Can you have too much Bach?

[Contratrombone64]

krummhorn ... you're very welcome my dear. I too, own the French Organ one ... it's a little dissapointing from the Widor point of view, as the versions are not like my recordings ... such is the world of public domain music.

[acc]

I too, own the French Organ one ... it's a little dissapointing from the Widor point of view, as the versions are not like my recordings ... such is the world of public domain music.

That's because Widor had his works edited several times during his life: at least four editions for Symphonies 1–4, the first in 1872 and the last in 1929!

Most recording artists use the edition that is still available from Leduc today, i.e. the 1929 edition, but cdsheetmusic have used a much earlier edition (1887 I think).

If you're really serious about getting into Widor scores, you should go for this edition. It's not cheap, but those bucks will be well spent.

[Contratrombone64]

acc - thanks for the link - I don't need them that badly - besides, they are too expensive.

[MartinH]

....I strongly favour the recording made by the Swede Hans Fagius who is an international concert organist and professor at the Royal Conservatory in Copenhagen, and who has performed 17 of 18 concerts in Sweden and Denmark this year featuring all of Bachs organ works, culminating next week with a perfomance of Dritter Teil der Klavierübung. I have attended several of the concerts, each of them breathtaking!

Yes, Tom - Hans Fagius really is the best! I get all inspirations for my bach-playing from him (his cds -nowadays they're quit cheap - I bought them for full priece - each for each, but I don't regret this at all). And the booklets are quite informative also, recording technique very good (although those were particularly made in the beginnings of digital recording-age).
But the most important: his playing (and the instruments) is really astonishing, clear, musically...
That's HIP in the best sense.

My absolute favorite..

(this is my first post: hello from germany and sorry for my english )

[PraeludiumUndFuge]

The eight Little Preludes And Fugues are almost certainly by Krebs or some other student of Bach's. The very clear Vivaldi-like sequential writing and overall simplicity I've come to recognize as attributes of J.T. Krebs' style.
It is very possible that BWV577 was written by one of Bach's students. Krebs (father or son) are usually the first to point to in these spurious works.
There are other organ works too, not considered spurious, which may point to a different composer than Bach. I surely have my doubts about some of them.

[Westhill]

Curious, but I feel I am Bach'd out. I have got to the point where there are to many notes - I like some of the 2 part keyboard works and the solo cello suites- but most of the organ works I just get incredibly tired in the ear by about the 4th bar.
Used to like the stuff but I must have over dosed.

I have a powdered wig for sale,
W

[NEB]

I'm getting that way as well Westhill. It goes in waves. I'm going to give Bach a rest in the next season in favour of moderately light hearted more contemporary/current exponents...

I think congregations get tired of hearing Bach as well. They don't tend to notice that it is x prelude and fugue or y fantasia or z chorale prelude and so forth, they just hear more in exactly the same style, and they get weary of it too imo. Earlier in this season I was looking at just how much Bach I was playing (in another thread) and frankly it is way too much for the musical diet to be in any way considered balanced.

That said, there are certain pieces that just 'fit' the year such as - topical - Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund - which I play every year before the main Good Friday service.

[JONESEY]

I haven't had too much Bach yet, but I'm careful to only play a piece or two every now and again. I find that when new pieces are dropped in, people take far more notice of what you're playing.

I do envy you guys who have Choirs etc to accompany - the Church I play for is very small and doesn't have a Choir, or any set music for Easter etc.
I also don't get enough services to play for, but hopefully that will come in time.

[Corno Dolce]

Too much JSBach??????? NYET!!!!!!!

[Krummhorn]

Those are good points, NEB ...

My congregation lives for Bach ... it's about the only music they actually listen to during the preludes. When Bach is used for a postlude, about 30 people (and the choir) remain to listen to the entire piece ... no other composer gets that kind of treatment usually.

[methodistgirl]

My church is also like that Krummhorn. Paul will sit at the organ and
play air by Bach or anything except Toccata & fugue after church.
I don't think Toccata & fugue would work after church services are
over. Sometimes even Mozart gets played.

[Krummhorn]

I've done the T & F a couple of times for a prelude on special days ... last time was when Halloween fell on a Sunday. It's often overused at recitals - there are lots of other equally enjoyable works of Bach that deliver the same 'punch'.

[methodistgirl]

I have a cd called relaxing Bach. The music is soft and very beautiful.
judy tooley