"best" version for "Toccata and Fugue D minor?


please vote for your "best" version of Toccata and Fugue in D minor, red book CD format. Thanks.
ny92

Showing 2 responses by jimmy2615

I have many, many recordings of this as an organist myself. The M. Murray listed above is the first that comes to mind for power and slam (great reeds, and the low D pedal entrance has the most oomph of any recording I've heard) though I agree that his performances can be somewhat boring - he does this piece OK though. The Bigg's Freiburg is my favorite though, just because it's really cool (especially if you have the 5 channel SACD version and the system to play it on) and Biggs is great. If recording quality is not an issue, hear it on the largest organ of all time, available on the Atlantic City Convention Hall Organ Society website, though the recording was made in the 30's or 40's (though it's still pretty good).
Realize this is now an old thread, but I just wanted to mention the Prelude and Fugue in D Major for the very same purpose and bring to light some great organ recordings. A couple of years ago they released the St. Mary's Cathedral recordings of Fox from 1976 on a DVD/CD combo recorded by none other than Prof. Johnson of reference recordings (available as "The Bach Gamut vol 1" from OHS). It is by far the best recording (Live) of Fox I have heard. Anyway, the P&F in D is absolutely incredible in the bass department. The fugue is too fast and he makes mistakes and cuts parts out, but the prelude is amazing. It beats the Michael Murray recording of the D Minor in recording prowess (and although many like the D Minor, let's face it, the D Major prelude is more spectacular). Also, the same organ (St. Mary's) is recorded fantastically on RR-98. It's a must own organ CD. The Reubke fugue from the 94th Psalm is awesome. This organ, a Rufatti, showcases this organ builders' talent. They produce amazing reeds and mixtures with a brightness that is never harsh - a very hard balance to achieve. While I'm at it, the RR CD of Felix Hell on another CD (RR-101) is also very worth getting. I wish I could play like that now, let alone when I was 14... I hope RR comes out with some more organ CD's. They are truly excellent.