Tell us your favourite Bach organ works!

[Vowles Tracker]

My favourite musical quote:

' Classical Quotes'

"Lose no opportunity of practising on the organ; there is no instrument which takes a swifter revenge on anything unclear or sloppy in composition and playing"

Robert Alexander Schumann, 1833 (perhaps I am Baching up the wrong tree? )

[biggestelk]

Don't forget the beautifully crafted double fugue that follows, a gem. I wish it was played more sedately than you normally hear so as to appreciate and enjoy its construction.

[Danmakine]

I clearly and dearly love "Wachet Auf, ruft uns die Stimme" BWV ???
It was one of the pieces that opened my eyes for the magnificent instrument that an organ is - along with the "Dorian" Toccata and Fugue.

/Lene

[Krummhorn]

I clearly and dearly love "Wachet Auf, ruft uns die Stimme" BWV ???

"Wachtet" is BWV 645 From the Schübler Chorales. I use this one at Christmas frequently in church.
One of my many Bach favs is BWV 654, Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele from the Liepzig Chorale Preludes.

[NEB]

My first exposure to 645 was at school and it was an arrangement for Grade 3 or 4 Euphonium. I liked it so much I learned the piano accompanyment as well and played the Euph part in the pedals of the organ in the school chapel. It sounded very effective indeed.

It was some time before I actually saw the proper Organ version. But occasionally I still knock out the first version I learned because it is sooooo effective (well to my ears anyway!)

[RPdigital]

Many organ works by Bach are nice. But I like specially the BWV 564 adagio:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/song...songID=5603915

-RPdigital-

[sebastian8flyte]

Without a doubt, it's Toccata and Fugue in D-minor BWV 565, but it must be played PERFECTLY. Done right,IMHO, it's a truly religious experience. I was at an organist try out night and I requested this song be played. The contestant grinned at me, then I knew she 'got it'. The wooden pews vibrated. I vibrated. She knew just when to hold those notes and and when to speed up. I've heard this piece played at least 100 times by almost 100 different people. Most people play it like they have somewhere else to go when they're done. She really understood the piece. I was crying and exhausted by the time she was done. The piece you can download from this site is the closest I've ever heard since that day in church...and...I gained a new site to come to.

[Krummhorn]

Hi sebastian8flyte ...

Yes indeed, that performance of Frederik Magle is absolutely stunning. Welcome to MIMF,. btw - glad to have you aboard. Do you also play the organ, or just appreciative of great organ music?

[nullogik]

I love BWV 593 (Concerto in A Minor) inspired by Vivaldi.

[methodistgirl]

I can say my favorite Bach organ work is really Jesu Joy of Man's Desire
because it is so lively and beautiful. There is a version of it in the Methodist
hymnbook if you can find one. Ha! Ha! I like it a whole lot better then
Taccata & fugue. That piece has been misused so often in horror movies
that it isn't funny. By the way it sounds to me, Bach composed toccata
& fugue as a religious piece. Remember the Roman Catholic Church was
going strong at that time and there had to be music for almost every kind
of mass service. I noticed in toccata & fugue that there are some places
in the music that sounds like an A-men piece. Like on the end of our
church doxology with "Praise Father, Son, & Holy Ghost. A-men! So try
and listen to these spots in the toccata.
judy tooley

[methodistgirl]

I will have to say my favorite of Bach is in our church hymn book which is
the choral of the piece. But the whole piece I just love. It's Jesu, Joy
of Man's Desire. I can play that one real easy. I tried Toccata & fugue.
I need to learn some more before I try to tackle that again! I'm more of
the beethoven type with song of joy or moonlight sonata.
judy tooley

[Mat]

I guess my favorite is fugue in G minor BWV 578, I've even found an orchestral transcription of this piece.
Of course Toccata and Fugue is also great and it has it's own place in my heart...

[Violinschlüssel]

Concerto No. 2 in A Minor, BWV 593.
The first time I listened to it I was nearly fourteen, and I soon fell helplessly in love with it. I own it on a cd perfomed by Michael Murray at Organs at First Congregational Church in L.A., and anytime I'm given the chance to listen to it - even though so many years have passed since I was a teen-ager who had just discovered how beautiful and profound classical music can be (now I'm 34) - I feel very moved, really touched.

[Alföldi-L. Tibor]

I don't understand, how dares anybody rank J.S.Bach's organ work? Just think about it: you are talking about one of the universal music's emperors, but I'm convinced, he is still the greatest! I think that many people would need a little bit much more humility at this point.

[Matthew Schembri]

Well, if you'de ask me, I really like the prelude and fugue in e minor which i have been studying lately (nicknamed "the cathedral"), but i think my favourite (although i havn't studied it yet, since i don't think i am of that level yet) is prelude and fugue in d major! I simply love it.