Great orchestral / symphonic organ music which challenges your hardware

[sarumbear]

But some classical listeners (like me) find it a bit off-putting.

Zimmerman is pretty off-putting.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Zimmerman is pretty off-putting.

Zimmerman or Zimmer, man?

 

[Chrispy]

Maybe for some of the stuff they offer https://www.youtube.com/@scottbrothersduo

 

[poxymoron]

Terefore, if you like orchestral / symphonic organ music, I think you should give Jonathan Scott and his brother Tom a try (or another example).

Absolutely incredible talent.

 

[Leporello]

 

[Elkerton]

or you might try a number of his other performances: https://www.youtube.com/@GerbenBudding/videos

 

[Elkerton]

If you can find it, this is superb, can be listened to over and over, but be careful of the low D at 19 Hz.

 

[Elkerton]

If you fancy more Bach, this 2 CD set has some of the best performances recorded in some of the best sound I have heard:

 

[Short38]

As noted above, a classic is the Charles Munch BSO Saint Saens Symphony #3 on RCA. Released in several versions the last an SACD I believe. Also E Power Biggs playing Bach on the Flentrop Organ in the Busch Reisinger Museum on Columbia.

 

[Curvature]

I think the biggest challenge is most rooms is noise floor rather than speaker capabilities. No way to hear the low-level stuff if there's constant ambient noise.

 

[Graham849]

The download file of the recording of this on Salisbury Cathedral organ is excellent

Hans Zimmer - Interstellar Organ Suite

This is a really special one - the soundtrack to Hans Zimmer's most famous score, arranged for solo organ and recorded on one of the finest organs in the world. A match made in heaven? This transcription has been made by Richard over many months, and is one of his proudest achievements...

www.beautyinsound.co.uk

I bit the bullet for 30GBP, pleased to find that the website refreshed and download was $20AUD.

Confusing download system but got there.

 

[chris256]

Jonathan Scott presented yesterday his concert from Bridgewater Hall / Manchester he gave some weeks ago. He played the complete Organ Symphony of SAINT-SAËNS. I've never heard the Bridgewater Hall organ like this. So much different colors. If you think, there can't be any more increase / color, Jonathan has always managed to go one better until the final closing sequence, a massive tutti I never heard before on this organ. It covers the complete frequency range from ~ 17 Hz to 17 kHz. That makes the ground shake if loud enough (-15 dB RME ADI 2 DAC FS at T+A A200 and nubert nuvero 14 speakers - crystal clear!)! It is outstanding! A perfect sound recording of Tom without any distortion at all - as usually.
Warning: be fast to reduce volume at the end, because the audience goes wild without any break!

If you can find it, this is superb, can be listened to over and over, but be careful of the low D at 19 Hz.

I have another CD of Hurford, which is pretty good, too: Romantic Organ Music, Vol 2. Organ of Ratzeburg Cathedral. But this recording has an ongoing tone on all tracks: it is around 16 - 33 Hz - even during complete silence . Maybe the engine of the wind chest?

 

[Focus SE]

Glad I found this thread. I’ve never been someone to listen to organ music at home. But throughout my life I’ve found myself fascinated at different times in churches with a good organist. There are times where it just grabs you as you listen. I’ll have to go through all these posts and have a listen.

 

[Rednaxela]

Not sure if it’s of the right category, but this record is explicitly challenging.

Jean Guillou, César Franck - Complete Organ Works

Explorez les titres, les recommandations et d'autres informations sur l'album Complete Organ Works de Jean Guillou, César Franck. Comparez les différentes versions et achetez-les toutes sur Discogs.

www.discogs.com

 

[BR52]

Great recording as well!

 

[Elkerton]

About the Guillou, the recording is a little over the top, spectacular, but maybe, not in a good way. There is too much bass (read: it's too loud), and the playing is often so fast as to obscure the music. Of those digital recordings I have heard, I prefer Michael Murray's on Telarc, though my favourite remains an analogue performance on LP on Proprius by the late Torvald Toren.

 

[BR52]

About the Guillou, the recording is a little over the top, spectacular, but maybe, not in a good way. There is too much bass (read: it's too loud), and the playing is often so fast as to obscure the music. Of those digital recordings I have heard, I prefer Michael Murray's on Telarc, though my favourite remains an analogue performance on LP on Proprius by the late Torvald Toren.A Lp with the limited bass posibilitys

An LP with the limited bass possibility is not really a good carrier for the full organ spectrum.
So if you prefer not hear the low octaves, you can filter it out. Also, a lot of speakers are not capable to reproduce it or start to distort, dramatically in the low frequency region. You are right it can sound awfully.

 

[Elkerton]

In 1980, I visited Floyd Toole at his home outside of Ottawa with those LPs. There are 4 in the set. He wanted them because they were of the few LPs available at the time with genuine low bass, certainly to C though not to C-1. I agree LPs are a limited medium and have few LPs with deep bass, but they do exist. That said, I was delighted with the advent of the CD which has no such limitations.

 

[BR52]

In 1980, I visited Floyd Toole at his home outside of Ottawa with those LPs. There are 4 in the set. He wanted them because they were of the few LPs available at the time with genuine low bass, certainly to C though not to C-1. I agree LPs are a limited medium and have few LPs with deep bass, but they do exist. That said, I was delighted with the advent of the CD which has no such limitations.

C1 (32.707 Hz) can be possible with an LP, I guess. https://en.wikipedia.org wiki/C_(musical_note) but 16Hz will not go.

 

[BR52]

It seems the OP is gone.