Johann Sebastian Bach(1685-1750)
  Organ Toccatas & Schubler Chorales

Toccata & Fugue in D minor BWV 538
Toccata & Fugue in F major BWV 540
Toccata & Fugue in C major BWV 564
Toccata & Fugue in D minor BWV 565
Schubler Chorales BWV 645-650

Harmonia Mundi 907249
Recorded January 2000
Organ of Trinity College, Cambridge
John Butt, Organ
TT 67:02

John Butt has been recording on Harmonia Mundi for many years and has a
fine reputation.  Any reservations expressed about his performances tend
to question whether Butt places too much emphasis on architecture at some
expense to conveying emotional breadth.  Concerning the present Bach
recording, I am familiar with three reviews.  One on the Classics Today
website finds the disc about the best single-disc Bach recital recording
on the market.  The second, in Fanfare Magazine, raises the common issue
of Butt's emphasis on architecture.  The third, American Record Guide, is
luke-warm; toccatas are preferred to fugues, and the Schubler Chorales are
not excellent.

After listening to the disc and many comparison recordings of each work,
I'm not convinced that Butt is a master of architectural decision making;
in fact, I feel he has a less than advantageous grasp.  His performances
are beset with a host of problems that crop up regularly: very quick
performances which are not exciting, uneven flows and choppiness,
shortened/clipped note values, poor balance among voices, and thin
textures.  Also, Butt is no expert at bringing out the beauty of Bach's
music.

The least rewarding parts of the disc are the Toccata sections and the
Schubler Chorales; that only leaves the Fugues where Butt is excellent
although not as good as the best alternatives.  Overall, there's not a
work on the disc that would keep me coming back for more.

My journey through the recording follows:

Toccata & Fugue in D minor, BWV 538 - My standard bearers for this work
are the Karl Richter performances on DG and Teldec.  The music is massive
in that it seems to have infinite weight, and Richter's slow performances
are like granite.  They also squeeze out every bit of poetry and elgance
that the work has to offer; there's great beauty in both the Toccata and
the Fugue.

Butt doesn't find much beauty in the Toccata; at a quick tempo, his
phrasing does not flow well nor does it sound natural.  The Toccata,
involving a conversation between two manuals, loses some of its
conversational impact in Butt's hands.

The Fugue finds Butt in better form.  He uses interesting rhythms which
might be a little choppy at times but invest the music with an appealing
bounce.  Butt is certainly massive in his approach and takes no back seat
to Richter in this respect.  Overall, Butt's BWV 538 is a good performance
let down some by his Prelude; both Richter issues are easy to obtain and
represent a significantly more rewarding proposition.

Toccata & Fugue in F major, BWV 540 - Here's another massive work with
the Toccata taking us on a streaking trip to other worlds and the Fugue
conveying such strength and beauty that it doesn't seem possible that this
creation comes from a mortal being.  Lionel Rogg's version on Harmonia
Mundi is a work of genius, and it times out at exactly the same time as
Butt's version - 13:44.  Clearly, Butt has no problem at all being massive
and all-enveloping.  But again, as in his BWV 538, he's a little choppy
when compared to Rogg whose 'streaking' element is much stronger.  In the
Fugue, Butt comes back with a slam-bam reading of great impact which
doesn't scrimp on the music's beauty.  I still prefer Rogg for this work,
but John Butt is not far behind.

Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C major, BWV 564 - Butt is very playful
and strong in the Toccata; however, his note values sound a little clipped
in the second section.  In the Adagio, Butt's registrations are not the
most pleasing, creating a whine in the upper voice's embellished melody.
Matters improve greatly in the Fugue where Butt is fast and sounds like
he's having a great time; still, the reading can't compare to Martin
Lucker's majestic interpretation on Hanssler.  My basic impression of
Butt's BWV 564 is that he always provides ample strength but the musical
artistry leaves a little to be desired.

Toccata & Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 - Regardless of authorship, I love
this work for its power, fury, and macabre atmosphere.  Gustav Leonhardt
on Sony/Seon is 'hell on wheels' with a sharp and bold account.  For
those preferring a richer sound, Hannes Kastner on Laserlight is immensely
enjoyable.  Unfortunately, Butt pretty much 'strikes out' on this one.  He
has a penchant for shortened note values in the Toccata which diminishes
the music's breadth of power; in the Fugue, the 'echo' phrases are too
distant - yes, that's correct; echos can be too far away.  For me, this
greatly dampens the drive of the music.

Schubler Chorales - It's hard to match Lionel Rogg and Helmut Walcha in BWV
645 which is called the 'Wake-Up' Chorale.  Butt is imaginative in his use
of a trumpet-sounding registration in the first 'sighing' melody; however,
it later gets drowned out by the second melody with a resulting failure to
achieve balance and the interaction of voices.  This work is another
non-competitive one on Butt's part.

BWV 646 addresses the plight of the sinner who can be saved by winging his
way to God.  Butt doesn't exactly wing along; he tends to skip along.  I
don't have any problem with this technique, but his registrations are too
soft of tone.  There's nothing memorable here.  In BWV 647, Butt reduces
note values and takes a slightly choppy approach; I prefer Christopher
Herrick's fuller textures and legato regimen.

Butt finally provides full satisfaction with a legato reading of BWV 648
which is as slow and rewarding as the Jacob performance on EMI.  But then
Butt falls back into his rather choppy and uneven flows for the last two
Schubler Chorales.

Don's Conclusions: Not recommended.  I personally feel that Butt's quest
to be distinctive has merely resulted in quirky performances.  That he does
go the extra mile to provide readings not fully in the mainstream is
appreciated.  You win some, you lose some - Mr. Butt just happens to lose
this time around.  I do want to emphasize that since Classics Today states
that the performances are a "magnificent achievement", there's obviously a
segment of Bach enthusiasts which does not share my views.

Don Satz
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