36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome Transfer, June 12, 2003
This review is from: Bach: The Four Great Toccatas and Fugues [SACD] (Audio CD)
Judging by the liner notes, this was one of the first albums to be made in quadrophonic sound. I never heard that version, but I have to admit, this version is pretty awesome. This was recorded in a church with four organs. You can hear the different organs in each of the speakers and if you close your eyes, you can almost imagine that you are in a magnificent cathedral in Germany somewhere. The crispness and clarity of SACD comes out and the warmth of the organs comes out very well. I hope that this format sticks around because I am getting more and more impressed with it as I listen to new CDs of it.
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32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
most impressive SACD recording and music, November 22, 2003
This review is from: Bach: The Four Great Toccatas and Fugues [SACD] (Audio CD)
This the best multi-channel SACD I have heard to date. Contrary to many other SACD discs, the volume on the surround channels is quite loud and localizable, on purpose because of the 4 organs.
As a huge fan of J.S. Bach, I was truly delighted by the interpretation from E. Power Biggs. His odd choice of registers make it a bit surreal. Overall, it's a very moving recording.
Congratulations to Sony for getting both the recording and the music right.
I have a feeling it will be a long time before this disc gets replaced in my 5-disc SACD changer.
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29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Still a Fun Recording after all these years!, June 7, 2004
This review is from: Bach: The Four Great Toccatas and Fugues [SACD] (Audio CD)
The first time I heard this recording is when my older brother
brought home his "QUADRAPHONIC" home audio system and a copy of
the LP version of this SACD. It was quite an amazing sound back
then. Unfortunately it was way ahead of its time. Fast forward
a few years in time. I the proud owner of a CD player buy the
CD issue of the same album on CBS MK 42643 hoping that I would
hear the same sounds I heard on my brothers LP. No such luck all
I heard was the stereo version of the recording. Today I bought
the SACD version, I started the player I heard the organs the
same way I had back in the Seventies, only sounding better than
before! I can only hope that Sony will find the time to issue
Mr. Biggs other Freiburg recording on CD and SACD as well
as his recordings in the Thomaskirche As for this recording the
Toccata and Fugue in d minor is really the longest and
one of the most interesting versions I have ever heard. The
other Toccatas and Fugues also recieve wonderful perfomances
here too. I have always imagined that Mr. Biggs must have had
a good time arrainging these works for Four Organs. I am happy
that some of the old quadraphonic recordings are finally seeing
the laser light of day.
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