Jump to content
Mander Organ Builders Forum

The Five Organ Recordings You Couldn't Live Without.


James Goldrick

Recommended Posts

Are there any recordings of the Rheinberger organ concertos available nowdays? I still have the vinyls of E Power Biggs' recordings.

 

Barry Williams

 

I know of at least 3 versions which appear to be currently available, the Naxos CD being a relatively recent release: the numbers are Naxos 8557787 : CLASSCD 252 : Mottette CD 40221.

 

BAC

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 59
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Guest Barry Williams
I know of at least 3 versions which appear to be currently available, the Naxos CD being a relatively recent release: the numbers are Naxos 8557787 : CLASSCD 252 : Mottette CD 40221.

 

BAC

 

 

Thank you for this. I am grateful.

 

Barry Williams

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've just been listening to one of Nigel Allcoat's CDs of the works of Pachelbel. Get them if you haven't heard them, all three are gems, but a question for Nigel, if he's reading this - are there to be any more? I was at a recital this week where the organist played the Toccata in D minor which is not on the CDs and I don't recall hearing it before, a marvellous piece. Nigel?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is a great pity that none of Michael Smythe's recordings have been re-issued. Perhaps one of those enterprising people who re-master old recordings would consider this as a project, though it may not be economically viable. Mr Smythe published the whole of Rheinbeger's Sonatas at a time when their popularity was less than nowadays. His other recordings often introduced something unusual in the repertoire.

 

Robert Munns recorded John Cook's Fanfare (originally written for four brass bands at the Hampton Court Pageant) at Huddersfield Town Hall in 1968, when he restored the position of the fanfares to their position in the original score, rather than as in the organ transcription. 'Fanfare' is a fine piece unjustly neglected.

 

Are there any recordings of the Rheinberger organ concertos available nowdays? I still have the vinyls of E Power Biggs' recordings.

 

Barry Williams

 

Cook's Fanfare is also on Dame Gillian Weir's AlbertHall recording for Priory.

Pity we don't have such tubas here in NL :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 17 years later...
On 01/12/2006 at 22:01, Vox Humana said:

Yes, the Ste-Christophe recordings were the ones I had in mind. Absolutely superb in my view. I don't know the other ones you mention, so can't comment on those. I have Bowyer's set recorded at Tonbridge, but I'm afraid I find it very uninspiring and never listen to it - I think the problem is more the organ than the playing.

Sadly, I have to agree with your comments about KB's Tonbridge Alain. For me, St. Chad's in Birmingham would have been ideal. I may now be an old greybeard, (but I have always loved, eg, the RFH organ) but just cannot get my head around Tonbridge. To me it seems that almost everything recorded could' ve been MUCH better served elsewhere. Rant over... 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 years later!  Talk about reviving a zombie thread!  When Pierre L made the previous post in 2007, Spotify hadn't launched in the UK, and my friends had just introduced me to a web-site called 'facebook' which they struggled to describe but said I should join because it was fun.

Having said that....

I must say I agree with Nic and Vox about the MC-A vs KB Alain.  I think if I'd heard KB first I'd have loved it, but those Belfort recordings are something else.  Is it the sound engineering?  Belfort is recorded very close but not too close and you can hear every detail, whereas the Marcussen sounds much smoother. For me, the MC-A set is almost what the Gen-Z types would call an ASMR experience!  Highly recommended, I've never heard anything which sounds remotely similar.

Hmmm I'd better have a think about my top five...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...