# Organ music



## etude (Dec 23, 2014)

Does anyone have any suggestions of good organ music to listen to? I know the typical ones that people have suggested are the Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Bach and the Toccata from Widor's 5th Symphony. Do others have any suggestions? I stumbled across this nice sounding one a few days ago; it appears to be in line with the Advent season. It's one of the Antiphons from Marcel Dupré's "15 Pieces." You can hear it at this link:






Any other suggestions?


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## MoonlightSonata (Mar 29, 2014)

etude said:


> Does anyone have any suggestions of good organ music to listen to? I know the typical ones that people have suggested are the Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Bach and the Toccata from Widor's 5th Symphony. Do others have any suggestions? I stumbled across this nice sounding one a few days ago; it appears to be in line with the Advent season. It's one of the Antiphons from Marcel Dupré's "15 Pieces." You can hear it at this link:
> 
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> 
> ...


Try just about any Bach. You won't run out any time soon and his music is wonderful. Mendelssohn's Organ Sonatas are lovely too. Rheinberger is a good one, not so well-known and Bach and Mendelssohn but also very good.


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## Chronochromie (May 17, 2014)

I like Messiaen's L'ascension and Messe de la Pentecote.


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## Guest (Dec 23, 2014)

Bach - try his Art of Fugue. More than his Toccata and Fugue, though, try his Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582. It is incredible. My recommendation is a 2-disc album of his works recorded by Helmut Walcha - Great Organ Works, on DG.

After Bach, I also like Buxtehude. Rene Saorgin has an excellent recording of organ works by him on the Harmonia Mundi label that I love.


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## Guest (Dec 23, 2014)

Ligeti, _Volumina_


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## otterhouse (Sep 6, 2007)

Bach is a good starting point. This website of the Dutch Bach Society has some thrilling Bach performances!
http://allofbach.com/en/

Rolf, Ne


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

As others have said, check out *Bach*. His organ works are fantastic

I'd suggest any from this list to start. I know it's a lot to throw at once, so I'd say start with the works that have their own articles, highlighted in blue
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Johann_Sebastian_Bach#Preludes_and_Fugues.2C_Toccatas_and_Fugues.2C_Fantasias_and_Fugues.2C_and_Passacaglia_and_Fugue_for_organ_.28531.E2.80.93582.29

*Liszt* has a few organ pieces too. The three big ones are the Fantasy and Fugue on "Ad nos, ad salutarem undam", Prelude and Fugue on BACH, and Variations on Bach's "Weinen, klagen, sorgen, zagen"

Organ concertos? Handel wrote a set, but I haven't listened to them yet. 
Haydn wrote keyboard concertos that have been played on piano, harpsichord, or organ
*Poulenc's* Organ Concerto is FANTASTIC

Organ and orchestra? Saint-Saens' famous Symphony no. 3 is magical, like most of his music


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## LancsMan (Oct 28, 2013)

I'm rather taken with the organ music of Jehan Alain. His complete works for organ come on 2 CD's. He didn't live long - he was killed whilst fighting in World War 2. I have these played by his sister Marie-Claire Alain on Erato.


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## MagneticGhost (Apr 7, 2013)

My favourite composers for the organ: Messiaen, Bach, Torsten Nillson, Marcel Dupré, Durufle and Liszt, Vierne, Widor and Guilmant.

But I'm only really at the beginning of my explorations.

Look out for the Organ Fireworks series on Hyperion. I'm picking these up as they become available at a competitive price and they have all sorts of goodies, unknown rarities and standards therein.

Messiaen's La Banquet Celeste and La Nativite du Seigneur are the pick of the crop for me
Closely followed by Liszt's Fantasy and Fugue on the chorale "Ad nos, ad salutarem undam" and his Prelude and Fugue on BACH


I'm very interested in getting Magle's Like a Flame. Anyone here bought it yet and like to comment.


Edit: Props to those just above who reminded me of Alain, SaintSaens and Poulenc.
The Poulenc Organ Concerto is Stellar.


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## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

There's a lot here:

http://www.talkclassical.com/32538-organ.html


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## MoonlightSonata (Mar 29, 2014)

How about Handel? I don't believe he's been mentioned yet. Purcell and Buxtehude, too.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Scott Ross played organ for some of Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas.


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

Hindemith : Organ Concerto, Organ Sonatas
Messiaen : Méditations sur la Mystère de la Sainte-Trinité, Les Corps Glorieux
Handel : Organ Concertos
Franck : Choral, Cantabile, Pièce Héroïque


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