# Organ - Composer and Recording Recommendations



## Guest

I was exposed to organ music at a young age - my father had several albums of Bach's organ works, but my mother couldn't stand the sound, so he didn't play them that often (back in the day, we had a large cabinet record player, so if you wanted to listen to music, that meant the house had to listen to music). At the time, it didn't impress me much. As I began my exploration of classical music later in life, I listened to the stereotypical Bach organ works, but then bought a Bach recording by Walcha, and fell in love. I have added some further recordings to my collection - mostly Bach. They include:
Bach - Scales from Weimar - Martin Lücker (Hänssler)
Bach - Great Organ Works - Helmut Walcha (DG)
Bach - The Art of Fugue - Helmut Walcha (Archiv)
Bach - Goldberg Variations - Jean Guillou (Dorian)
Bach - Trio Sonatas - John Butt (HM)
Bach - Works for Organ - E. Power Biggs (Sony)
Buxtehude - Organ Works - Rene Saorgin (HM)
Bach - Masaaki Suzuki Plays Bach Organ Works - Masaaki Suzuki (BIS)
Virgil Fox Encores - Virgil Fox (RCA)

I have spent some time in Europe, and recently, while in Budapest, I was able to attend an organ concert in the Szent Istvan Basilika, and enjoyed it greatly.

My question is, for those organ lovers out there, what am I missing? What other great organ composers should I be exploring? Obviously my interests skew more towards the baroque era, but I am not opposed to later composers. And what recordings, in particular, would be essential?


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## Vasks

There's much to enjoy about Jehan Alain's organ music


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## Art Rock

DrMike said:


> My question is, for those organ lovers out there, what am I missing? What other great organ composers should I be exploring? Obviously my interests skew more towards the baroque era, but I am not opposed to later composers. And what recordings, in particular, would be essential?


Buxtehude, Mendelssohn, Franck, Reger, Jongen, Schmidt.

EDIT: and if you want to dive into French organ music, the already mentioned Alain, Widor, Vierne, Dupre, Langlais, for starters..


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## philoctetes

I took organ lessons before grade school, never took it to the next level, but moved on to wind instruments. Being a lover of harmonics and overtones, I'm lately listening to a lot of organ music for that reason, having qualities of both winds and keyboards. Like harpsichords, and unlike the piano, it's cool that there is so much tonal variety between instruments. 

Messiaen was the starting point for me. Then came the renaissance keyboard stuff, such as Gabrielli, Cabezon, a lot of transcriptions, kinda like the early lute repertory - ricercare, fantasies, etc... it's hard to find good recordings from this era. Searching labels like Tactus, Stradivarius and Brilliant can be productive.

Bach, Couperin, and Vierne have been getting more play time lately. The Bach (box) set by Isoir is not perfect but serves me well. Ben van Oorsten is good with Vierne with a nice ambient sound.


Back to Messiaen, his own recordings on EMI are timeless, and the recent set by Colin Andrews is very impressive. Don't start with Livre d'Orgue if you're easily intimidated.


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## Guest

I've seen several Naxos Organ Encyclopedia recordings, for example of Pachelbel's organ works. Any thoughts? Naxos, has a lot of good recordings, but can be a little more spotty.

Any recommendations of specific recordings? Particular organists?


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## Guest

After doing some deeper research, looking through old threads on here, and consulting some other websites, I ended up picking up 3 albums.

Jean Guillou's album recorded on the Great Organ of Saint Eustache in Paris, on the Dorian label. This is a variety of works from Bach, de Grigny, Mozart, Liszt, Widor, and Guillou himself.
Michael Murray's Telarc recording of works by Dupré, Franck, and Widor.
And Widor's 5th and 9th Organ Symphones recorded by John Grew on the ATMA Classique label. 

Definitely heavier on the French organ composers, but then I already had quite a bit from Bach and Buxtehude. I am really interested in Messiaen, but from what I could find, the Olivier Latry complete organ works recording is the one to get, and wasn't ready to lay out the $60 I found it for on iTunes just yet. Any other recommendations for good Messiaen recordings? Most of my music purchases are through iTunes, and I couldn't find Messiaen's recordings on there.


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## nobilmente

*François Couperin. Messe à l'usage des paroisses 1690 & Isnard organ of 1770*

This combination of work and organ I find utterly wonderful. Things to note are the amazing sound of the reed pipes, the un-tempered tuning, and the _notes inégales_ which give a lovely swing to the scalic passages.


