This is the first CD I have heard in this projected “complete organ works” series, and I can’t say that I came away feeling like I’ve missed anything. The organ of the Grauhof Monastery is an attractive, largish instrument, and it is recorded very well. I don’t mind large scale Bach, but I do mind an excessive amount of rubato in the playing, and that’s what happens here, forgivable in one of the Preludes, but a bit unnerving in one of the ensuing fugues, where we’re left grasping for a beat. Add to that some of those strange, irritating little “hiccups” before important chord changes, as if to say, “Hey, ma, look at this!” My two favorite Bach organ voyagers are Peter Hurford, who has finished his Decca series, and Kevin Bowyer, who is about two-thirds of the way through his. They offer rock-steady readings that let the magnificent music speak for itself. Michael Murray’s readings on Telarc are ingratiating, too, though he has not really set out to record the complete works. Gerhard Weinberger doesn’t approach the artistry of these three, so I’d suggest seeking them out before paying this one a visit.
