Toccata & Fugue in D minor played by Simon Preston

[ds1868]

Played on the Hans Gerd Klais organ at the monastery church of Kreuzberg, Bonn, Germany. An objective lesson on how a major BWV work may be played on a very small organ of only 25 stops.

[zaravalle]

The best version I've ever heard, and I´ve been searching for a long time

[philmartin49]

Some people must have cloth ears and crap speakers!

[hal7000i]

I finally bought the complete Bach organ works from DG with Preston and was a long comparison but the sound and playing are top of the art!Just a comment on the harpsichord like sound -each organ sounds different!!! You never found 2 with same sounds, and the one he played - yes had such sound - but naturally! Bachs with the 565 setup a masterpiece and Preston will deliver it to you on the best way with full of amazing and clear melodies,which are usually lost in the artificial interpretation of

[hal7000i]

many "good" organists. If Karajan has something common with any organists then with Preston - they were both technically perfect - as Bach was!

[hal7000i]

This is far more the most beautiful version of 565 - and that I owned many of 565´ versions. But Prston is far more clear, with steady fast tempo, enjoyable and uncovering such amount of fellings in the T&F which no other players did with Bach. The Art of Fugue is not a joke, it is a real art to play it. Bach never intended to play it as a 18-19th century romantic ballad. It is coming from a period when rhythm and melody went hand in hand and no one can play it like that today.

[tranceemerson]

I am a lover of classical music, but I won't go as far as being a pompous wind bag that says an obviously good performance is the worst when there are beginners who suck worse.

Don't be pretensions...  it makes me sick.

talk about the good points and tell us what you'd rather hear if any, don't waste people's time.

[Regiomontum]

Worst version among overhyped organists. Terrible, bizarre, weak hapsichord-like registration, tempi are not appropriate and deliberate. If you want to hear Bach's piece in full majesty I advise you to buy version with Franz Lerndorfer on the big (Steinmeyer) Organ of Ottobeuren. It lasts more than 10 minutes (Karajan-like-tempi), but it is the most splendid and majestic interpretation of this piece. It will you blow away.

[zenithalravage]

You made me very curious, I'm going to try and find that version, thanx.

[ichmalealsobinich]

I myself, like it! Btw Bach looks really cool with these sunglasses ;-)

[skamiel]

@Regiomontum

Your comment makes no sencel. Lerndorfers version might be "splendid and majestic", but as you rightly say, it is just one interpretation. The tempi that Preston plays are the tempi just as Bach has written them, so they are highly appropriate and verry deliberate, just like they where ment to be. I'm not against personal interpretations at all. But saying that playing a piece just like the composer has written it is "worst" "terrible, bizarre" that is definitly inappropriate