Bach Organ Blaster

BACH ORGAN BLASTER
Telarc (1995)
Mid-price
Michael Murray, organ
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God only knows who this CD is aimed at. Featuring “explosive” fonts and silly packaging, it surely isn’t something most classical collectors would leap for. And really, are those new to the genre going to be looking for a hi-fi organ disc? Maybe, but the fact that the disc is still in print makes me think that somebody out there wants it for one of those reasons, and perhaps so do you.

Extra-musical issues aside, this disc gives you a great chance to hear Telarc’s “house organist” Michael Murray’s early Bach recordings. The mid-eighties releases most of these items come from were short and varied programs, geared more toward showcasing the organs and Murray’s formidable technique than having any real purpose. Two of his early programs were all Bach discs, but you almost need those as an organist. At any rate, Murray seems to get little attention from critics, quite possibly because he isn’t English or flashy…or cynically speaking, he’s still alive and thus isn’t one of the great organists of the past. Also, the fact that his albums rarely exceed 40 minutes—and the ones that do have been packaged like this goofy looking disc—and you hardly have a household name, even for an organist.

And he doesn’t seem to be a prime Bach organist, either. His—and Telarc’s—choice to record in massive and overly reverberant spaces leads to some heavy plodding, whereas Karl Richter and others brought more life to works that often don’t need help sounding dull. Hence, the larger works need a greater sense of flow and spontaneity, smaller works need more zest. And yet, the program is admirably varied, and chances are that some of these pieces will be new to you.

With all my reservations above, I’d still recommend this. A 75 minute organ recital at this price is a steal, and rhythmic issues aside Murray is an outstanding and always musical contributor. Furthermore, the eight organs around the world all sound absolutely terrific and fully justify Telarc’s claim to have outstanding sonic qualities. If you like Bach organ works, and don’t feel like running all over creation to find individual discs, this fits the bill.