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## Mandryka

DrMike said:


> I was exposed to organ music at a young age - my father had several albums of Bach's organ works, but my mother couldn't stand the sound, so he didn't play them that often (back in the day, we had a large cabinet record player, so if you wanted to listen to music, that meant the house had to listen to music). At the time, it didn't impress me much. As I began my exploration of classical music later in life, I listened to the stereotypical Bach organ works, but then bought a Bach recording by Walcha, and fell in love. I have added some further recordings to my collection - mostly Bach. They include:
> Bach - Scales from Weimar - Martin Lücker (Hänssler)
> Bach - Great Organ Works - Helmut Walcha (DG)
> Bach - The Art of Fugue - Helmut Walcha (Archiv)
> Bach - Goldberg Variations - Jean Guillou (Dorian)
> Bach - Trio Sonatas - John Butt (HM)
> Bach - Works for Organ - E. Power Biggs (Sony)
> Buxtehude - Organ Works - Rene Saorgin (HM)
> Bach - Masaaki Suzuki Plays Bach Organ Works - Masaaki Suzuki (BIS)
> Virgil Fox Encores - Virgil Fox (RCA)
> 
> I have spent some time in Europe, and recently, while in Budapest, I was able to attend an organ concert in the Szent Istvan Basilika, and enjoyed it greatly.
> 
> My question is, for those organ lovers out there, what am I missing? What other great organ composers should I be exploring? Obviously my interests skew more towards the baroque era, but I am not opposed to later composers. And what recordings, in particular, would be essential?


I can only speak for music before 1750. If I were you I would buy some good compilation recordings and then take it from there, pursuing composers who capture your imagination. This is a recommendable one.


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## Dorsetmike

Some interesting early and baroque organ works, (also posted in Baroque on Youtube thread)

John Reading manuscripts of Dulwich collece, Riccardo Bonci organ, play list

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nYRBY0rHhwv8Ohhx7GsIPlaYKxIw0EAgM


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## Bulldog

A couple of beautiful baroque organ recordings:

Krebs - Clavier-ubung, William Porter, Loft Recordings
Weckmann - Complete Organ Works, Hans Davidsson, Loft Recordings

By the way, Loft Recordings is a treasure trove for early organ music.


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## NLAdriaan

To me, these two boxes are the ultimate organ recordings. Koopman is a worthy addition to Walcha, Koopman has a more vivid style and includes sung corals by his own Amsterdam Baroque with the famous Bach organ pieces, which he plays on the organ. Unmatched to me by any other recording.

Messiaen is the next organ composer with a serious oeuvre. Over two centuries after Bach, but with the same divine inspiration, and highly recommended are these recordings by the French organ master Olivier Latry.

These are my two desert island organ boxes.


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## Allegro Con Brio

For those who are new to organ music, the first thing I would recommend outside of Bach is Mendelssohn's Organ Sonatas. If you like French impressionism try Vierne and Langlais's short pieces, Durufle's Prelude and Fugue on ALAIN, and the works of that piece's namesake: Jehan Alain.


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## hammeredklavier

*Mozart*






Fugue in E flat major K153
Fantasie in F minor K608
Fugue in G minor K154
Suite in C major K399 (Overture)
Contrapunto a 4 in B minor K620b 
Fantasie in F minor K594
Fugue in G major K443
"Strahov improvisation" K528a (1787)

*Mendelssohn*






*Liszt*






*Brahms*






*Max Reger*






Variationen und Fuge über ein Originalthema op. 73
Max Reger: Symphonische Fantasie und Fuge d-moll op.57 "Inferno Fantasie"


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## flamencosketches

Allegro Con Brio said:


> For those who are new to organ music, the first thing I would recommend outside of Bach is Mendelssohn's Organ Sonatas. If you like French impressionism try Vierne and Langlais's short pieces, Durufle's Prelude and Fugue on ALAIN, and the works of that piece's namesake: Jehan Alain.


My interest in Jehan Alain and his organ music has been piqued. Safe to assume the recordings of his sister, Marie-Claire Alain, are the way to go? Or has her work been improved upon in a more recent recording?


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## Allegro Con Brio

flamencosketches said:


> My interest in Jehan Alain and his organ music has been piqued. Safe to assume the recordings of his sister, Marie-Claire Alain, are the way to go? Or has her work been improved upon in a more recent recording?


Probably, though by the sounds of it (listening right now), some of the recordings are live with coughing, etc. There appears to also be a Naxos collection by Eric Lebrun, along with a surprising amount of others!


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## flamencosketches

Allegro Con Brio said:


> Probably, though by the sounds of it (listening right now), some of the recordings are live with coughing, etc. There appears to also be a Naxos collection by Eric Lebrun, along with a surprising amount of others!


Thanks, I'll go Naxos for now. Love their organ series.


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## Sad Al

I can recommend these three, all by Peter Hurford for Argo in 1984:
Hindemith: 3 Organ sonatas
Mendelssohn: Organ works
Cesar Franck: 3 Chorals
The first two Peter played at the Rieger organ in Ratzeburg cathedral. Its bottom D reaches 19 Hz and is captured in the Mendelssohn.

