Customer Reviews

Bach: Organ Spectacular [DVD Audio]

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In most home playback systems, the biggest difference between listening to a stereo CD at home vs. hearing a live concert is the sense of space. Stereo playback simply can't convey the 3D ambiance of a concert hall. An increased sense of a realistic performing space is the single most important advance that surround playback via DVD-Audio can offer. Virtually all styles of music can benefit from surround sound, and I imagine many classical fans have high hopes that surround playback can bring us a significant step closer to an excellent concert hall musical experience.

Certainly an organ performance in a church is a highly distinctive setting rich in reverberant, spatial information. I believe that these "famous organ works by Bach" performed by Ton Koopman is the first DVD-A of solo organ. First, let me say that the audible sense of the church's space here is wonderful, making it the most realistic organ recording I've ever heard; there's a palpable feeling of this acoustic space. This can be a mixed blessing, for while this recording starts to sound like what you would hear in a real church, this also means you are hearing lots of echoing sound, meaning that sometimes Bach's glorious, intricate counterpoint (especially in rapid passages, of course) is obscured. Ideally I'd want the recording engineers to let me hear the primary sound more clearly, along with the spatial echoes. Perhaps this is impossible, or too unnatural?

Koopman has recorded lots of Bach, and here he performs on an excellent, historically correct organ, built in 1727 (ie, during Bach's lifetime). Apparently Koopman has a distinguished reputation, but for some reason these performances did not strongly engage me. He sometimes seems to clearly avoid cautious, controlled playing (admirable), but, for example, his performance of the famous Toccata & Fugue in D minor comes across to me as rushed, almost cavalier. Other performances seem to range from straightforward to good, but for some reason are almost always uninvolving to me.

There are some extras on the DVD, the booklet is thorough, and overall this release is a conscientious presentation. If you are interested in a spatially realistic recording in the first organ DVD-A, you should check this out. Even though I have some reservations regarding the performance, I give it 4 stars for the wonderful ambiance (previously never heard in home playback).

This is my second DVD-audio. I actually bought a sub-woofer because of this DVD-audio (a Hsu VTF-2). Everything is perfectly in place in this DVD-audio. The great interpretation, the choice of music, the sound take, the sense of space, the echo, the different registers chosen, the feeling of being there in a church. I never liked Low Frequency effect in movies, they seemed to be too gimmicky to me, but in that recording you feel the organ pedal, and this amplify your sense of being in a Church surronded by chords reverberation. Fantastic, this is better that any of my 500+ cds or 2000 LPs. I am now a DVD-audio convert. I am only sorry that SACD and DVD-audio will compete instead of having a single high-end audio standard.

This recital of familiar Bach organ works performed by Ton Koopman is a very good one he mixes favorites like the Toccata & Fugue and the Passacaglia & Fugue with lesser known chorale preludes I feel that Mr. Koopman uses some good taste and imagination in his choices of registration and ornamentation. Or in other words he doesn't get carried away with playing these works, he lets the music speak for itself. This recital comes from an excellent set of recordings on the Teldec label which seems to be leading the way in DVD-Audio releases. Since I'm only playing this disc on a DVD-Video player I cannot comment on some of the added features on the disc, I can say that this is a good recital performed on the Muller Organ in the Grote Kerk Leeuwarden which sounds like a perfect organ for these works. Here's hoping for more!

Ton Koopman has undeniable skills at the keyboard. However, as a European virtuoso he surely should know that one must take the acoustic of the environment into consideration. He plays everything on the disk at a pace too rapid for the reverberant room. The recording is OK, but not any better than a standard CD. In fact, if you want great Bach, on a terrific organ, and wonderfully remastered on CD, get "Great Organ Favorites", E. Power Biggs on the Harvard Folentropp organ, recorded about 1960!
Unless you need to have multiple Bach recordings, skip this one.

I was simply stunned by this recording. Ton Koopman's virtuousity is undeniable, and he does a brilliant job interpreting these works. Of course his "Toccata and Fuge" is a showpiece; it has to be, but the performance does not let down from there. Even the less-familiar works are spectacular.

I'm not ordinarily a fan of Bach; I bought this disc initially just to support the continued production of classical music in high-resolution multi-channel formats. However, after a single, stunning listening session with a magnificent performer and a marvelous instrument, this disc has found a permanent home in my DVD-A changer.

I bought this DVD-Audio title based on recommendations from Sound and Vision magazine. I wanted to hear this great version of the Toccata and Fugue. The sound is ok...the playing is not. It started off the with the first few notes. He adds trills to the notes where they are not written that way. It does not get better from there. The playing is rushed, muddy, and with no passion. Compare this to my favorite version by Peter Hurford (Toccata and Fugue, Great Organ works on London records) and there is no comparsion.

This is an excellent disc. The sound is the best and clearest organ rendition i have heard. Best heard with large speakers. The playing tends toward the expressive and is less deliberate than I am used to but certainly the artist is entitled to interpret as he feels the music.

While this is a magnificent example of 5.1 audio, the performance is almost entirely without merit.

As others have mentioned, Koopman seems to have little regard for the profound reverb which characterizes the environment in which he is performing.

That being said, the audio engineering of this disc is wonderful. The acoustic environment and instrument are heard here in their full glory. This kind of recording is a powerful argument for 5.1 audio recordings of classical music.

This was some of the worst Bach playing I have every heard. There was no clear rythmic meter to his playing, more like a jumble of notes. A clear disappoint especially compared to his much earlier recording made in the early 1980's. The sound was not particularly spectcular and seemed to be deficient in the lower end. There are far better recordings in performance and sound. A clear disappointment

All I can say is this sounds really good on DVD Audio. I bought this for that reason, and I am more than happy with the purchase. This is one to listen to loud! The arrangements are a little slower than I was accustomed to, but I quite like them.