Bach: Organ Toccatas

Advantages: Brilliant, stirring, excitingly unpredictable, fresh performance; "genius" is not hyperbole in Argerich's case.
Disadvantages: Reflecting its LP origins, the CD lasts only 50' 16"!

...- [Ital.,=touched], type of musical composition. Early examples were written for various instruments, but the best-known form of toccata originated about the beginning of the 17th cent. Free in form, it was one of the first attempts at idiomatic writing for keyboard instruments, in contrast to the strictly contrapuntal pieces of the Renaissance. The toccata was usually rhapsodic, often interspersing rapid passages of brilliant figuration with fugal sections. Andrea Gabrieli, Frescobaldi, Sweelinck, Froberger, Buxtehude, and Bach were outstanding masters of the toccata style. Schumann wrote a toccata for piano in sonata form. As a brilliant showpiece the toccata persists today in organ composition. (from http://www.bartleby.com/65/to/toccata.html, Columbia Encyclopedia) - musical form for keyboard instruments, written in a free style... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: If you like Bach, the piano or jazz you'll like it
Disadvantages: Just the one tune that I don't care for

...Many Jazz musicians train their fingers by playing Bach in various styles and at various speeds - I played Bach not only for the training but because I liked the harmonies, chord changes and arpeggios. Jacques Loussier has taken playing Bach to an art form. I like this album only and NOT volume 2. The original Play Bach album contains most of bach's better known works such as His Toccata and Fugue, also the 1st and 2nd preludes and the 1st and 2nd fugues, hair on a G string (joke) and Jesu joy of man's desiring. This really is a cracking album with the trio (including bass and drums) really jazzing up bach and playing some pieces with phenominal speed, cool showmanship and originality. It's a swinging, foot tapping, jazz party! In my opinion there is only one song on this album that isn't brilliant and that is Jesu joy of man... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average off topic

Advantages: A great diversity of famous works
Disadvantages: Not everything is perfect

...Dorma" is absolutely fabulous and the Finale of Saint-Saëns' "Organ Symphony" is unsurpassed). I was happily surprised with the inclusion of some more rare pieces as well, like the "March to the Scaffold" from Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique, Parry's "Jerusalem" and Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man" not usually found on most compilations. The small excerpt of the Grieg Concerto could have been dropped since it doesn't offer very much in so small a presentation, the Bach Toccata could have been included as a far better performance than this and the Swan Lake excerpt is a little muffled at places and I really don't give two cents about "Zadok the Priest", but overall, for a beginner, these are only minor qualms in an otherwise splendid compilation. For a sampler this is one of the best I've come across with. Despite being somewhat costly... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful