any Organ music buffs here?

I try to answer: dry, rather nasal, ascetic sound. Not at all flute-like, more reedy. A sound made of clay - clay whistle or ocarina perhaps? By the way, despite my bad headphones I just noticed some really low bass (subbass 16') in the largo in question.

 

That would be a kind of vox humana. The Subbass, when played by itself (I mean, without a 8' flute) does sound very deep.

Headphones: I am perhaps talking of very old headphones, but I do remember a doctor I knew told me to stay absolutely clear of them: deafness risk. Good speakers (especially ribbon ones) are much more forgiving and they are very true to sound. all in IMO, of course.

 

Could you repeat that please - I didn't hear you. What risk?



Well I keep the volume down, listen to short periods only (typically about 5 mins) and do not use them in a noisy environment.

 

Even so, organ mixtures can be very high and our ear is a fragile thing. Much better to invest in good speakers rather than risk one's audition. Well, IMO, at least.

 

Yes, I am now looking for good used speakers (what are ribbon speakers). meanwhile here's a picture of Birgotta's record

Repertoire could be more unusual, but the great fantasy & fugue in g-minor is rather spectacular as she plays it in 11 minutes 40 seconds - I think that's quite fast.

 

It is obviously sold out, but a newer recording with the Toccatas (incl. the Dorian) is available.

 

Eventual Organ music buffs may find lots to enjoy here, and note the price!

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/hnum/3907704

 

Is this real? 6 records for 10 € plus mailing costs? (I mean the Buxtehude organ set by Ulrik Spang-Hanssen). Is it good? I am almost set in giving it a try - the organs alone are worth the price!!

 

Spang-Hanssens Buxtehude is temperemental in the free works and beautiful relaxed in the chorales. The organs are interesting and the sound rather good. Full value for money.

The director of Classico Records seems at last to look farther than the borders of our country, and you can even acquire the Knud Vad Bach cycle from Sorø at JPC. A little oldfasioned in style but a well made live recording with a few corrections afterwards. Full value for money too.

Both sets have been sold in Denmark rather cheap during the last two years or so.

Reference for Knud Vad:
http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/hnum/2426725

 

They have also T-bone Walker's superb 4cd box for 20 euros:

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/poprock/detail/-/hnum/4918451

OK, it isn't organ music, or even classical...

 

I just notic\ed I did not reply to this. Well, it is impossible to tell you what kind of *music* will be impossible to reproduce: it all depends on the organ.

But if an organ has a Posaune 32 and an extremely high Sharff (I mean, multirank - VIII or something - with lots of high quints and octaves (1 1/3', 1' and higher) in the treble, although a system can reproduce it, you can NEVER, EVER, have the same sound in your room without suffering from ear dammage. It is true that listening from 30 meters does make the sound softer. But recordings are make from much closer (otherwise the sound would be confusing) and, what is more, a normal Stopped flute 16' is unbearable in a normal room: you will feel the pressure in your ears. Similarly, mixtures (say a two rank, 1-1/3 + 1, repeating a middle c to 2+1-1/3, will be deafening (in a very real sense) if used for long. In a small room (anything smaller than 8*6*4m) playing a real organ is a nightmare if you have to use the plenum.

Now can you get the same sound you listen to at 30 meters distance? I think not. This is because a 20-30 Hrz soundwave will not have the space to unfold and, again, you would feel an insufferable pressure on your ears.

Finally, all the nonsense about subwoofers has to be exposed: if a subwoofer is to give anything approaching true sound, it would have to be about 2000 Watts plus. What most subwoofers do is add to the upper frequencies (about 30-50 Hz). Rel claims their subwoofers work only downward. I have had one in my room (the bigger one). It did nothing to the music. Yes, you got that awful sense of pressure. And that was all. It did not do any good to the upper frequencies, as some people parrot around.

The best test you could make is this: record, in DAT, an organ such as the Huss-Schnitger one in Hamburg (there is no 32' stop); came home and play it. That would be a good test.