Simon Preston - J.S. Bach: Organ Works (2000)
Artist: Simon Preston
Title: J.S. Bach: Organ Works
Year Of Release: 2000
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Genre: Classical/organ
Quality: FLAC (image+.cue,log,scans)
Total Size: 4.12 GB
WebSite: Album Preview
Tracklist:Title: J.S. Bach: Organ Works
Year Of Release: 2000
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Genre: Classical/organ
Quality: FLAC (image+.cue,log,scans)
Total Size: 4.12 GB
WebSite: Album Preview
1. Trio Sonata No.1 In E Flat Major, Bwv 525
2. Trio Sonata No.1 In E Flat Major, Bwv 525
3. Trio Sonata No.1 In E Flat Major, Bwv 525
4. Trio Sonata No.2 In C Minor, Bwv 526
5. Trio Sonata No.2 In C Minor, Bwv 526
6. Trio Sonata No.2 In C Minor, Bwv 526
7. Trio Sonata No.3 In D Minor, Bwv 527
8. Trio Sonata No.3 In D Minor, Bwv 527
9. Trio Sonata No.3 In D Minor, Bwv 527
10. Trio Sonata No.4 In E Minor, Bwv 528
11. Trio Sonata No.4 In E Minor, Bwv 528
12. Trio Sonata No.4 In E Minor, Bwv 528
13. Trio Sonata No.5 In C Major, Bwv 529
14. Trio Sonata No.5 In C Major, Bwv 529
15. Trio Sonata No.5 In C Major, Bwv 529
16. Trio Sonata No.6 In G Major, Bwv 530
17. Trio Sonata No.6 In G Major, Bwv 530
18. Trio Sonata No.6 In G Major, Bwv 530
19. Prelude & Fuge In C Major, Bwv 531
20. Prelude & Fuge In C Major, Bwv 531
21. Prelude & Fuge In E Minor, Bwv 533
22. Prelude & Fuge In E Minor, Bwv 533
23. Prelude & Fuge In F Minor, Bwv 534
24. Prelude & Fuge In F Minor, Bwv 534
25. Prelude & Fuge In G Minor, Bwv 535
26. Prelude & Fuge In G Minor, Bwv 535
27. Prelude & Fuge In A Minor, Bwv 536
28. Prelude & Fuge In A Minor, Bwv 536
29. Fantasia & Fugue In C Minor, Bwv 537
30. Fantasia & Fugue In C Minor, Bwv 537
31. Toccata & Fugue Bwv 538 "Dorian"
32. Toccata & Fugue Bwv 538 "Dorian"
33. Prelude & Fugue In D Minor, Bwv 539
34. Prelude & Fugue In D Minor, Bwv 539
35. Prelude & Fugue In G Major, Bwv 541
36. Prelude & Fugue In G Major, Bwv 541
37. Prelude & Fugue In G Minor, Bwv 535a
38. Prelude & Fugue In G Minor, Bwv 535a
39. Toccata & Fugue In F Major, Bwv 540
40. Toccata & Fugue In F Major, Bwv 540
41. Fantasia & Fugue In G Minor, Bwv 542
42. Fantasia & Fugue In G Minor, Bwv 542
43. Prelude & Fugue In A Minor, Bwv 543
44. Prelude & Fugue In A Minor, Bwv 543
45. Prelude & Fugue In B Minor, Bwv 544
46. Prelude & Fugue In B Minor, Bwv 544
47. Prelude & Fugue In C Major, Bwv 545
48. Prelude & Fugue In C Major, Bwv 545
49. Prelude & Fugue In C Minor, Bwv 546
50. Prelude & Fugue In C Minor, Bwv 546
51. Pedal-Exercitium Bwv 598
52. Prelude & Fugue In C Major, Bwv 547
53. Prelude & Fugue In C Major, Bwv 547
54. Prelude & Fugue In E Minor, Bwv 548
55. Prelude & Fugue In E Minor, Bwv 548
56. Prelude & Fugue In C Minor, Bwv 549
57. Prelude & Fugue In C Minor, Bwv 549
58. Prelude & Fugue In G Major, Bwv 550
59. Prelude & Fugue In G Major, Bwv 550
60. Prelude & Fugue In A Minor, Bwv 551
61. Prelude & Fugue In A Minor, Bwv 551
62. Fantasia In C Minor, Bwv 562
63. Fatasia (Con Imitazione) In B Minor, Bwv 563
64. Toccata, Adagio & Fugue In C Major, Bwv 564
65. Toccata, Adagio & Fugue In C Major, Bwv 564
66. Toccata, Adagio & Fugue In C Major, Bwv 564
67. Toccata & Fugue In D Minor, Bwv 565
68. Toccata & Fugue In D Minor, Bwv 565
69. Prelude & Fugue In D Major, Bwv 532
70. Prelude & Fugue In D Major, Bwv 532
71. Pastorale In F Major, Bwv 590
72. Pastorale In F Major, Bwv 590
73. Pastorale In F Major, Bwv 590
74. Pastorale In F Major, Bwv 590
75. Toccata (Prelude) & Fugue In E Major, Bwv 566
76. Toccata (Prelude) & Fugue In E Major, Bwv 566
77. Prelude In G Major, Bwv 568
78. Prelude In A Minor "Pro Organo Pleno", Bwv 569
79. Fantasia In C Major, Bwv 570
