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Organ CDs with really deep bass

I'd like to request and share information with other classical-music audiophiles who are interested in classical pipe organ CDs that are exceptionally well recorded and have really deep bass. I have a couple of recommendations for now, and I'd be interested in hearing recommendations from any of you who are into classical pipe organ CDs that permit your state-of-the-art subwoofer to strut its stuff. (Please, no arguments/diatribes here about analog vs. digital, LP vs. CD. Plenty of room for that elsewhere.)

1. Jean Guillou, organist; Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition, Stravinsky, 3 Dances from Petrouchka; Dorian CD DOR-90117. D. B. Keele, who used to write speaker and subwoofer reviews for Audio, used this as one of his references for testing subwoofers and called it "one of my favorite bass demos." It has potent levels of really deep bass. As organ buffs know, most medium-to-large pipe organs have at least one (and sometimes more) 32-foot pipe (usually but not always a pedal pipe); this pipe has a fundamental of 16 Hz. This is one of the few recordings I know of that contains this note. An amazing, reference-quality recording. If you'd like to get evicted and are looking for a lease-breaker, this CD played on a good system with a first-class sub should do the trick. (All of the Dorian CDs I have tried of Guillou playing European organs of his design (three of them) have reference-quality sound and seemingly unlimited bottom-end response.)

2. Michael Murray, organist; The Ruffati Organ in Davies Symphony Hall: A Recital of Works by Bach, Messiaen, Dupre, Widor & Franck; Telarc CD CD-80097. Although not as colorful as the Guillou/Dorian CD above, this excellent CD also has prodigious deep bass that will give your sub plenty to do. To my ears, Telarc does a better job of recording Michael Murray (one of the best organists of our day) playing pipe organs than it does of recording orchestras. There are a number of superb Telarc CDs of Murray playing various interesting organs. This is not my favorite overall, but it is outstanding for deep bass.

Now let's hear from you guys. I'm all ears. Thanks.
texasdave

Showing 2 responses by av2k

av2k
17 posts
 
I recently joined Audiogon and spotted this thread. Check out Stephen Tharp at the Skinner organ in Girard College (Ethereal ER-108). The 32' Pedal Diapason is very effective. I had the opportunity one day, during the OHS convention in Philadelphia, to help Ed Kelly (Mobile Masters) record several organs. He can certainly find the sweet spot for recording a pipe organ. The resonance of the building is extremely important. The building is to a pipe organ as a soundboard is to a piano.

If you're still interested, I have about 500 organ CD's and can make some further recommendations on CDs with both good sound and deep bass (no electronic 32's). By the way, the Wanamaker Organ has a resultant 64' that is created by sounding the 32' fundamental and adding a fifth at 21 1/3' pitch for a resulting 64' tone at 8 Hz. Same deal with many other 64' flue stops, e.g. Liverpool Cathedral. They go by the names Resultant, Acoustic Bass, Gravissima, or in combination.

I believe the Atlantic City Convention Hall organ has a full length 64' flue stop. The Hill organ in Sydney Town Hall has a 64' reed in the Pedal. David Drury plays the Liszt "Ad Nos" on this organ (ABC 438 881-2) and at the ending, it sounds like a helicopter hovering over the music! It's impressive.
av2k
17 posts
 
There are many books written on pipe construction, some very technical. Take a look at the Organ Historical Society Website, www.ohscatalog.org. They have quite a few books available on-line. You might want to call them for a recommendation.

A subbass is a foundation flue stop usually found in the Pedal Organ. Typically, it is a 16' stop which produces a 32Hz frequency at Low C. The Posaunen is a reed stop sounding like a Trumpet or Trombone in the lower registers. At 32' a Posaunen will have a relatively weak fundamental frequency at 16 Hz, Low C. But the beating of the reed at this frequency provides power to the full ensemble or "full organ"

I haven't heard this CD but it sounds like a small scale organ, voiced in the Northern German style. Clarity of tone is more important here than really deep bass, especially for contrapuntal music like that of Bach.

I found real inspiration while listening to organ recordings and then listening to organ music. The clincher for me was music from the French Romantic Period of the 19th century (Franck, Widor, Guilmant, Vierne). Big sound, large instruments, and glorious music. Not very popular though!
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