J.S. Bach: Organ Works / Helmut Walcha

Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer), Helmut Walcha (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Helmut Walcha
• Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
• Audio CD (April 14, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Archiv Produktion
• ASIN: B00000613W
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #286,209 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superior performance of Bach finest organ works..., May 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: J.S. Bach: Organ Works / Helmut Walcha (Audio CD)

I first heard these recordings in a boxed set of records that my dad owned (and still owns) when I was a child. I could not have wished for a better introduction to Bach's Organ Works. Helmut Walcha plays the pieces on this compilation with an honesty and passion I have yet to hear matched in other performances of the same works. He doesn't "cheat" or take shortcuts as I have heard so many other organists do with these works. He clearly enjoys the music on a deep level (Walcha was considered an authority on the works of Bach), and this shines through in his performances. The version of Toccata and Fugue in D Minor is without question one of the best performances you will ever hear of this classic piece.

Not only is Mr. Walcha's performance superb, but the organ used is one of the best in the world - The Great Organ in St. Laurenskirk. Never have I heard a fuller, richer dynamic range in a pipe organ.

It was these performances that inspired me to take up keyboard myself. In short, this CD is a must-have for any serious organ and/or Bach enthusiast. I also highly recommend the double-CD set also available (just do a search for Helmut Walcha in the Classical Music section here), as it not only contains other works from this collection but also showcases another superb pipe organ on the second CD.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you love Bach Organworks......, April 7, 2000

By 

James J Taratunio (Massapequa Park, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: J.S. Bach: Organ Works / Helmut Walcha (Audio CD)

...then you MUST add this recording to your collection.

I have been enthralled with the Toccata and Fugue in D minor since my childhood. I majored in Music in college and reviewed the many recordings of this work through the vast music library in my university. No other artist, other than Helmut Walcha, has been able to capture the dramaticism and romanticism of this haunting masterpiece of organ music. His interpretations are breathtaking and throughout the piece, from disonances to resolutions, he has you perched on the edge of your seat.

I have listened to Richter, to Biggs and to Fox. They have not been able to bring the life to this piece that Helmut Walcha has taken from his soul and poured onto the registers of the magnificent instrument he plays, the pipe organ, the King of Instruments.

I personally have seven recordings of this piece within various media. I started in college over 25 years ago by specially ordering the Archiv recording from Germany. I have since added several cassettes and finally a few CD's recently, all of which contain, among other pieces, the Toccata and Fugue in D minor. Do not deprive yourself of this unique recording of perfection.

Again, if you love Bach Organworks, you MUST have this recording for your collection...or your collection will be sorely incomplete. I invite you to feast, enjoy and share it with those you love who appreciate good music.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Historical recordings!, August 24, 2004

By 

Hiram Gomez Pardo (Valencia, Venezuela) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: J.S. Bach: Organ Works / Helmut Walcha (Audio CD)

Bach organ music luckily has some great performers : Karl Richter , Albert Schweitzer , Edward Power Briggs and Helmut Walcha .
The intense chromatism and the whole commitment of Walcha makes of his Tocatta and Fugue in D minor one of the most remarkable versions I have heard . After you listen it you can consider he was a true pupil of the Leizpig court . His sound is so fresh and idiomatic , but filled with conviction . He never will dissapoint you .
And forget his special condition. Walcha was a supreme master of Bach.