# Favorite Organ Pieces



## Jordan Workman (May 9, 2016)

What are your favorite organ pieces? For me, I like Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Bach the best--what are your favorites?


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## consuono (Mar 27, 2020)

If you want to consider it as a single unit, Bach's "Organ Mass" (Clavier-Übung III). Among his chorale preludes, BWV 622.


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## Dorsetmike (Sep 26, 2018)

For me a toss up between Buxtehuude Passacaglia BuxWV 161






and Bach Passacaglia BWV 582


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Trio sonata BWV528, 
Fantasie and fugue BWV542,
Prelude and fugue BWV543,
Fugue BWV578,


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## perempe (Feb 27, 2014)

Boëllmann: Suite gothique
Franck: Chorale No. 3 in A minor
Johnson: Trumpet Tune in D
Mendelssohn: Organ Sonata No. 6 in D minor
Vierne: Carillon de Westminster
Widor: Organ Symphony No. 5 (Toccata)

You can search as there are many threads about organ works here.


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## Ariasexta (Jul 3, 2010)

No favorites as usual but I can say some nice introductory pieces to kick start with, besides every JS Bach piece is standard, there are some other pieces from his predecessors worthy of some remarks. And it is necessary to recommend some exemplary discs along with hallmark pieces:

Johann Pachelbel has some very fine pieces to start with, he also composed a lot for organ, his praeludiums, ciaconnas, ricercars, variations(Hexachordum Apollinis) are noteworthy.







In case the picture does not show: Johann Pachelbe, Organ Works. Performer: Gerd Wachowski; label:MDG.

If listen to organ music, Juan Cabanilles will be the Franssois Couperin of the organ, must not miss. He wrote as much as Johann Pachelbel for organ, but only around 12 vocal pieces survive from his pen. His organ music is no less elegant than JS Bachs, also with some not-unwelcomed harking backs to the early 17th century. There are 2 vocal pieces on this CD, a good comparison of the composers vocal and organ styles. Check out for his passacailles. 







Juan Cabanilles, Tientos and Passacailles. Performer:Jan Willem Jansen. Label: Dorian.

A CD with both vocal and organ music from a same composer could be illuminating on the relationship between vocal and organ music, Jakob Praetorius(1586-1651), his vocal music is very conservative, a good reminder of his father Hieronymus`s his organ works are also a hark-backer but not unworthy, easier to outline the melodies than his teachers Sweelincks. This is is a perfect introduction to the organ music world of 17th century.







Jacob Praetorius, Motets and Organ Works. Performer: Harald Vogel, Weser Renaissance(vocal pieces). Label: CPO

Heinrich Scheidemann(1595-1663), his music considered lost untill 1990s when his considerable legacies were found along with other unknown composers works. The musical Gobekli Tepe of our age. All the music that will lead you into his world is on this first volume CD of the series dedicated to him from Naxos.







Heinrich Scheidemann, Works for Organ Vol.1. Performer: Pieter Van Dijk. Label:Naxos

Italian organ music is from Bernardo Storace(fl.1664), unique in style but also elegant. A collection played on both organ and harpsichord, also a good comparison between the texture and style of the two instruments. Italian organ music from 17th century is still to be rediscovered, a lot of them is still unrecorded and unattended to. A lot 16th century madrigalists did not care to publish and spread their keyboard music, 80% of them is probably lost, very sad. 







Bernardo Storace, Works for Harpsichord&Organ. Performer: Jorg Halubek. Label:CPO

It is also sad that France produced little religious and competitive organ music from the whole baroque age, except for harpsichord and lute music, and other various types of secular music. Maybe destroyed in the Revolution, who knows.


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## Ariasexta (Jul 3, 2010)

Sweelinck Toccata in A minor is a very hallmarking piece, many recordings of this piece are on harpsichord, but organ performance also render very beautiful. This humble Naxos cd plays well, we have Toccata in A minor and the melodious Echo Fantasia in A minor and some variations for chansons too. Do not be deceived by its shabby cover and proletarian price, this CD is really one of the best organ performances ever. Naxos definitely need to up-grade its own packaging, most of their Cd covers look like from Hong Kong counterfait factories.:lol:


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## BenG (Aug 28, 2018)

If you think Toccata and Fugue is epic.....


