Customer Reviews

The Great Organ at Methuen - Bach: BWV 540, 542, 582, 643, & 737

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The only real problem with this disc is that it is too short! This is a very early Telarc, and unfortunately, the CDs were not made very long in those days, only 39:59 on my player. Don't be misled by the June 1979 recording date, the Soundstream digital recorder and those Schoeps Colette Series microphones could do the job.

The recording is really magnificent, about as close to 'like there' as one is likely to find with stereo, with a wide stereo image with realistic depth. The organ at the Methuen Memorial Music Hall in Methuen, Massachusetts is quite an instrument, capable of classic and romantic colorations and textures, according to the liner notes. Not being an expert on organs, one thing I do notice is the 32 foot Principal in the Pedals, with the low 16 Hz fundamental tones.

The famous Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, BWV 542, which begins the CD, is outstanding. One can hear immediately the outstanding presence of the recording and the immense power of the performances. One simply forgets about analysis and listens.

Thank God there is not another Toccata and Fugue in d minor here! Sure, it's a magnificent piece, but Heaven knows that has been recorded enough. Does it have to be on virtually every CD single of Bach organ music? Murray plays the Toccata in F Major, BWV 540, with great conviction, and the sound is magnificent. One wishes they had included the fugue that generally goes with it, but I did warn you this is an early CD, and they didn't make them very long then. Telarc really should reissue these performances on a CD with more items.

I found this to be a great CD for auditioning subwoofers. Do you want to see if a subwoofer goes deep? Go to Band 3, 29 seconds in, and there is the first of a series of sustained 32 foot pedal tones (16 Hz fudamental), good and strong, of the Passacaglia in C, BWV 582. If you don't get that 'air shaking all around you' effect, the subwoofer isn't adequate for it! Most speakers and even subwoofers simply cannot play the bottom note at all.

Not to get caught up in the technical merits of the recordings, Michael Murray's performance of the great Passacaglia in C is awe inspiring. Bach's Passacaglia may be the greatest piece of music ever written, and it is hard not to believe it when listening to this magificent performance. The Passacaglia is a strong, driving work, working out the variations on the theme with an inexorable logic. There is absolutely nothing like it, and this is the ideal performance.

The other two bands on the disc are much shorter pieces, "Vater unser im Himmelreich," BWV 737 and "All Menschen muessen sterben," BWV 643, which are just under 2.minutes each. They are meditative pieces, much quieter, though there is some nice deep pedal work. Surely Telarc could put some other works with these, to get the time to over 70 minutes.

I was tempted to downgrade this because it is rather short by today's standards, and the material should be reissued in a collection with other pieces. However, with performances and recordings like this, and what surely must be the best Passacaglia in C, it is really worth whatever you would pay for it. This is a CD for a lifetime of listening.

Let's state up front what some may regard as drawbacks of this CD: first, it's only 40 minutes long; second, it's an early digital recording (1979), and I believe is the earliest in the distinguished series of Michael Murray organ CDs on Telarc.

Now for its advantages, which to me are substantial enough to overcome any drawbacks. First, the organ: I'm an organ buff, and in my opinion this is one of the greatest organs in the USA. It has an unusual history. Built by the Bavarian firm of Walcker in 1857-63 for the Boston Music Hall, it was the first concert organ in the country. In 1884 it was dismantled to give stage space for the new Boston Symphony Orchestra. In 1897 it was purchased by a wealthy gent who commissioned a lavish new music hall in Methuen Mass. for it, where it was installed and rededicated in 1909. It must be one of the very few organs in the world that enjoys its own music hall built especially to house it. It was revised and rebuilt by the famous G. Donald Harrison of Aeolian-Skinner in 1947. Today it has four manuals, 84 stops, 115 ranks, and 6,027 pipes (including two 32-foot pedal pipes).

