A Survey of Bach Organ Cycles
An Index of ionarts Discographies
Like the Beethoven Piano Sonata Cycle Survey, the Sibelius Symphony Cycle Survey, the Bruckner Cycle Survey, and the Dvořák Symphony Cycle Survey this is a mere inventory of what has been recorded and whether it is still available. Favorites are denoted with the “ionarts’ choice” graphic. There are few cycles that I don't love or like or wouldn’t find a reason to recommend (the most charming Berlin Classics set for its use of different Gottfried Silbermann organs, for example, or the Weinberger set for its total, exhaustive, scholarly completeness). To restrict the wild throwing about of recommendations somewhat, they are limited to sets that are decidedly in print.
The sets are listed in (roughly) chronological order. If you can add or correct information, you are most welcome to do so. Where known, the organs used are added in ‘mouseover’ text on the set’s image.
The idea of “complete” Bach organ works, meanwhile, is a concept open to considerable interpretation. One can, in all genuineness, define Bach’s organ works in such a restrictive way, that they fill some 12 CDs. But one can throw in miscellany, transcriptions, concertos, and apocryphal works to reach (depending on spacing and speed) well over 20. Unless a Bach organ cycle sets out to be über-complete as a matter of principle, editorial decisions have to be made as to what gets included and what not.
Updated: 8/10/2023: David Goode's cycle on Signum has come out as a set in 2020.
Updated: 02/14/2019: I have dug a little, to see if I can't find out more about the alleged two sets of Lionel Rogg's that never appeared on CD. Turns out, firstly, that the man is very much alive, busily composing and performing at that! Secondly that he has a very nifty website. And thirdly very generous explaining the somewhat convoluted history of those three cycles, upon query. I am including those two cycles, unavailable though they are, below, for completeness' sake.
Updated: 02/10/2019: André Isoir has been re-issued again, this time the terrific La Dolce Volta label has included the Art of the Fugue, bringing the set to 17 CDs. Marie-Claire Alain's first cycle, hitherto never available on CDs, has been re-issued by Warner. Now all her three cycles are available from the label. Stefano Molardi snuck a complete cycle by me which exists on its own right and as part of a super-set of the complete organ works of the Bach family (Brilliant). Furthermore we have new cycles under way by David Goode (Signum; on vol.10) and Benjamin Alard (Harmonia Mundi - including all cross-platform keyboard works; on vol.2).
Updated: 03/15/2018: Hurford's cycle has been re-issued on Decca Italy!
Updated: 11/11/2017: Benjamin Alard is slated to record the complete organ works and the complete other keyboard works for Harmonia Mundi, with the first release coming out in 2018. If anyone can provide information about Anton Heiller's cycle (perhaps recorded for Amadeo? And was it ever issued as a set on LP? It seems never to have made it into the CD age...), that would be much appreciated.
Updated: 08/26/2017: Happily, Olivier Vernet's Bach cycle (a favorite cycle of many Bach organ lovers I know) has been re-issued by Ligia and is available as a CD-set (so far) from Amazon.de and .fr. and digitally elsewhere. It contains 15 discs omitting the four bonus discs of the original release that included "Clavier-Übung 0", the Concertos for 2, 3 & 4 organs, the disc with transcriptions and a Bach-Vernet CD which I've forgotten the contents of). The concerto disc is available seperately now; the box includes a coupon for this disc!
Kay Johannsen has a set available - if "available" is the right word, since it can only be bought at the info-point of the Stiftskirche in Stuttgart. Jacques van Oortmerssen died just before he could finish his cycle. Nine individual releases are available from his estate directly.
New sets are currently underway by David Goode (on the Trinity College Chapel Cambridge; Signum, 4 volumes), and Kei Koito (Claves, 5 volumes) which I like a lot, so far. (Special thanks to Karsten Unverricht, who seems to know absolutely everything about Bach organ cycles both ongoing and past.)
Updated: 04/24/2016: André Isoir and the Hänssler cycle have been put into chronological order on this list. The details of the organs used (on mouse-over, depending on your browser) are now included for Koopman, Alain III, Weinberger, Foccroulle and (partly) Phillips.
Updated: 01/25/2015: André Isoir has been re-issued by the terrific La Dolce Volta label and included below.
One example: Although billed as a “complete” set (and certainly included here), why did Sir Simon Preston in his recording for Archiv not include BWV 668(a)? Turns out Peter Williams (musicologist, general editor of the New Oxford J.S. Bach Edition), whose advice was sought for the recording project, was insistent on not including them. Preston thought Williams suggested that because it's apocryphal Bach. More likely Williams objected because of the above-mentioned status. (By the time Preston suggested as much to me, he was already prone to the occasional touch of confusion.) The exclusion of the Neumeister chorales went along the same rationale, with Deutsche Grammophon being more keen on the "core organ works", than a catch-all box (Sir Simon: "Which is is rather a nice thing, actually").