80. Fantasia In G Major, Bwv 572
81. Fantasia In G Major, Bwv 572
82. Fantasia In G Major, Bwv 572
83. Fugue On A Theme By Giovanni Legrenzi In C Minor, Bwv 574
84. Fugue In C Minor, Bwv 575
85. Fugue In G Major, Bwv 577
86. Fugue In G Minor, Bwv 578
87. Fugue On A Theme By Arcangelo Corelli In B Minor, Bwv 579
88. Passacaglia & Fugue In C Minor, Bwv 582
89. Passacaglia & Fugue In C Minor, Bwv 582
90. Trio In D Minor, Bwv 583
91. Trio In G Major, Bwv 586
92. Aria In F Major, Bwv 587
93. Canzona In D Minor, Bwv 588
94. Allabreve In D Major, Bwv 589
95. Concerto In D Minor, Bwv 596
96. Concerto In D Minor, Bwv 596
97. Concerto In D Minor, Bwv 596
98. Concerto In D Minor, Bwv 596
99. Concerto In D Minor, Bwv 596
100. Concerto In A Minor, Bwv 593
101. Concerto In A Minor, Bwv 593
102. Concerto In A Minor, Bwv 593
103. Concerto In C Major, Bwv 594
104. Concerto In C Major, Bwv 594
105. Concerto In C Major, Bwv 594
106. Concerto In G Major, Bwv 592
107. Concerto In G Major, Bwv 592
108. Concerto In G Major, Bwv 592
109. Concerto In C Major, Bwv 595
110. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 599
111. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 600
112. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 601
113. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 602
114. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 603
115. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 604
116. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 605
117. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 606
118. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 607
119. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 608
120. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 609
121. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 610
122. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 611
123. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 612
124. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 613
125. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 614
126. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 615
127. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 616
128. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 617
129. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 618
130. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 619
131. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 620
132. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 621
133. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 622
134. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 623
135. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 624
136. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 625
137. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 626
138. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 627
139. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 628
140. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 629
141. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 630
142. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 631
143. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 632
144. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 633
145. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 634
146. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 635
147. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 636
148. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 637
149. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 638
150. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 639
151. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 640
152. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 641
153. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 642
154. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 643
155. Orgelbuchlein Bwv 644
156. Six Chorales Of Diverse Kinds Bwv 645 ("Schubler" Chorales)
157. Six Chorales Of Diverse Kinds Bwv 646 ("Schubler" Chorales)
158. Six Chorales Of Diverse Kinds Bwv 647 ("Schubler" Chorales)
159. Six Chorales Of Diverse Kinds Bwv 648 ("Schubler" Chorales)
160. Six Chorales Of Diverse Kinds Bwv 649 ("Schubler" Chorales)
161. Six Chorales Of Diverse Kinds Bwv 650 ("Schubler" Chorales)
162. Eighteen Chorales Of Diverse Kinds (1) ("Leipzig" Chorales) Bwv 651
163. Eighteen Chorales Of Diverse Kinds (1) ("Leipzig" Chorales) Bwv 652
164. Eighteen Chorales Of Diverse Kinds (1) ("Leipzig" Chorales) Bwv 653
165. Eighteen Chorales Of Diverse Kinds (1) ("Leipzig" Chorales) Bwv 654
166. Eighteen Chorales Of Diverse Kinds (1) ("Leipzig" Chorales) Bwv 655
167. Eighteen Chorales Of Diverse Kinds (1) ("Leipzig" Chorales) Bwv 656
168. Eighteen Chorales Of Diverse Kinds (1) ("Leipzig" Chorales) Bwv 657
169. Eighteen Chorales Of Diverse Kinds (1) ("Leipzig" Chorales) Bwv 658
170. Eighteen Chorales Of Diverse Kinds (2) ("Leipzig" Chorales) Bwv 659
171. Eighteen Chorales Of Diverse Kinds (2) ("Leipzig" Chorales) Bwv 660
172. Eighteen Chorales Of Diverse Kinds (2) ("Leipzig" Chorales) Bwv 661
173. Eighteen Chorales Of Diverse Kinds (2) ("Leipzig" Chorales) Bwv 662
174. Eighteen Chorales Of Diverse Kinds (2) ("Leipzig" Chorales) Bwv 663
175. Eighteen Chorales Of Diverse Kinds (2) ("Leipzig" Chorales) Bwv 664
176. Eighteen Chorales Of Diverse Kinds (2) ("Leipzig" Chorales) Bwv 665
177. Eighteen Chorales Of Diverse Kinds (2) ("Leipzig" Chorales) Bwv 666
178. Eighteen Chorales Of Diverse Kinds (2) ("Leipzig" Chorales) Bwv 667
179. Prelude In E Flat Major, Bwv 552/1
180. Chorale Setting Bwv 669
181. Chorale Setting Bwv 670
182. Chorale Setting Bwv 671
183. Chorale Setting Bwv 672
184. Chorale Setting Bwv 673
185. Chorale Setting Bwv 674
186. Chorale Settings Bwv 675
187. Chorale Settings Bwv 676
188. Chorale Settings Bwv 677
189. Chorale Settings Bwv 678
190. Chorale Settings Bwv 679
191. Chorale Settings Bwv 680
192. Chorale Settings Bwv 681
193. Chorale Settings Bwv 682
194. Chorale Settings Bwv 683
195. Chorale Settings Bwv 684
196. Chorale Settings Bwv 685
197. Chorale Settings Bwv 686
198. Chorale Settings Bwv 687
199. Chorale Settings Bwv 688
200. Chorale Settings Bwv 689
201. Four Duets Bwv 802
202. Four Duets Bwv 803
203. Four Duets Bwv 804
204. Four Duets Bwv 805
205. Fugue In E Flat Major, Bwv 552/2
206. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 690
207. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 691
208. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 692
209. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 693
210. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 694
211. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 695
212. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 696
213. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 697
214. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 698
215. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 699
216. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 700
217. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 701
218. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 702
219. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 703
220. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 704
221. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 705
222. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 706
223. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 707
224. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 708
225. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 709
226. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 710
227. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 711
228. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 712
229. "Kirnberger" Chorales Bwv 713
230. Ein' Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott Bwv 720
231. Ach Gott Und Herr Bwv 714
232. Allein Gott In Der Hoh Sei Ehr Bwv 715
233. Fuga Super: Allein Gott In Der Hoh Sei Ehr Bwv 716
234. Allein Gott In Der Hoh Sei Ehr Bwv 717
235. Christ Lag In Todesbanden Bwv 718
236. Chorale Settings Bwv 721
237. Chorale Settings Bwv 722
238. Chorale Settings Bwv 723
239. Chorale Settings Bwv 724
240. Chorale Settings Bwv 726
241. Chorale Settings Bwv 727
242. Chorale Settings Bwv 728
243. Chorale Settings Bwv 729
244. Chorale Settings Bwv 730
245. Chorale Settings Bwv 731
246. Chorale Settings Bwv 732
247. Chorale Settings Bwv 733
248. Chorale Settings Bwv 734
249. Chorale Settings Bwv 735
250. Chorale Settings Bwv 736
251. Chorale Settings Bwv 737
252. Chorale Settings Bwv 738
253. Chorale Settings Bwv 739
254. Chorale Settings Bwv 741
255. Chorale Settings Bwv 753
256. Chorale Settings Bwv 764
257. Heer Christ, Der Ein'ge Gottes-Sohn Bwv Anh.Ii/55
258. O Lamm Gottes, Unschuldig (Without Bwv Number
259. Christ, Der Du Bist Der Helle Tag Bwv 766
260. O Gott, Du Frommer Gott Bwv 767
261. Sei Gegrusset, Jesu Gutig Bwv 768
262. Ach, Was Soll Ich Sunder Machen Bwv 770
263. Canonic Variations On The Christmas Hymn "Vom Himmel Hoch, Da Homm Ich Her" Bwv
264. Canonic Variations On The Christmas Hymn "Vom Himmel Hoch, Da Homm Ich Her" Bwv
265. Canonic Variations On The Christmas Hymn "Vom Himmel Hoch, Da Homm Ich Her" Bwv
266. Canonic Variations On The Christmas Hymn "Vom Himmel Hoch, Da Homm Ich Her" Bwv
267. Canonic Variations On The Christmas Hymn "Vom Himmel Hoch, Da Homm Ich Her" Bwv
Over the course of the last 12 years Simon Preston has been recording Bach’s organ music for DG, and while some of these discs have been released individually during that time, many are appearing here for the first time. More than that, some of the earlier recordings have been rejected in favour of more recent ones: I’m glad that his 1992 recording of the ‘Schubler’ Chorales (6/92) has been substituted by an altogether more relaxed and elegant version, recorded in late 1999, in which he not only seems more in sympathy with the music but also feels less inclined to treat it as the latest Olympic athletics event; BWV645 takes the best part of a minute longer in this new recording and benefits enormously from it. A total of 10 organs has been used (every one, as they say, a winner) and the booklet includes adequate historic information, specifications and photographs (although none of Preston’s registrations is detailed), as well as brief, rather basic notes and a somewhat superficial interview with Preston himself.
Of course it is nigh on impossible to be complete when it comes to Bach’s organ works – perhaps only Kevin Bowyer (for Nimbus) can guarantee completeness by recording everything Bach wrote, has ever been alleged to have written, or hasn’t written but has at some stage been accused of writing – and the declared policy here is to record only works which ‘can reasonably be attributed to Bach’. Even so, many will argue with the final choices, and, for my part, the absence of the ‘Neumeister’ Chorales seems an odd omission, especially since the authenticity of 30 of them has been put more than reasonably beyond doubt since their discovery in 1985.
