[Randy]

On the BIS label, the organist is Hans Fagius. These recordings were highly regarded upon their issue in the 1980s and 90s. Now they can be had on five, three-layered SACDs, for $43. That's 18 CDs and 20 hours worth of glorious music. Put one of these CDs on your SACD player and you will get four hours of uninterrupted music.





http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Complete-Organ-Music-SACD/dp/B000PSJCCE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1197332198&sr=1-1

[jules]

That's quite something!

Have you heard any of the Fagius recordings? I'm a great fan of Bach organ music but my taste has moved away slightly from the uber-huge cathedral type sound to smaller cleaner productions. Granted, large sound is mightily impressive but one of my favourite albums is  a Decca Ovation recording with organist Peter Hurford using several different organs at various locations. I've only got vol 3 [two discs] but I'd happily buy the rest although I think they're not available now.

jules

[Randy]

Jules - I have the set and have listened to some of it, it having arrived yesterday. Nice recordings, and a change of pace from the Michael Murray Bach CDs on Telarc that I am used to hearing.  Murray tends to take slow, majestic tempos compared to most organists, and you can't beat that Telarc sound, most of the time. The Peter Hurford recordings are also highly regarded. My brother-in-law, who majored in organ performance at Princeton, swears by them. They are also available as a complete set, but at around $180 on Amazon compared to the $43 this set cost. Some of the smaller Hurford two-fors are there, also. I think you can call the Fagius recordings more similar to Hurford than they are to Murray, though the recordings are more up front.  One way or the other, you can't beat the price- if you have a SACD player. BTW, on the back of the box BIS has put this note for the prospective buyer, "What if you do not have a SACD player? May we suggest that you buy this box and (in italics) a SACD player. In all you should pay no more than the original 18 CDs would have cost." 

[Russell Dawkins]

Do you know if most or all SACD players will play three layer SACDs?

[Randy]

Russell, I am not sure how the layers are played, if different layers are read at all.  My SACD, I thought, only reads two layers since it is not a multi-channel player. Just plays SACDs in stereo. When the box arrived it occurred to me that my player might not be able to access all the tracks on the CDs, missing the tracks on the multi-channel layer. I was already to send the box back unopened, but decided to go ahead and try a disc, and found out the player played all the tracks straight through with no interuption between layers. I actually don't know what's going on. The box just says you need a SACD player, no mention of needing one capable of three or four, or five, channel playback. My player offers a choice of which layer you want to listen to, the CD layer or the SACD layer. I figured I'd have to listen to one layer, and then press the button to switch to the other layer. No such thing. Someone more technical than me, might be able to figure out what's going on.

[Russell Dawkins]

This is new territory for me.

I see in the one review on Amazon that this SACD plays at normal CD quality in order to accomplish this trick.

[jules]

Thanks for the tip Randy,

The SACD is out for me but I'll add to my Hurford collection. 17 CDs in the complete set and they can get pricey at up to $300!

jules

[Randy]

Yes, they don't play back at SACD resolution, but with normal CD sound, which in this case is very good.