Artist: Various Artists
Title: 100 Best Organ Classics
Year Of Release: 2013
Label: EMI
Genre: Classical
Total Time: 7:09:08

Tracklist:

CD1 :

01. Johann Sebastian Bach – Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565: Toccata [02:47]
02. Johann Sebastian Bach – Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565: Fugue [06:07]
03. Johann Sebastian Bach – Chorale Prelude: Wachet auf, BWV 645 [04:52]
04. Johann Sebastian Bach – Prelude and Fugue in C, BWV 545 [06:14]
05. Johann Sebastian Bach – Fugue in G major "Alla Gigue", BWV 577 [03:06]
06. Johann Sebastian Bach – Concerto in A minor (after Vivaldi), BWV 593: I. Allegro[04:24]
07. Johann Sebastian Bach – Concerto in A minor (after Vivaldi), BWV 593: II. Adagio[03:35]
08. Johann Sebastian Bach – Concerto in A minor (after Vivaldi), BWV 593: III. Allegro[03:45]
09. Johann Sebastian Bach – Concerto in D minor (after Vivaldi), BWV 596: III. Largo e spiccato[03:18]
10. Dietrich Buxtehude – Toccata and Fugue in F[04:36]
11. Louis-Claude Daquin – Noël in G, Op.2 No.10[05:31]
12. Louis-Nicolas Clérambault – Caprice sur les grands jeux [02:29]
13. François Couperin – Offertoire sur les grands jeux[06:07]
14. Michel Corrette – Carillon in F[02:36]
15. Georg Friedrich Händel – Organ Concerto No.13 in F "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale": I. Larghetto[02:40]
16. Georg Friedrich Händel – Organ Concerto No.13 in F "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale": II. Allegro[04:40]
17. Georg Friedrich Händel – Organ Concerto No.13 in F "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale": III. Organo ad libitum[01:37]
18. Georg Friedrich Händel – Organ Concerto No.13 in F "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale": IV. Larghetto[02:56]
19. Georg Friedrich Händel – Organ Concerto No.13 in F "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale": V. Allegro[03:32]

CD2 :

01. Georg Friedrich Händel – Organ Concerto No.4 in F, Op.4-4: I. Allegro[03:47]
02. Georg Friedrich Händel – Alla Hornpipe (from Water Music Suite in D, arr. Ian Tracey)[03:44]
03. Henry Purcell – Trumpet Tune I (arr. Henry Ley)01:24]
04. Henry Purcell – Air (arr. Henry Ley) [00:55]
05. Henry Purcell – Trumpet Tune II (arr. Henry Ley) [02:10]
06. Johann Caspar Kerll – Capriccio on "Cuckoo"[03:00]
07. Jeremiah Clarke – Trumpet Voluntary (arr. Noel Rawsthorne)[02:47]
08. Franz Joseph Haydn – Organ Concerto in F: I. Tempo giusto[05:19]
09. Franz Joseph Haydn – Organ Concerto in F: II. Adagio ma non troppo[05:06]
10. Franz Joseph Haydn – Organ Concerto in F: III. Allegro assai[02:47]
11. Felix Mendelssohn – Wedding March (from A Midsummer Night's Dream, arr. Noel Rawsthorne)[04:51]
12. Johannes Brahms – Chorale Prelude No.8, Es ist ein Ros entsprungen[03:10]
13. Franz Schubert – Marche militaire No.1 (arr. Noel Rawsthorne)[05:04]
14. Robert Schumann – Canon in B minor, Op.56 No.5[02:45]
15. Felix Mendelssohn – War March of the Priests (from Athalie, arr. William Thomas Best)[05:52]
16. Camille Saint-Saëns – Fantaisie in E-flat[05:02]
17. Alfred Hollins – Concert Overture in C minor[06:37]
18. Charles-Marie Widor – Symphony No.5 in F minor, Op.42 No.1[05:11]

CD3 :