There again, if there are any omissions from a Preston cycle it seems best that they come from the chorale-based works. For it is here that Preston is at his weakest. He seems unable, or unwilling, to allow the merest whiff of a legato tone to creep into his playing, with the result that small works relying on the prominence of a choral melody seem to lose their raison d’etre and many (for example BWV632) seem to lose contact with the choral line altogether. Some become very disjointed (BWV622) while others hurry by with little sense of direction. Preston does give us plenty of lovely organ sound (for all its hyperactive staccatissimo BWV701 presents a captivating aural portrait of the Nyborg church instrument built in 1973 by the Danish firm of Anderson), but lovely organ sound on its own soon palls when faced with 146 chorale-based pieces all played with little regard for melody. Nevertheless, some of these performances are more than satisfying; the five sets of Chorale Partitas are magnificently handled, and taken as a whole Preston’s strongly focused drive through the Orgelbuchlein is especially rewarding. It is also noticeable that in the recordings of chorale-based works made after 1998 Preston seems altogether more lyrical. Another decade, and perhaps he will begin to offer credible competition to Marie-Claire Alain (on Erato), who remains in my view the undisputed champion of the Chorale Prelude on disc.
In the printed interview Preston describes the Trio Sonatas as ‘the sort of music that, if you play it continually, puts you on top of almost anything’. Certainly from a technical standpoint his are matchless performances of the six Sonatas. Co-ordination, articulation and clarity of detail are immaculate. A decade or so ago such performances would have been irresistible. Unfortunately both Christopher Herrick (Hyperion, 11/90) and Ton Koopman (Teldec, 7/96) have revealed a degree of wit (if not outright humour), charm, grace and genuine humanity in these works which raises their accounts above the ‘technical exercise’ school of playing that seems to find its zenith in Preston’s recording made in 1993 and issued singly (on which occasion I described his playing as ‘treading on broken glass’). He is perhaps not helped by the 17-stop Klais in Blankenberg near Bonn, which has enough variety for the three movements of a single Trio Sonata but has its resources stretched to the limit over the 18 movements of all six Sonatas.
Five Concerto transcriptions are included here (BWV597, certainly not by Bach, is obviously excluded) and in each, Preston continues Bach’s work by performing them as true virtuoso organ works. Aided by the stunning Lubeck Cathedral organ (though the recording gives a most peculiar perspective and it is remarkable how different this same instrument sounds on the Sony recording of around the same time – nla – by the late Nicholas Danby) these Concertos are vivid, vivacious and magnificent in their virtuosity. Again we have plenty of evidence of Preston’s pathological hatred of sustained tone, and as a result there is articulation of almost dazzling clarity as well as a sense of energy which can become rather exhausting. With the exception of those passages (such as occur in the final movement of BWV594) where Bach gives merely a literal transcription of a violin solo cadenza, Preston’s approach makes good musical sense and can be quite invigorating, but whilst John Duarte, in his review of this disc when it appeared in 1988, recommended it as the only available recording of the five Concertos, subsequent competition from almost a dozen others knocks away much of its lustre. As with the Trio Sonatas, Preston’s playing seems almost mechanical set against the likes of Bowyer, Herrick and Franz Hauk (on Opus Magnum – nla – but due for re-release by Guild).
It is, though, in the great fugues, the preludes, Passacaglia and, above all, the toccatas that Preston is at his most impressive. There is no doubt that he ranks as one of the great organ virtuosos of our time, and with his technical bravado and wonderfully incisive feel for rhythm Preston gives us some of the most exciting and rewarding accounts of these works ever recorded. The gloriously gutsy Wagner organ of Trondheim Cathedral (the only genuine baroque instrument of the 10 used) provides the ideal setting for Preston’s sturdy account of BWV552, the Klais of St John’s Smith Square provides a suitably majestic vehicle for a sumptuously regal account of BWV547, and Tonbridge School’s 1995 Marcussen proves to be an inspired choice for the sunnier works (such as BWV531 and 541), although it lacks quite the right degree of gravitas for the ‘Dorian’ Toccata (BWV538).
