[rodgersorgan] The Bach T&F

Noel Jones asked:  "And....how about performances of the Bach Toccata and Fugue 
in D Minor...what can you, Tom, and others tell about performances you have all 
heard?"
Back in the '50s Biggs came out with a record of the Toccata played 13 times on 
13 different organs, with the Fugue played once only.  I think they were all 
European organs, probably recorded in the course of his other "organ tour" 
recording sessions.  My favorite of these 13 was Westminster Abbey...it had 
that benchmark grand cathedral sound like very few others...of course, that was 
in the '50s...Biggs sometimes used odd registrations to make a point...one of 
the 13 was done at the then new Philharmonic Hall outside London (not the 
fabulous Royal Albert Hall) on a new Harrison & Harrison organ that suffered 
from, among other things, horribly dry acoustics...Biggs' album notes said 
"Just listen to the kettledrum roll of the 32' Bombard!"...indeed...apparently 
he used only that stop in the pedal, no other ranks with it, since the whole 
thing sounded just like rapid beating on a 50 gallon oil drum with some 
mixtures on the manuals.  Period.  I lost this precious recording when it 
melted in a house fire in '59, have not been able to replace it...anybody else 
have it?

Noel Heinze, Asheville, NC
St. Giles Chapel, Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Community
Rodgers 835B and PR300S


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