01. Jehan Alain – Le Jardin suspendu06:12]
02. Jehan Alain – Litanies[04:42]
03. Jules Grison – Toccata in F [05:43]
04. Eugène Gigout – Grand Choeur dialogué[06:06]
05. Eugène Gigout – Toccata in B minor[03:02]
06. Léon Boëllmann – Suite gothique, Op.25: Prière à Notre-Dame[04:09]
07. Henri Mulet – Carillon-sortie04:05]
08. Maurice Duruflé – Prélude et Fugue sur le nom d'Alain, Op.7: Prélude. Allegro[06:36]
09. Maurice Duruflé – Prélude et Fugue sur le nom d'Alain, Op.7: Fugue. Andante[04:45]
10. Joseph Bonnet – Étude de concert[03:39]
11. Léon Boëllmann – Suite gothique, Op.25: Toccata[04:00]
12. César Franck – Chorale No.1 in E[14:38]
13. Camille Saint-Saëns – Symphony No.3 in C minor "Organ", Op.78[08:11]

CD4 :

01. Franz Joseph Haydn – Organ Concerto in C: I. Moderato07:42]
02. Franz Joseph Haydn – Organ Concerto in C: II. Largo [07:15]
03. Franz Joseph Haydn – Organ Concerto in C: III. Allegro molto[03:45]
04. Johann Sebastian Bach – Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich, BWV 719[02:04]
05. Johann Sebastian Bach – Trio Sonata No.5 in C, BWV 529: I. Allegro[05:09]
06. Johann Sebastian Bach – Trio Sonata No.5 in C, BWV 529: II. Largo[06:05]
07. Johann Sebastian Bach – Trio Sonata No.5 in C, BWV 529: III. Allegro[03:50]
08. Johann Sebastian Bach – Valet will ich dir geben, BWV 735[03:55]
09. Johann Sebastian Bach – Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein, BWV 641[02:22]
10. Johann Sebastian Bach – In dulci jubilo, BWV 729 [02:45]
11. Alexandre-Pierre-François Boëly – Toccata in B minor, Op.43 No.13[03:10]
12. Felix Mendelssohn – Sonata No.3 in A, Op.65 No.3: I. Con moto maestoso[06:53]
13. Felix Mendelssohn – Sonata No.3 in A, Op.65 No.3: II. Andante tranquillo[01:51]
14. Max Reger – Toccata in D minor [04:04]
15. Herbert Murrill – Carillon[02:15]
16. George Thalben-Ball – Elegy [04:54]
17. Johann Georg Albrechtsberger – Organ Concerto in B flat: III. Finale. Allegro[04:07]

CD5 :

01. Georg Friedrich Händel – Organ Concerto No.5 in F, Op.4 No.5: I. Largo[02:08]
02. Georg Friedrich Händel – Organ Concerto No.5 in F, Op.4 No.5: II. Allegro[02:26]
03. Georg Friedrich Händel – Organ Concerto No.5 in F, Op.4 No.5: III. Alla sicilian01:44]
04. Georg Friedrich Händel – Organ Concerto No.5 in F, Op.4 No.5: IV. Presto[02:27]
05. Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck – Variations on "Meine junges Leben hat ein End"[07:06]
06. Johann Sebastian Bach – The Arnstadt Chorale Preludes: No.2 Wir Christenleut, BWV 1090[02:05]
07. Johann Sebastian Bach – The Arnstadt Chorale Preludes: No.3 Das alte Jahr vergangen ist, BWV 1091[03:00]
08. Johann Sebastian Bach – The Arnstadt Chorale Preludes: No.4 Herr Gott, nun schleuß den Himmel auf, BWV 1092[02:16]
09. Johann Sebastian Bach – The Arnstadt Chorale Preludes: No.14 Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder, BWV 742[01:54]
10. Johann Sebastian Bach – The Arnstadt Chorale Preludes: No.15 Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt, BWV 1101[03:35]
11. Johann Sebastian Bach – The Arnstadt Chorale Preludes: No.36 Christe, der du bist der helle Tag, BWV 1120[01:48]
12. Johann Sebastian Bach – The Arnstadt Chorale Preludes: No.38 Herr Christ, der ein'ge Gottes-Sohn, BWV 601[01:41]
13. William Boyce – Voluntary in D [03:59]
14. Dietrich Buxtehude – Passacaglia in D minor[05:54]
15. William Mathias – Partita, Op.19: I. Maestoso [03:55]
16. William Mathias – Partita, Op.19: II. Lento alla marcia [05:02]
17. William Mathias – Partita, Op.19: III. Allegro ma non troppo[04:20]
18. Marco Enrico Bossi – Entrée pontificale [03:50]

CD6 :