The description of the tonal qualities of this organ in the CD notes (uncredited, but I suspect by the highly literate Murray, who has often written his own notes, as well as books on his teacher Dupre, Schweitzer, and French masters of the organ) is so apt, so right-on-target, that I'd like to quote it: "Neither wholly romantic nor wholly classic, the Methuen organ partakes of both styles of instrument and is suited to both styles of music. Its beauties include a unique mellowness that comes only to well-built flue pipes and only after decades of seasoning, and a miraculous blending of eight-foot foundations, whose harmonics interweave like the colors of a tapestry. The tutti is overwhelming, not abrasive. The mixtures are bright, not shrill. The foundations are full-bodied but remain, in even the most complex polyphony, clear. Accordingly, the Methuen organ is renowned as one of the world's artistic treasures." Amen. It is indeed a rare beauty.

Michael Murray is one of the pre-eminent organists of our day and a superb interpreter of Bach. He is a sound musician; his playing is never flashy or trendy or eccentric; and he never tries to show off: although he is an accomplished technician, his technique is there to serve the music, not the other way around (as one critic wrote, "He is definitely for us, we who listen to music first and organ fingerwork second"). I have long found him to be one of the most deeply satisfying Bach organists on record. This CD contains three major Bach works (in addition to two short pieces) in performances as compelling as any you will find. His tempos and his registrations are beyond reproach; they have just the right amount of gravitas, avoiding ponderousness on the one hand and lightness on the other. (He does tend to favor slower tempos, so those who like their Bach to move swiftly may be less satisfied than I am.) And the 1979 digital engineering turns out to be first class. In short, here we have it all: a master organist playing major Bach on a magnificent, tonally resplendent instrument recorded in exemplary sound: vivid, rich, and full, with excellent clarity and deep, natural bass. If you relish Bach, organ music, or organs, you are sure to enjoy this CD.

Telarc CD 80637 adds Cesar Franck pieces "Fantasie in A" and "Pastorale, Op 19" making the total time of the reissue 61:39. 2004

Just a note for audiophiles - this early recording is one of those where the organ is in stereo, but the reverb/overhang is in mono. There might have been coincident mikes to explain this - there is left and right organ sound, but virtually no space. You either like this technique or you don't, but if you don't it is really annoying, especially compared to live organ.

Still, your mightiest subwoofer, a true one, not the so-called subs that are really just woofers, will have a lot of fun with it. A true sub has, for a change, a lot to work with.

JK

I've owned this CD since it was first issued. I'll be frank. While I'm a serious student of "classical" music, at that point I was looking for recordings to show off my new speakers and my CD player. I didn't know this music.

Well, I fell in love with the music. The G minor material is great. But the F major Toccata and the C minor T & F are other-worldly. I know that I'm reviewing Bach here as opposed to Murray; but I might not have reacted the same way to this music had it not been for Murray's performances. And the recording is truly fine.

Have I heard better performances? Well, I really admire Christopher Herricks' performances of these works. They may not be quite as driven, but they are wonderfully played.

Regarding the sonics, I think people have their priorities out of line. You could set up a church and an organ for perfect acoustics, but if the soloist couldn't play worth a darn, it wouldn't matter. I will listen to an adequately recorded great performance over a brilliantly recorded sub-par performance any day. In other words, pay no attention to reviewers who think their subwoofers are adequate judges of musical value.

I was a little careful with this CD, as the previous reviews are a little scetchy and I have other works from Michael Murray which are not anything exciting. However, I was enthralled by both the sound quality and the performance. Michael Murray really plays out the pieces! The organ sounded not too far off what I heard in person at a concert I attended at Methuen last year.
The only curiosity of the recording is the fact that it is so short and that the pieces are arranged with the three large pieces, then the two Chorales. Usually, recording engineers will stick the softer pieces in the middle to give contrast to the recording and to not make the listeners ears tired. They also did not include the beautiful Fugue to the Toccata, which was a little disappointing.
All in all, considering the price of a used copy ($2-3), it is well worth it. The music and sound are great, and they even included decent liner notes, which is more than I can say for many organ CD's.

