# Classic organ recordings



## Philip (Mar 22, 2011)

Dear organ aficionados - what recordings do you consider classic, historical, or essential?

Let me get the ball rolling, _Messiaen, par lui-même_:


----------



## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

I absolutely appreciate and love the Messiaen organ works ... I have recordings of his students playing them on the organs of France. These are the ones that I listen to, laying on the living room floor, in total darkness ... it's powerful music, for sure. 

I have many other recordings, Biggs, Fox, Elmore, Koopman, Walcha and many others ... most all in LP form.


----------



## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

I like *Daniel Chorzempa*´s sweeping, grand and Romantic style in Liszt and Bach, whereas I find Walcha´s style in Bach too dry, preferring for instance also Kraft, Karl Richter, Biggs, Dupre, Fagius and the exuberant Carlo Curley. I´d consider his *Liszt *set a classic version as regards this composer.

As regards the Messiaen organ works, I only have some Jenifer Bate recordings, but they seem good as well.

Most listened to apart from Bach are probably the delightful *Händel Organ Concertos*. Am satisfied with the Lionel Rogg EMI set, with a rather conservative, if chamber-like and intimate, playing style. No doubt there are many more fine alternative versions of these easily approachable works.

Max Reger is definitely too under-explored here, I only own a few. Have the Franck works, but am not so familiar with them. Also some Vierne, Widor, Lefebure-Wely, Langgaard, Nielsen, Rosenberg, the Poulenc concerto, the Saint Saens symphony, and others.


----------



## GoneBaroque (Jun 16, 2011)

I am not certain if it is still in print but my nomination is the Symphonie Concertante, Op.81 of Joseph Jongen played by Virgil Fox and the Orchestre du Theatre National de l'Opera conducted by Georges Pretre recorded at Les Invalides. there have been later recodrings but none to match this.


----------



## doctorGwiz (Sep 25, 2011)

joen_cph said:


> I´d consider his *Liszt *set a classic version as regards this composer.


I'm most familiar with Marie-Claire Alain's recording on Erato. How is Chorzempa's?


----------



## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

As mentioned in the grand, Romantic style and with splendid sound. Fluent tempi yet with powerful climaxes, and sufficiently meditative in the slow passages, a fine singing quality, and yet with a coherent sense of moving forward overall, which I haven´t really heard elsewhere (in any of the Hungarian recordings or by Kaunzinger, one of the better alternatives though), and which is quite rare in organ music recordings, especially in the "Ad Nos"-fantasia, the highlight of the set. 

I like some of Alain´s recordings but haven´t heard her Liszt; sometimes I think she subdues the dramatic rhetoric of her pieces too much, or is too fast in her rendering.

PS: I am thinking of Chorzempa´s early Philips recordings; checking the web, it got splendid reviews in Gramophone also.


----------



## doctorGwiz (Sep 25, 2011)

joen_cph said:


> I like some of Alain´s recordings but haven´t heard her Liszt; sometimes I think she subdues the dramatic rhetoric of her pieces too much, or is too fast in her rendering.


Her Liszt tempi are quite fast. I'll have to look into the Chorzempa.


----------

