E. Power Biggs - Bach's Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor-Part 2 "The Fugue"

[russedav5]

As I said in part 1: regrettably what is lost here is that if you look in the Schmieder catalog, this is not a two-part work like the Preludes and Fugues but simply Passacaglia, for what is mistakenly understood as a separate "Fugue" is rather the last and greatest of the variations that comes forth from the cadence WITHOUT a break, as the score clearly shows. continued-

[BigOrganPipes]

@russedav5 i only called it (parts 1 & 2) because i couldn't fit the whole thing in a single post as per youtube limits. the limits have since changed but youtube is blocking it when i try do upload the whole piece

[anisometropie]

You can only feel happy when you get to listen to this. I cried of joy.

The napolitan sixth is used once in the whole fugue, but what a powerful chord. Bach knew how to write music, isn't it ?

[waymdart]

I saw the man play in person and everything he did was just right. He has such a perfect sense of rhythm/timing. It is not infrequent to hear performers slow down and speed up as they negotiate some passages, but not e. power. In my mind Bach played with this exactness.

[waymdart]

I saw the man play in person and everything he did was just right. He has such a perfect sense of rhythm/timing. It is not infrequent to hear performers slow down and speed up as they negotiate some passages, but not epower. In my mind Bach played with this exactness.

[Heteira]

This organ sounds amazing at 2:05 !!!!!!

[Lassannn]

Bach is the music of the spheres.

[Painter7500]

bbbbmer, obviously you have no idea what you are talking about...

[8230PinChaser]

This is played on a tracker-action organ, where the keys and stops directly open and close the pipes and ranks. One hears a more audible start and stop to each note on this type of organ, and may even hear stops being adjusted, as is barely detectable at 3:05 (Biggs or an assistant carefully makes those adjustments in time with the two notes prior to the end of the episode leading into a soprano fugal melody at that point). On the CD, the stop change is quite evident.

[Pakamen1]

If you really want to experience the mastery of Biggs and the genius of Bach, find and listen to Bigg's recording of this work on the pedal harpsichord.

[Sornarin2007]

E. Power Biggs was the best, intelligently building a song to a majestic climax. Mr. Fox was too heavy handed, not as smooth and in control. I've listened to this song over thirty five years and really, now that I think about it, consider this his best.

[Aphidboy]

Where ever Mr. Biggs' spirit resides, I hope there are organs this grand, with an abundance of Angels willing to keep the bellows full.

[trespire]

@Aphidboy Amen

[passacaglia28]

I have this on my iTunes account. I love this version. Karl Richter has an amazing version of this.

[bbbbmer]

i've not heard of him, but i'll youtube it and see.... i do like a french artist named pincemaille whose widor toccata is AMAZING however... thank you for the reference...

[BigOrganPipes]

check my favorites. he's awesome

[bbbbmer]

i just did -- you're RIGHT!!! it's WONDERFUL to see young artists emerge, as he apparently has -- and I was AT the grammies last year!!! i'd LOVE to hear a concert of standards as well as new music by this VERY interesting new artist!!! WOW!!!! thank you SO MUCH for this reference!!!

[bbbbmer]

...and he's HOT!

[bbbbmer]

i have actually played this organ, sometimes in the middle of the night, when visiting my bf at school quite the romantic setting... and i remember some recordings of e power biggs ...but for the life of me how he developed his reputation as a 'great' organist is beyond me -- he plays like a little old lady at sunday morning mass... virgil fox, for all his technical lapses, was by FAR more talented, passionate, and joyous to both hear and watch, which i was fortunate to do just b4 he died.

[BigOrganPipes]

do you like Cameron Carpenter ?

[Renshen1957]

@bbbbmer Different tastes. Biggs, a student of Albert Schweitzer, popularized the Baroque Organ. He didn't require light shows to get the message across. Biggs could play Bach's Dorian or Widor's Toccata with the best of them.

Virgil Fox was the Liberace of the Organ, well suited to Symphonic and Theater Organs. Fox could play, although his registrations for Wachet Auf (Schubler Chorale Prelude) or his tempi for the opening pedal scale (Prelude In D major) were misguided at best.

[thatusernameisdumb]

@bbbbmer  I don't like you. First because you refuse to capitalize and second because you are a dummy. Hmm. Take that.

[bbbbmer]

@thatusernameisdumb I think I'll live....

[halloerde]

@bbbbmer Could not disagree more. Please listen to he buildlng tension, and the contrapuntal clarity.

[aston0708]

@bbbbmer

"Any old lady"as you put it that can play with an impeccable tense of rhythm,technical mastery of the instrument and a profound sense of musicality,,,, is welcome in my parish any time,,,

"Old lady " my flute,,,,,,,