01. Maurice Duruflé/Georges Prêtre/Orchestre National De L'o.r.t.f. – Concerto In G Minor For Organ, Strings And Timpani: Andante – Allegro Giocoso[05:33]
02. Stephen Cleobury – L' Ascension: Transports De Joie D'une Âme Devant La Gloire Du Christ Qui Est La Sienne[04:35]
03. Stephen Cleobury – Toccata [Songs Of Praise Theme][04:27]
04. Stephen Cleobury – 66 Choral-Improvisationen Op. 65: 59. Nun Danket Alle Gott[03:57]
05. André Marchal – Fantaisie De l'Epiphanie (Extrait Du Cycle De Noël Op.55 De l'Orgue Mystique)[01:55]
06. Jan Valach – Toccata (1991 – Remaster)[04:42]
07. Conrad Eden – Prelude (Three Pieces No.1)[03:46]
08. Wayne Marshall – Prelude To 'Un Ballo In Maschera'[04:31]
09. Wayne Marshall – Danse Macabre – Symphonic Poem Op. 40 (Arr. Lemare)[07:00]
10. Nobuko Imai – Crown Imperial (Coronation March 1953)[09:49]
11. Nobuko Imai – Tuba Tune[05:02]
12. Noel Rawsthorne – Aida: Grand March[05:17]
13. Noel Rawsthorne – The Stars And Stripes Forever[03:44]
14. Noel Rawsthorne – Pomp And Circumstance March No.1 Op.39[06:22]
15. Noel Rawsthorne – Ride Of The Valkyries [06:11]

This 6CD set contains 100 tracks of popular organ music from the catalogues of EMI Classics and Virgin Classics performed by some of the world’s finest organists on a wide variety of instruments from all over the UK and Continental Europe.

Further details of the programmes are as follows:

Each of the six CDs is devised as a concert programme to make an enjoyable listening experience individually, or together to constitute a major collection of well-known organ works in a readily accessible form.

The first CD begins with a group of pieces by one of the greatest composers of all time and one who made a major contribution to the organ repertoire: Johann Sebastian Bach. The opening work is instantly recognisable as a piece of music heard in many films and television shows. Some experts believe that it may not have been written by Bach, but it is formally attributed to him. The other Bach pieces are followed by some attractive works by other composers of the Baroque era such as Buxtehude, Clérembault and Couperin, and the CD ends with one of the signature pieces by Bach’s great contemporary, George Frideric Handel: the delightful organ concerto known as ‘The Cuckoo and the Nightingale’.

The second CD begins with another Handel organ concerto and includes some arrangements for organ of lively tunes originally written for other instruments such as Clarke’s famous ‘Trumpet Voluntary’ and Mendelssohn’s Wedding March from his incidental music for ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, a piece traditionally played at countless weddings at the end of the ceremony. After further works by composers such as Brahms, Schumann and Saint-Saëns, we are back at another wedding ceremony with Widor’s striking Toccata that is also a favourite for a celebratory departure by the happy newly-weds.

CD 3 brings together a further selection of mainly French works, beginning with two pieces by the outstanding young composer Jehan Alain who was tragically killed in action in the Second World War. After compositions by Duruflé, Böellmann, Mulet and Franck, the programnme ends with the conclusion to the spectacular ‘Organ’ Symphony by Saint-Saëns with all the orchestral power of the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse accompanying Matthias Eisenberg at the organ of Notre-Dame la Daurade Basilica, Toulouse.

The next CD brings us back to further representative solo works by Bach, preceded by a splendid organ concerto by Haydn recorded in Prague. After solos by Boëly, Mendelssohn, Reger and Murrill we return to Prague for a lively concerto by an Austrian contemporary of Mozart’s, Johann Albrechtsberger.

As well as compositions by Handel, Buxtehude, Boyce and Sweelinck, CD 5 features a selection of organ works by Bach from the collection known as the Arnstadt Chorale Preludes, taken from the world premier recording of the Authentic Yale Edition played by Werner Jacob on the Silbermann organ in Arlesheim Cathedral, Switzerland.

The last CD covers works by more recent composers such as Poulenc, Messiaen and Walton, and, to demonstrate the versatility of the organ, concludes with some spirited arrangements of several perhaps unlikely works such as ‘Danse macabre’ by Saint-Saëns, Sousa’s march: ‘The Stars and Stripes Forever’ and finally Wagner’s spectacular ‘Ride of the Valkyries’.