Intelligent choice of instrument is one thing, but add to this Preston’s sizzling fingerwork and unfailingly apt choice of tempo, and every one of these large works (and many of the smaller ones) is transformed into something truly memorable. My personal favourites include: BWV564 – which, after an arresting opening flourish, commands our undivided attention through its erupting and cascading showers of notes; a beautifully lyrical adagio and a wonderfully ebullient Fugue – BWV542 – where he cleverly avoids any hint of pomposity in an otherwise statuesque account of the Fantasia on the full-blooded Sauer organ of St Peter’s Church, Waltrop); and best of all, the breathtakingly powerful sense of drive throughout the entire 14 minutes of the Passacaglia and Fugue, BWV582. Moreover few, if any, recordings have yielded quite such a convincing interpretation of BWV572, with its curious birdsong-like opening and closing movements framing a central grave, so often stodgy and out of proportion but here transformed into the centre of a scintillating triptych celebrating baroque magnificence and intricacy.
In short, then, this is a complete Bach with rather too many and too obvious weak links to make it an unreserved recommendation. If you must have a one-player box-set of Bach’s organ works (which is not something I would ever recommend) then go for Hurford’s 17-disc set – never quite as exciting as Preston, but never as irritating either. But I would urge anyone to buy Preston’s set on the strength of his matchless performances of the big, headline-grabbing works (which, after all, are the pieces most people would probably go for in choosing a complete Bach cycle), the splendid selection of organs and, not least, DG’s outstanding and vivid recordings. Supplement this with Herrick or Koopman for the Trio Sonatas, Herrick or Hauk for the Concertos and Alain for the Chorale Preludes and your library of Bach organ music will be the envy of the neighbourhood.'
Of course it is nigh on impossible to be complete when it comes to Bach’s organ works – perhaps only Kevin Bowyer (for Nimbus) can guarantee completeness by recording everything Bach wrote, has ever been alleged to have written, or hasn’t written but has at some stage been accused of writing – and the declared policy here is to record only works which ‘can reasonably be attributed to Bach’. Even so, many will argue with the final choices, and, for my part, the absence of the ‘Neumeister’ Chorales seems an odd omission, especially since the authenticity of 30 of them has been put more than reasonably beyond doubt since their discovery in 1985.
There again, if there are any omissions from a Preston cycle it seems best that they come from the chorale-based works. For it is here that Preston is at his weakest. He seems unable, or unwilling, to allow the merest whiff of a legato tone to creep into his playing, with the result that small works relying on the prominence of a choral melody seem to lose their raison d’etre and many (for example BWV632) seem to lose contact with the choral line altogether. Some become very disjointed (BWV622) while others hurry by with little sense of direction. Preston does give us plenty of lovely organ sound (for all its hyperactive staccatissimo BWV701 presents a captivating aural portrait of the Nyborg church instrument built in 1973 by the Danish firm of Anderson), but lovely organ sound on its own soon palls when faced with 146 chorale-based pieces all played with little regard for melody. Nevertheless, some of these performances are more than satisfying; the five sets of Chorale Partitas are magnificently handled, and taken as a whole Preston’s strongly focused drive through the Orgelbuchlein is especially rewarding. It is also noticeable that in the recordings of chorale-based works made after 1998 Preston seems altogether more lyrical. Another decade, and perhaps he will begin to offer credible competition to Marie-Claire Alain (on Erato), who remains in my view the undisputed champion of the Chorale Prelude on disc.
In the printed interview Preston describes the Trio Sonatas as ‘the sort of music that, if you play it continually, puts you on top of almost anything’. Certainly from a technical standpoint his are matchless performances of the six Sonatas. Co-ordination, articulation and clarity of detail are immaculate. A decade or so ago such performances would have been irresistible. Unfortunately both Christopher Herrick (Hyperion, 11/90) and Ton Koopman (Teldec, 7/96) have revealed a degree of wit (if not outright humour), charm, grace and genuine humanity in these works which raises their accounts above the ‘technical exercise’ school of playing that seems to find its zenith in Preston’s recording made in 1993 and issued singly (on which occasion I described his playing as ‘treading on broken glass’). He is perhaps not helped by the 17-stop Klais in Blankenberg near Bonn, which has enough variety for the three movements of a single Trio Sonata but has its resources stretched to the limit over the 18 movements of all six Sonatas.