This was the first Telarc/Organ Cd I ever purchased. My dad had the Telarc Sampler vol. 2 and had an excerpt from the Fantasia and fugue. it intrigued me. I only wanted the Fugue on the first track lol

when I got the cd I immediately put it on to find that there is a whole 8 minute fugue I had no idea existed. so the whole time I'm listening for the fugue to start.

The second track is Toccata in F Major. Very awesome and heavy pedals. really this whole Cd is a workout for your speakers. there are a lot of deep low F's and Pedal C's that you need to be careful with, especially if your amp is overpowering to your speakers. My dad has an adcom 1-A amp with Polk rta-12c's, just be careful with the volume unless you have a filter. On headphones these 2 notes that are held out for a fairly long period of time will rattle your brain a little bit.

The Passacaglia and Fugue Made me fall in love with the Cd. An awesome piece played with full 32' stops opened. this again is another track to be careful with unless you have a filter or subwoofer.

after this said and done, there are two little chorale preludes written by Bach to close out the Cd. Very nice to cool down with them:)

these are all very well played and all digital with great telarc sound that I have to enjoy. Highly recommended to any Bach or Pipe Organ lover.

This is one of the early Telarc recordings, and one of the very early consumer digital recordings. It was meant to be a showcase for the technology. I've owned it on both vinyl and CD, and have since heard the Methuen organ in person many times. More than a few friends have jumped when the big notes of the Fantasia came out of silence on the recording.

As to the performance: My impression is that Michael Murray chose to let Bach be Bach, with a minimum of interpretation (but plenty of drive). He uses the full capabilities of the Methuen organ, including its bass. The Methuen organ is known to be quirky, although many organists love it. Among its quirks are the power of its mixtures, which are placed low in the case. The organist and the people sitting in the very front of the hall do not hear them at their full power; for people at the balcony, they can dominate a soft registration. Nor does the instrument provide a very clear left-to-right soundstage; that is said to be part of its design. But along with the quirks comes great flexibility in registration, which Murray uses to good effect, suitably grand, plaintive, dulcet, or cerebral.

The Passacaglia in C minor may be the primary attraction of this recording. While this is not the best recorded performance I've heard--I give that honor to the recording that Biggs did in the Thomaskirke--it is very good indeed, and has the benefit of being in print.

The recording also makes full use of concert hall dynamic range. The quiet passages are very quiet (notably the opening of the Passacaglia) and the loud passages suitably loud. While part of the glory of the recording, it does limit the places where you can enjoy it. This is not a recording for the car, unless you have a very, very quiet car, nor for earbuds in a noisy place. It demands a good listening room, and pays back in pleasure.

The cover art is dramatic, even breathtaking. Having seen the Music Hall in person, I can say it does not do justice to the hall and organ. The back cover of Forever Methuen comes as close as anything I've seen. If you have the chance to visit the Hall and hear the organ in person, I urge you to do so. The instrument has had a few stops added since this recording was made, and its combination action has been thoroughly rebuilt. The valvework has been rebuilt, too, quieting the action.

Just received this disc today. Listened to it twice. WOW!!

Firstly, the Telarc sound is great. It's crisp, detailed and solid. Hard to believe that this was recorded in 1979, the very beginning of commercial digital recording.

Secondly, it does NOT have Bach's Toccata & Fugue in d minor. Thank heavens. It's been recorded so often that it's almost hackneyed. It's a wonderful piece of music but has been played nearly to death.... The Bach pieces on this album are both accessible and intriguing. They are a refreshing listen to Bach.

Thirdly, if you want bass, this has some wonderful bass... It's not "in-your-face bass", but the kind that strains the best sub-woofers and causes the floor to vibrate. This is a BIG organ 32 foot pedal pipes. The low notes are well below 30 Hz, the kind you feel as much as you hear. You'll really appreciate it. Your amplifier may not appreciate it.

Fourthly, Michael Murray is a consummate artist. He's solid, not flashy. He has deep understanding of the music, he has beautiful technique and his pedal technique is second to none. He has played and recorded widely and is one of the great organists of our time. You can't go wrong with anything he does. He plays music, not just notes.