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## Rambler (Oct 20, 2017)

I'll go with 'Trois Dances' by Jehan Alain. Or perhaps his better known 'Litanies'.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Ariasexta said:


> No favorites as usual but I can say some nice introductory pieces to kick start with, besides every JS Bach piece is standard, there are some other pieces from his predecessors worthy of some remarks. And it is necessary to recommend some exemplary discs along with hallmark pieces:
> 
> Johann Pachelbel has some very fine pieces to start with, he also composed a lot for organ, his praeludiums, ciaconnas, ricercars, variations(Hexachordum Apollinis) are noteworthy.
> View attachment 144842
> ...


I have been listening to Scheidemann organ music a lot lately. What a composer!!


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## level82rat (Jun 20, 2019)

What are your thoughts on organ transcribed to piano? In some cases it makes the notes more distinguishable but the loss in raw power is not worth it


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## consuono (Mar 27, 2020)

level82rat said:


> What are your thoughts on organ transcribed to piano? In some cases it makes the notes more distinguishable but the loss in raw power is not worth it


They sound more fitting on the organ of course; but worth it on the piano? I think so, especially the Liszt transcriptions. I think you get a tiny idea of what Bach might've sounded like if he had composed for the modern piano with its more powerful bass compared to the harpsichord. Anyway I think the following actually sounds better on the piano, and it's certainly a joy to play:


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## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

I love the usual suspects for organ composers - Bach, Buxtehude, Mendelssohn, Messiaen. But for something a little less well-known try Charles Villiers Stanford's organ sonatas, Durufle's Prelude and Fugue on the Name ALAIN, and the organ symphonies of Vierne and Widor outside of the famous ones.


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## Ariasexta (Jul 3, 2010)

> I have been listening to Scheidemann organ music a lot lately. What a composer!!


He is a master melodist, all Sweelincks pupils like Jacob and Johann Praetorius and Scheidemann simplified their teachers style, whereas they emphasized on melodic textures. Sweelinck pupils are all great melodists. :tiphat:


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

From J.S. Bach I think that the organ trio sonatas, the german organ mass, the passacaglia and fugue BWV 582 and the prelude and fugue BWV 548 are culminating points for me. I also think that anyone who likes the toccata and fugue in D minor should listen to BWV 538, BWV 540, BWV 542, BWV 543 and BWV 544.

I have been trying to assimilate Messiaen's organ music lately and from what I know of it I really like _La Nativité du Seigneur_:


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

level82rat said:


> What are your thoughts on organ transcribed to piano?


Only negative thoughts - makes the piano sound puny.


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## Dorsetmike (Sep 26, 2018)

level82rat said:


> What are your thoughts on organ transcribed to piano? In some cases it makes the notes more distinguishable but the loss in raw power is not worth it


I much prefer harpsichord transcriptions to piano especially pedal harpsichord

Example





For some works I prefer the pedal harpsichord to organ.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

level82rat said:


> What are your thoughts on organ transcribed to piano?


I don't like pianos. But I like organ music played on clavichords!


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

level82rat said:


> What are your thoughts on organ transcribed to piano?


What are your thoughts about piano music played on organ?


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

The postlude to Janacek's Glagolitic Mass.


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## vtpoet (Jan 17, 2019)

My fav organ piece is BWV 547:






My only problem with this piece is that every organist on the planet, with the exception of Kevin Bowyer (so far), wants to play it soooooooooooooo sloooooooooooooooooooowly that it makes me want to beat and thrash them with a powdered wig. It's like they're afraid they'll break the organ...


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## level82rat (Jun 20, 2019)

Mandryka said:


> What are your thoughts about piano music played on organ?


I enjoy that actually


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

*Mandala* by Jolivet is my favorite work for solo organ.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Not one of my favorites, but still an ok piece nonetheless:


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

level82rat said:


> I enjoy that actually


It sounds horrible, (no wonder why Chopin intended his pieces to be played on the piano.) I'd rather listen to this:


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## level82rat (Jun 20, 2019)

hammeredklavier said:


> It sounds horrible, (no wonder why Chopin intended his pieces to be played on the piano.)


The interpretation wasn't the best. But i think the Cm prelude was born to be played on organ


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## 8j1010 (Aug 29, 2020)

I'm currently learning this on the piano, I wish I had an organ to play it on.





I know it's not an organ, but this is my favorite recording.


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

Not sure if this qualifies but Saint-Saens Organ Symphony for me.


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## Gallus (Feb 8, 2018)

First and foremost, the utterly joyful and pure Bach chorale "Wachet auf, ruft uns die stimme". Something I would like to be played on my wedding day.






Then then Prelude and Fugue BWV 532.


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