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Organ CDs with really deep bass

I'd like to request and share information with other classical-music audiophiles who are interested in classical pipe organ CDs that are exceptionally well recorded and have really deep bass. I have a couple of recommendations for now, and I'd be interested in hearing recommendations from any of you who are into classical pipe organ CDs that permit your state-of-the-art subwoofer to strut its stuff. (Please, no arguments/diatribes here about analog vs. digital, LP vs. CD. Plenty of room for that elsewhere.)

1. Jean Guillou, organist; Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition, Stravinsky, 3 Dances from Petrouchka; Dorian CD DOR-90117. D. B. Keele, who used to write speaker and subwoofer reviews for Audio, used this as one of his references for testing subwoofers and called it "one of my favorite bass demos." It has potent levels of really deep bass. As organ buffs know, most medium-to-large pipe organs have at least one (and sometimes more) 32-foot pipe (usually but not always a pedal pipe); this pipe has a fundamental of 16 Hz. This is one of the few recordings I know of that contains this note. An amazing, reference-quality recording. If you'd like to get evicted and are looking for a lease-breaker, this CD played on a good system with a first-class sub should do the trick. (All of the Dorian CDs I have tried of Guillou playing European organs of his design (three of them) have reference-quality sound and seemingly unlimited bottom-end response.)

2. Michael Murray, organist; The Ruffati Organ in Davies Symphony Hall: A Recital of Works by Bach, Messiaen, Dupre, Widor & Franck; Telarc CD CD-80097. Although not as colorful as the Guillou/Dorian CD above, this excellent CD also has prodigious deep bass that will give your sub plenty to do. To my ears, Telarc does a better job of recording Michael Murray (one of the best organists of our day) playing pipe organs than it does of recording orchestras. There are a number of superb Telarc CDs of Murray playing various interesting organs. This is not my favorite overall, but it is outstanding for deep bass.

Now let's hear from you guys. I'm all ears. Thanks.
texasdave
martykl
3,578 posts
 
There's a great recording of a Gerhard Weinberger concert consisting of short Liszt and Bach pieces that's called "Concert at Passenau". It was recorded on the Passenau organ in Germany (at the time the largest organ in the world). I bought a CD on a visit to Passenau Cathedral, but I believe it's also available on SACD and - played at volume - it will cause seasickness.

Marty
ken_andrew
22 posts
 
Chicago Concert, organist Kalevi Kiviniemi, Motette CD 12361.  Try tracks 1(lengthy bass),6 (deeper bass) and 12(hum ? until 1 min). You have to increase volume but the deep bass is audible.  IMO -On other tracks, treble sometimes marred by excessive reverberation.
ken_andrew
22 posts
 
The complete organ works, Edward Cuthbert Bairstow, organist Jackson, York Minster organ  Mirabilis, MRCD 902. Tracks 1 and 7 step down the pedal notes eventually resulting in several seconds of profound bass.  Do not increase the volume after 1 min on track 1 or your speakers will be damaged just after 3 min.  As the booklet warns, Bairstow liked the quiet bits, quiet and the loud bits, loud.
ken_andrew
22 posts
 
SACDs generally sound better because of the greater effort required to record them.  Actual bass output depends on the material played:
(1)  Ian Tracey- Grand Pieces Symphoniques on Chandos is subtle (listen to the bass fluttering on tk 2), and with generally restrained bass
(2) Ian Tracey - Fantaisie Triomphale on Chandos is rich in bass tones and often bombastic - same organ as above
(3) Jean-Paul Imbert - Cesar Franck on Base2. Tracks 1 & 2, will delight bass freaks, however the overall pace is a little slow.
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cleeds
5,950 posts
 
ken_andrew
SACDs generally sound better because of the greater effort required to record them.
Huh? Please explain why it is more difficult to record for an SACD than it would be for any other format.
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