Fifthly, the organ itself has a wonderful history as well as a wonderful sound. It was originally installed in Boston's Music Hall between 1857 and 1863. It was later removed from Music Hall in 1884 and put into storage. It was purchased in 1897 by Edward F. Searles and installed in a building constructed especially for this instrument. The organ stayed in the state of Massachusetts and now resides in Methuen Memorial Music Hall in Methuen, MA, a town of 50,000 inhabitants. It has been rebuilt and augmented twice in the 20th Century. Each of these undertakings retained nearly all of the original pipes as well as adding to the coloring of the organ. If you want to see some pictures of the organ and the Music Hall that houses it, go to [...]

A few final notes:
-The album is only 39 minutes and a few seconds long. This is the length of a good vinyl record of yore. We are used to CDs of today having an hour or more of music. However, the music is heavenly and you will not feel 'cheated'.
-This is a cut-out album. It's brand new but for various reasons it has been discontinued or removed from the catalog. (It is available by special order from Arkiv Music for $11.99) The cut-out price is under $10. Either way it is a bargain. If you want one of the original Telarc pressings, then get the cut-out album.

Don't delay. This is a classic album and deserves to be in your collection. You don't have to be a pipe organ "buff" to appreciate this album. It has great appeal and wears well. It will bring you much satisfaction for many years to come.

I rate it 10 & 10. Ten out of a possible 10 for both artistry and technical quality. (Yes, this is a 'rave review')

First, I agree with David Kemp that the organ at Methuen Hall is a very fine specimen with a rich heritage and sound.

Second, Mr. Murray is superb technician at the keyboard, kudos for his technical prowess! But I differ from previous posters in my analysis.

Mr. Murray's tempii in the first two pieces are just a hair over the line of too fast. That said, he doesn't come close to Virgil Fox's craziness when he attempted to win over hard rock audiences by playing everything as loud and fast as possible, destroying all musicianship in the process.

I found Mr. Murray to be slightly too 'wooden' with his interpretation. I have heard other Bach recordings where artists go to the other extreme, placing rubato in measures where it makes no musical sense. However, if Mr. Kemp is correct in that Murray was a student of Dupre - Marcel Dupre that is, then this shouldn't be surprising as Dupre had a reputation for being a mechanical player, tremendous as he was.

A lot of Bach's music creates its own drive because of the way it is written, eliminating the need for too much expressiveness. However, there are certain places such as in the high point of a phrase or the end of a major section that a ritard or slight rubato is appropriate for emphasizing affekt (emotional mood). To that end, Mr. Murray came up a little short. His registration was at times also 'topheavy' or thin - particularly in the fugue section of track 1 (F & F in G minor) and in the Toccata in F Major. Topheavy meaning there was too much upperwork with mixtures and mutations that it started to sound a bit screachy, thin meaning he employed too many flute stops (much like E Power Biggs) instead of sticking with a principal plenum, building to mixture plenum and finally organo plenum. The ending of the Fugue in G Minor on track 1 is rather anti climactic. It would have been much more satisfying had it ended simlarly to the Passacaglia in C Minor, building to a bigger climax.

Last, some of Mr. Murray's staccato notes were too choppy. There are longer or shorter varieties of staccato which simply means detached. In the chorale Alle Menschen ... the repeated notes have too large of a break between them which makes it hard for one to distinguish the beginning of a phrase. If the repeated notes had smaller breaks, but larger breaks were employed only at the end/start of a phrase, this would come off much better. In track 1, some of his staccatos hurt the affekt of the piece where a longer staccato would have created much more drive and power.

To end on a positive note, the endings of both the Passacaglia and Fugue (P & F in C minor) really sparkled!

So not bad all in all, but definitely room for improvement. I would like to find Bach organ recordings as good as Ben Van Oosten has done with French Romantic greats such as Widor, Vierne and Dupre. If anyone has any recommendations, I would love to hear!