Search - Johann Sebastian Bach, Charles-Marie Widor, Theodore Dubois :: Great Toccatas

Magisterial

Avid Reader | Franklin, Tn | 03/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Masterful performance of great works

Matthew T. Phillips | Winston-Salem, NC USA | 07/25/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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"."

On the fence

John Legrand | Harrisburg, Pa. | 09/05/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"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."