Great Toccatas

Albert Alain (Composer), Jehan Alain (Composer), Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer), Leon Boellmann (Composer), Theodore Dubois (Composer), Eugene Gigout (Composer), Alexandre Guilmant (Composer), Louis Vierne (Composer), Charles-Marie Widor (Composer), Marie-Claire Alain (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Marie-Claire Alain
• Composer: Albert Alain, Jehan Alain, Johann Sebastian Bach, Leon Boellmann, Theodore Dubois, et al.
• Audio CD (May 3, 1994)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Erato
• ASIN: B000005ECA
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #71,977 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

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

2. Toccata from Organ Symphony No. 5

3. Toccata for organ No. 3 in G major

4. Toccata for organ in B minor

5. Suite Gothique, for organ, Op. 25: Introduction--Choral

6. Suite Gothique, for organ, Op. 25: Menuet Gothique

7. Suite Gothique, for organ, Op. 25: Prière à Notre-Dame

8. Suite Gothique, for organ, Op. 25: Toccata

9. Sonata (Symphony) for organ No. 1 in D minor, Op. 42

10. Pièce de fantaisie ('Carillon de Westminster') for organ, Op. 54/6: No 06 ("Carillon De Westminster")

11. Pièces de fantaisie, for organ, Suite 2, Op. 53: Toccata In B Flat Major

12. Cantemis Domino, toccata for organ

13. Litanies, for organ, JA 119 (AWV 100)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magisterial, March 2, 2003

By	Avid Reader (Franklin, Tn) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Amazon Verified Purchase

To properly appreciate this record one should (of course) hear it live, preferably in a church with excellent acoustics. It must be admitted, though, that this CD is the next best thing.
The depth and sonority of sound is difficult to match and it goes without saying that the artistry in both interpretation and handling the sheer difficulty of the pieces is unmatched.

The Romantic Era organ was the Golden Age for keyboard music - whether organ or piano. Yes, Bach will always be first in the pantheon of Pipe Gods (I count his Prelude in B Minor as the first Romantic Organ work). But the evolution of the physical instrument brought forth somthing new -the French organ with all the magnificent sonorities. With composers writing for that instrument, organ music reached an apotheosis before being dragged down by various "modern" works that must be explained to listeners in case they thought the sounds from the stage were noise or a malfunctioning keyboard.

This is a great CD that all lovers of organ music should own. The Toccatas heard here are some of the best and one is constantly aware of the great men who wrote them.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Masterful performance of great works, July 25, 2000

By	Matthew T. Phillips (Winston-Salem, NC USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Alain performs some of the best toccatas written for organ in her typical, near-perfect style. This CD is far better in musical and recording quality than comparable compilations of popular organ music. You will also enjoy her CD, "Les Bis Pour Orgue" or "Organ Encores".

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars On the fence, September 5, 2005

By	John Legrand (Harrisburg, Pa.) - See all my reviews

I received this disc from a French visitor and have listened to it several times. I still have the uncomfortable feeling that Ms. Alain is playing these pieces for the umpteenth time, and while they are technically brilliant, they seem a bit soul-less to me. I have an old vinyl recording by E. Power Biggs (who seems to have been at the opposite end of the spectrum from the Romantic school of organ music), and those recordings of French organ music, many of which are on the CD in question, had real feeling behind them. Still, there is no denying the power of this music.