Bach Favorites

J.S. Bach (Artist), Ormandy (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 20, 1989)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: CBS Masterworks
• ASIN: B0000025WJ
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,564 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #86 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Vocal Non-Opera > Songs & Lieder > General

Track Listings

1. Cantata No. 147, 'Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben,' BWV 147 (BC A174): Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, arr by Lucien Caillet

2. Partita for solo violin No. 3 in E major, BWV 1006: Preludium in E Major, arr for orchestra by Kreisler & William Smith

3. Cantata No. 208, 'Was mir behagt,' (Hunt Cantata), BWV 208 (BC G1, G3): Sheep May Safely Graze, arr for orchestra by William Walton

4. Cantata No. 140, 'Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme,' BWV 140 (BC A166): Sleepers, Awake

5. Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068: Air

6. Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, chorale prelude for organ (formerly BWV 720): Arr for orchestra by Arthur Harris

7. Toccata and Fugue, for organ in D minor, BWV 565 (BC J37)

8. Fugue for organ in G minor ('Little'), BWV 578 (BC J66): Arr for orchestra by William Smith

9. Fantasia and Fugue, for organ in G minor ('Great'), BWV 542 (BC J42, 57, 67): Fugue, arr for orchestra by William Smith

10. Work(s): Arioso, arr for orchestra by William Smith

11. Notebooks for Anna Magdalena Bach, manuscript sources (2) of sacred songs and keyboard pieces (30): Minuet in G major, arr for orches

12. Bist du bei mir, aria arranged for voice & continuo (after Gottfried Stölzel), BWV 508: Arr for orchestra by Thomas Frost

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent intro to "classical" music, December 23, 1999

By 

Ed Lieser (Cleveland, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bach Favorites (Audio CD)

I would recommend this as an excellent introduction to classical music for those looking for an entry point. The pieces are familiar to most everyone, and are quite beautifully orchestrated. I have purchased better than 5 copies and given them as gifts to neophytes, with good results. I really love the "Preludium in E Major," and "Sleepers, Awake" will melt anyone's heart. And you can't beat the price!

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, Magnificent...Very Fine Performances, May 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Bach Favorites (Audio CD)

Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra bring out so much beauty in these masterpieces. No words of mine can adequately describe the perfection and mystery of these glorious masterpieces, and no praise of mine can adequately describe the beautiful sound of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Ormandy's incomparable conducting.

The Toccata and Fugue arranged for orchestra sounds even better than it does on organ, and A Mighty Fortress is Our God sounds so glorious, words fail to describe its power and majesty. Sleepers Awake feels so spiritual...so moving...

Of course, these performances are on modern instruments, and many of them are arranged or transcribed, but with such fine performances it doesn't matter. I have witnessed people who never appreciated Bach before fall in love with his music after listening to this album. Kiri Te Kanawa's Ave Maria album has a really great Bist du bei mir, but the arrangement here sounds very, very moving also. The entire performance of the beautiful "Little Suite" from the Anna Magdalena notebook by Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra may be found on the "Baroque Masterpieces" CD from Sony Classical. Please also consider buying recordings of Bach's cantatas, since many of the pieces here were actually meant for both chorus and orchestra.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Value, May 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bach Favorites (Audio CD)

If you love these Bach pieces and would enjoy hearing excerpts beautifully played by one the best sounding modern orchestras, this disc is for you. Excellent value.