack demonstrate the importance of sound quality. The dynamic range was very high, thanks to the best film stock of the time and automated turning up and down of the volume controls! The various mono optical/ mono re-releases were terrible. One transfer to magnetic film stereo in 1964 was magnificent (I was lucky enough to hear that one). Later transfers, until fairly recently, were a bit too distorted. The DVD is pretty good, but not like modern sound, but rather dynamic. All versions of the film, of course, have a lot of 1940 style optical background noise, and some phasiness, but it was incredible for its time.

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"This arrangement, definitely not for purists, immerses you in complex orchestral sound -- lets you swim in it."

I had the great fortune to actually perform the symphonic version of the Toccata and Fugue in D minor while in college - to experience those fugue themes moving from section to section throughout the concert hall is incredible - talk about swimming in it!

Now, get the flamethrowers ready - you really need a sub to "feel" the piece as you would at an organ recital.
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Now, get the flamethrowers ready - you really need a sub to "feel" the piece as you would at an organ recital.

That's why I said to get the DVD-Audio version of this as it really digs deep. Plus the CD's can't compare to this recording in 24 bit/96khz.

Mike

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Here's the best digital recording of Virgil Fox's 1977 performance of the famed Toccata & Fugue on the Ruffatti organ at Garden Grove Community Church in CA...1990 LaserLight (Delta Music, Inc. 15 313).

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