Johann Sebastian Bach: Toccatas and Fugues - Christopher Herrick, Organ

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
"Toccata" comes from the Italian word meaning "to play an instrument," and the form itself is nothing more than a written-out improvisation of what an organist would be expected to do when called upon to test a new instrument. First, you try out the action of the keyboard with rapid scales and runs, then you see how loud, sustained chords sound, and finally you settle down to a more formal fugue, which lets you construct a large musical form and employ different mixtures of pipes. Bach was, in his day, the world's foremost organ tester and authority on organ building, so this kind of music was his meat and potatoes. Nobody did it better, which is about the same that can be said for Christopher Herrick's brilliantly virtuosic performances of this perennially popular music. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV565: Toccata
Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV565: Fugue
Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C major, BWV564: Toccata
Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C major, BWV564: Adagio
Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C major, BWV564: Fugue
Toccata and Fugue in F major, BWV540: Toccata
Toccata and Fugue in F major, BWV540: Fugue
'Dorian' Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV538: Toccata
'Dorian' Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV538: Fugue
Passacaglia in C minor, BWV582: Passacaglia
Passacaglia in C minor, BWV582: Fugue

Amazon.com essential recording

"Toccata" comes from the Italian word meaning "to play an instrument," and the form itself is nothing more than a written-out improvisation of what an organist would be expected to do when called upon to test a new instrument. First, you try out the action of the keyboard with rapid scales and runs, then you see how loud, sustained chords sound, and finally you settle down to a more formal fugue, which lets you construct a large musical form and employ different mixtures of pipes. Bach was, in his day, the world's foremost organ tester and authority on organ building, so this kind of music was his meat and potatoes. Nobody did it better, which is about the same that can be said for Christopher Herrick's brilliantly virtuosic performances of this perennially popular music. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Wish List for Organ Music in your Church.......2006-05-27

'The Organ Toccatas and Passacaglia' by Johan Sebastian Bach, recorded by Hyperion, is exactly the kind of recording Hyperion does so well, as it involves but a single artist, Christopher Herrick and a reasonably easy technical setup to capture the sounds from the Metzler organ of the Stadtkirche in Zofingen, Switzerland. These pieces are just a small part of the reason why a very good Jewish friend of mine has said that 'You Christians have all the best music'.

One can listen to these and imagine they present a model for what, given the right organist and instrument, music can sound like in your church.

As usual, for a few more pennies, you can't go wrong with Hyperion for single performer or small group performances.

Excellent powerful playing.......2000-06-13

While E. Power Biggs may be the most recommendable choice for Bach's organ works, Christopher Herrick also playes with great virtuosity. Perhaps the best selection on this disk is the famous d minor Tocatta and Fugue which Herrick plays brilliantly. I would definitely recommend this CD to newcomers to Bach's organ music and to more experienced ones as well.

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