And these two by Marie-Claire Alain, both for Erato in 1996:
Couperin: Messe des paroisses
de Grigny: Messe


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## Marc

I hope this one will be uploaded for quite a long time: Sietze de Vries live, performing on the gorgeous Schnitger et al organ in the Martinikerk, Groningen, NL (recorded earlier this month, as a gesture towards those who were not able to hear him perform on July the 8th, because of the Covid-19 regulations).

De Vries is playing works of Buxtehude, Bach and himself (improvisations).
He talks in between works (in Dutch) about the organ and the works.

BuxWV 147 in G minor: 00:28
BuxWV 199 ("Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott"): 13:56

BWV 1054 (arranged by Bernard Winsemius): 21:54

Improvisations on "Lobe den Hernn, den mächtigen König der Erden": 41:58


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## Dorsetmike

The organ at Wimborne Minster was, I believe, at one time rated second best 3 manual in the UK after the 1965 rebuild, I first heard it in the late 1960s when the organist was Michael Austin, I have his recording on vinyl but it's not listed on youtube, all I can find is Martin Schellenberg's Fanfares to Fancies, an eclectic mix of 13 works from baroque to contemporary.

The last time I was there to hear it, the organist was our esteemed admin @Krummhorn who gave it a good work out! (where does it stand in your ratings Lars?)






For those interested in the organ details and history, herewith the NPOR listing

https://www.npor.org.uk/NPORView.html?RI=N10180


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## ejw

Art Rock said:


> Buxtehude, Mendelssohn, Franck, Reger, Jongen, Schmidt.
> 
> EDIT: and if you want to dive into French organ music, the already mentioned Alain, Widor, Vierne, Dupre, Langlais, for starters..


 Absolutely, they must be included as should Durufle, Olivier Messiaen, Saint-Saenz, Gigout, Henri Mulet, Guilmant, Lefebure-Wely, and Leguay. Also Pachelbel William Bryce, John Stanley. And, also Franz Liszt composed some beautiful, yet difficult, organ compositions. His "Prelude and Fugue on BACH" is absolutely breathtaking.


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## ejw

It has beautiful stops; I really like the English reeds. Like most European cathedrals and churches, great accoustics. BTW, who is your favorite English/British organist? There are many great ones, but I really like Jonathan Scott.


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## footunes

Brahms few organ pieces are a marvelous late career embellishment to his keyboard Opus. Since I love Brahms' musical idiom, I find these works enchanting. Most recordings are too slow and overblown to my taste, just not Brahmsian. To my ear, the best interpreter was Viktor Lukas in the Evangeliche Stadtkirche in Bayreuth, only released on vinyl by EMI-Electrola. I only pick another organist for one of the Opus 122 works: Kari Vuola for O Gott, du frommer Gott. for me, Vuola provides the full power this work demands.


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## Krummhorn

Brahms seems to be underestimated ... I like to play his organ works from time to time, and others who are listening appreciate the music as well.


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## Philidor

Krummhorn said:


> Brahms seems to be underestimated ... I like to play his organ works from time to time, and others who are listening appreciate the music as well.


Indeed. - It is too bad that we have only the two early preludes and fugues, the fugue in A-flat minor and the choral preludes.

An organ sonata by Brahms in style of his piano sonatas could easily lead the repertoire ...


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## Monsalvat

Helmut Walcha recorded two mostly-complete cycles of Bach's organ works; one in mono and one in stereo, and both for Archiv. They used different instruments and the sound is good even in the mono set, so it's worth checking out both. The mono set was recently re-issued as well. I would also recommend Simon Preston's Bach cycle for a more modern set. Walcha also recorded (in stereo) a set of "Organ Masters Before Bach" on the church of St. Peter and Paul in Cappel, Germany: some photos and information about this instrument are at https://www.arpschnitger.nl/scappel.html


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## RobertJTh

A must needed call out for Rheinberger, who hasn't been mentioned yet in this thread.
To me (but I realize I've got a pretty deviant taste for an organist) his 20 sonatas are the best organ works since Bach, and his collections of shorter works display his genius as a composer as well.
What I find really important is that the German romantic organ composers, with Rheinberger at the helm, treated the organ much more idiomatically than their French contemporaries, who saw the instrument as an "Ersatz" orchestra. To me, that disqualifies most of their music, but then again, I know that's a minority view.


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## Krummhorn

Monsalvat said:


> Helmut Walcha recorded two mostly-complete cycles of Bach's organ works; one in mono and one in stereo, and both for Archiv.


I have the original DGG LP recordings in my library. Great to listen to.


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