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Wed, 24 Nov 1999 13:40:10 PST |
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Christopher Herrick initiated his Bach organ works series for Hyperion
a few years ago. For some unexplainable reason, I've consistently had
trouble keeping up with purchase of each volume in the series. But, on a
cd buying jaunt to Santa Fe (I'm in Albuquerque), I found the missing link
- Herrick's 2-cd set of the Schubler, Leipzig, and Kirnberger Chorales.
It's such great music, and Herrick does it proud.
There have been some criticisms of Herrick's Bach in reviews I've read.
Herrick gives us a very rich organ sound every time that I can't resist.
I think his series is better than Bowyer's for Nimbus and of similar
quality to the Preston cd's on DG. It's clearly very different than
Koopman's for Teldec which is on the side of historical accuracy. I
like Koopman very much, but I do prefer Herrick slightly.
I was listening last night to the Herrick set at a low volume out of
respect for my wife's distaste for Bach organ music. But, she decided to
take a shower, so I cranked the volume way up. Wow! The music sounded
fantastic. That's the sign of great music, recorded sound, and performance
quality - the louder you make it, the better you like it. If the
relationship is inverse, you know you have a clunker. Go ahead, dispute
that.
I have a theory that those who dislike Gardiner's Bach Mass in B minor
never play it at a very loud level, and subsequently consider it weak and
bloodless (I like that term). This theory is likely garbage, but I like
thinking that way.
Back to the organ. Of all of Bach's works, his organ compositions seem to
be mentioned the least on the list. Why would that be? Is the organ too
severe an instrument? Do folks have bad dreams after listening to it?
Don Satz
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