Five Concerto transcriptions are included here (BWV597, certainly not by Bach, is obviously excluded) and in each, Preston continues Bach’s work by performing them as true virtuoso organ works. Aided by the stunning Lubeck Cathedral organ (though the recording gives a most peculiar perspective and it is remarkable how different this same instrument sounds on the Sony recording of around the same time – nla – by the late Nicholas Danby) these Concertos are vivid, vivacious and magnificent in their virtuosity. Again we have plenty of evidence of Preston’s pathological hatred of sustained tone, and as a result there is articulation of almost dazzling clarity as well as a sense of energy which can become rather exhausting. With the exception of those passages (such as occur in the final movement of BWV594) where Bach gives merely a literal transcription of a violin solo cadenza, Preston’s approach makes good musical sense and can be quite invigorating, but whilst John Duarte, in his review of this disc when it appeared in 1988, recommended it as the only available recording of the five Concertos, subsequent competition from almost a dozen others knocks away much of its lustre. As with the Trio Sonatas, Preston’s playing seems almost mechanical set against the likes of Bowyer, Herrick and Franz Hauk (on Opus Magnum – nla – but due for re-release by Guild).
It is, though, in the great fugues, the preludes, Passacaglia and, above all, the toccatas that Preston is at his most impressive. There is no doubt that he ranks as one of the great organ virtuosos of our time, and with his technical bravado and wonderfully incisive feel for rhythm Preston gives us some of the most exciting and rewarding accounts of these works ever recorded. The gloriously gutsy Wagner organ of Trondheim Cathedral (the only genuine baroque instrument of the 10 used) provides the ideal setting for Preston’s sturdy account of BWV552, the Klais of St John’s Smith Square provides a suitably majestic vehicle for a sumptuously regal account of BWV547, and Tonbridge School’s 1995 Marcussen proves to be an inspired choice for the sunnier works (such as BWV531 and 541), although it lacks quite the right degree of gravitas for the ‘Dorian’ Toccata (BWV538).
Intelligent choice of instrument is one thing, but add to this Preston’s sizzling fingerwork and unfailingly apt choice of tempo, and every one of these large works (and many of the smaller ones) is transformed into something truly memorable. My personal favourites include: BWV564 – which, after an arresting opening flourish, commands our undivided attention through its erupting and cascading showers of notes; a beautifully lyrical adagio and a wonderfully ebullient Fugue – BWV542 – where he cleverly avoids any hint of pomposity in an otherwise statuesque account of the Fantasia on the full-blooded Sauer organ of St Peter’s Church, Waltrop); and best of all, the breathtakingly powerful sense of drive throughout the entire 14 minutes of the Passacaglia and Fugue, BWV582. Moreover few, if any, recordings have yielded quite such a convincing interpretation of BWV572, with its curious birdsong-like opening and closing movements framing a central grave, so often stodgy and out of proportion but here transformed into the centre of a scintillating triptych celebrating baroque magnificence and intricacy.
In short, then, this is a complete Bach with rather too many and too obvious weak links to make it an unreserved recommendation. If you must have a one-player box-set of Bach’s organ works (which is not something I would ever recommend) then go for Hurford’s 17-disc set – never quite as exciting as Preston, but never as irritating either. But I would urge anyone to buy Preston’s set on the strength of his matchless performances of the big, headline-grabbing works (which, after all, are the pieces most people would probably go for in choosing a complete Bach cycle), the splendid selection of organs and, not least, DG’s outstanding and vivid recordings. Supplement this with Herrick or Koopman for the Trio Sonatas, Herrick or Hauk for the Concertos and Alain for the Chorale Preludes and your library of Bach organ music will be the envy of the neighbourhood.'
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