Very incomplete cycles, especially when unlikely ever to be finished, are excluded from this list. Also not included are cycles that never made if from LP to CD (
  Michel Chapuis, 1966-1970 (Valois / United Archives) 14 CDs, oop,~$50-80 mp3 version ~$17 UK | DE | FR | |||
 Jean Guillou II 1999, live (Philips / Decca) 12 CDs, ~$50 Europe only UK | DE | FR | |||
 Hans Helmut Tillmanns 1999-2006 (Danacord) 15 CDs, individ. (Best gotten in UK) UK | DE | FR |  Gerhard Weinberger 1996-2008 (CPO) 22 CDs,~$150 Ultra-complete! UK | DE | FR | ||
1 Also available from Membran/Documents ("cheap, not inexpensive") as two sets of 10 discs each (Set 1, Set 2), but purchase from that label cannot be recommended.
Thanks to Hans-Joachim Rill, organist of St.Blasius, Fulda, for additional and extensive information on the church's instrument and restoration.
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12 comments:
Isoir complete set has just been reissued by La Dolce Volta label.
How do you compare Alain (3rd set), Isoir and Foccroulle sets?
What I have of Isoir, I love... but it's limited to his Art of the Fugue and the Concertos. I hope to get the rest anon.
I've just gotten Foccroulle, recently, and while I like it, I've not been truly enchanted.
I do VERY much enjoy Alain III.
Well, I received Isoir earlier today and I am giddy with anticipation to listen to it all. More anon.
I love Isoir more than I would recommend him to others... there might be a lot of positive bias going into my listening. (It starts with the magnificent set, which is just a joy to behold. So far I'm having problems with one of the discs, though, which may have a coding error. Organ Mass (Part 2), no less, which is one of my favorite bodies of work on the organ.
http://tower.jp/item/3022193
This selected collection has been missed.
https://open.spotify.com/album/3aFNMZA5rbsLIunihQGRSH (http://tower.jp/item/489561)
Camerata made it a 0-9 cycle with 0 by Theodor Guschlbauer, 1, 3, and 4 by Martin Sieghart.
Noteworthy is that the 4th movement of 9 restored by Nicola Samale & Giuseppe Mazzuca comes together.
In my opinion this is one of the most satisfying 'Complete' (aka 4 movements) No. 9.
Also under Exton, Inbal has done 2, 4-9 with Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, and seems to continue.
http://tower.jp/search/item/inbal%20bruckner%20exton?
In Peter Watchorn's precious book on Isolde Ahlgrimm I saw that Philips also issued a then-proclaimed 'Complete' Organ works in twelve volumes with Anton Heiller (1923-1979), and it's only on LP till today, sadly.
Also in the news is that Benjamin Alard and Harmonia Mundi is working on a very complete (both organ solo, keyboard solo, and organ chorale, chant, etc.) Bach issue, the first installment of it's first volume has been issued today.
https://www.facebook.com/notes/benjamin-alard-clavecin-orgue/benjamin-alard-records-for-harmonia-mundi/875088822645046/
https://open.spotify.com/album/7qNWn68cgfZXYxQivsMCo7
This is very cool (re: Benjamin Alard). Thanks for the infromation!!
Really enjoy this site ... a few news items for you. You no doubt have seen that Alain I has finally been issued on CD. Listening to it now, in fact.
Also, there's a single-disc Volume IX for Margaret Phillips cycle, so it's actually a 17-disc set.
Unmentioned is the set by Karol Golebiowski on Selene. These are available as mp3s from Amazon. I don't think CDs are available.
And Isoir is being reissued by La Dolce Volta in mid-September.
Dear Dave, thanks much about the updates! I've incorporated the information by now. (Although I won't incorporate Golebiowski if it doesn't exist on a physical format at all, I think.)
David Goode's cycle is now complete.
Two other cycles are ongoing:
Eric Lebrun in collaboration with Marie-Ange Leurent on
Monthabor Music - ca half of the CD's released
and
Enrico Viccardi on Fugatto - 6 vol.s released so far
Somewhat tangentially, I wish some label would reissue Louis Thiry's Art of Fugue - my absolute reference for all time! Recorded in 1993 on a beautiful instrument.
Dear Ulfilas,
nothing is too tangential on this thread, when it relates to Bach's organ music. :-)
Thanks for stopping by.
Cheers,
Jens (on Twitter
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