Bat's thread: the desert island

The desert island. Now that we can make iPods and selections into CDs, just pick five CDs to take with your system to a desert island in which you are to spend the rest of your days. You will be alone, the weather will be rotten, you will spend most of your time indoors, but miraculously there will be electricity and your CD, amp and speakers will never go wrong.

Each CD may contain about an hour of music, and you can put anything you want into it.

 

Only an hour, Rodrigo? Hmmm, that makes it tricky. So, 5 hours' music. I guess I could squeeze in my three favourites:

Monteverdi; 1610 Vespers (only Gardiner's live San Marco version would do)
Bach; B Minor Mass
Bach; Christmas Oratorio.

I wouldn't mind a St. Matt too, but that would be too long. If I could have that as well, that would be fine. I feel I've never got properly to grips with the St. Matt (I never seem to have the time to sit down and listen to the whole lot) - on my desert island with the non-desert island weather, I could finally do that.

 

What I have started. Just 5. I think I would be relatively happy with these, until the final insanity:

Bach: Die Kunst der Fuge, Wikman's 1993 organ recording
Bach: "Fantasia" part (the beginning) of the third partita, played by Scott Ross. That is beatiful.

The remaining 4 CDs would be Indian classical santoor (hammered "harpsichord" played with walnut sticks) recordings:

Shivkumar Sharma: Raga Zinzoti (Jhinjoti)
Shivkumar Sharma: Raga Jog
Shivkumar Sharma: Raga Antardhwani
Shivkumar Sharma: Raga Charukeshi (live 2002 release)

You know, long works that alter consciousness and put you into a trance.

 

Interesting .....
5 hours (or so) worth of music (despite being a 95%+ classical listener, I can't to restrict myself to classical)

Arvo Part Passio (ECM rec)
Bruckner 8th symphony (but Nanut or Bohm or Matacic )
Loreena McKennitt - The Visit + An Ancient Muse
Bach - Art of Fugue - Canadian Brass
Shostakovich violin concerto 1 (Michael Erxleben on Berlin Classics)
Bach B minor mass (selections to make it up to the 5 hours) (Rilling / CBS)

..... or something like that (if I had to prune a little, I guess I'd ditch the 3rd mvt of Bruckner 8, then parts of Art of Fugue, then the 4th mvt of Bruckner 8)

 

Or perhaps I would drop one santoor CD and include Pink Floyd's 1966 "Interstellar overdrive", a 16-minute psychedelic trip.

And some Domenico Scarlatti sonatas, again by Scott Ross.
The most beautiful ones.

Arvo Part's Passio??? I remember it's good but...

 

Yup, perfect for those times when you just want to go transcendant and 'space out' ....

 

I would forego the luxury of listening to Bach's cantatas and passions in their entirety, and make compilation CDs of all my favourite arias and choruses. Even then it would be tough to cull down to five hours
Is it cheating to burn your own CDs?

 

I would also include Beatles pieces from their "Abbey Road" album, because they play rather well on that, especially Ringo.

And some Mendelssohn organ from Hurford's CD.
IMHO Mendelssohn is underrated. Get the Hurford CD and a subwoofer and you'll agree.

And some Billie Holiday.

 

I'll have a go and correct later.

BACH

In two Cds I would put several preludes and fugues. A selection by Leonhardt, another by Gilbert and a third by Walcha:

Leonhadt:
WTC 1: C major; c minor; c#minor; d major f minor; b minor; WTC2: C major; d#minor; b flat major (no prelude) e major (again no prelude); bflat minor. PLUS: His Fantasia chromatica (Seon)

Gilbert: the same plus c major, d major, e major; g major; A flat major; A major; B flat major; B flat minor. PLUS: BWV 904; His Chromatic Fantasy;

Walcha; several of the above, but with some repeating between his two versions. Also his 4th and 6th Partitas and his Fantasia Chromatica.

ORGAN:
2 CDS:
PF in b minor, Walcha, 2nd reading; PF a minor, 2nd reading; g minor, BWV 935, 1st and 2nd reading; doric fugue (no toccata) 2nd reading; several chorales from the Orgelbüchlein (1st reading); Sei Gegrusset Jesu Gutig (1st reading); fugue in F major (witjout the toccata). Some of his Leipzig chorales (Nun komm, and many others). Koopman Auf Tieffer Not; MC Alain PF G major, O Mensch bewein dein sünde gross (last reading), Tocata in d, Concerto in a; fugue in g minor (witjout the Fantasia) in the Schwenkedel organ.

Buxtehude:
A selection by Walcha and Vogel, in one CD, including d minor, g minor e major by Walcha only, and the Te Deum (Vogel only) plus Chapuis g minor (the less known pedaliter one, with the pedal point at the beginning).

One CD on Iberian organ music (Carreira, Correa de Araújo played by Odile Bailleux) and 16th and early 17th Century organ music and some Froberger by Leonhardt

That makes 5 Cds. I would cram the Dona nobis Pacem (Cantus Kölln) and the Actus tragicus (Richter) in what remained; if possible, also the Christ lag in Todesbanden and also Schutz Erbarm dich.

 

I see I forgot the AoF!!!!
So take many WTC Pfs out and include fugues 1,4,5,6,7,8,11, and the last one, unfinished. A selection between Gilbert, Guillot and Walcha.

Also, I would cheat and take may other CDs!

 

No, that was part of the game.

 

interesting that almost everyone has included some Bach.

Is Bach then the silent 'favourite'..?

 

Not just Bach; Bach on harpsichord!

 

What else did you expect?... its impossible to discuss any other composer on this forum.

 

No, it is not! There is a bias, yes, but that is because there are substantial posts concerning Bach. If someone would consistently post on, say, Beethoven's sonatas or Mozart's piano concertos there would be a lot of discussion on the matter.

That said, there are theoretical issues on the interpretation of ancient music that lend themselves better to discussion (what type of organ, what type of harpsichord, and so on) than with, say, Schubert.

And - tongue in cheek - you will find that Buxtehude, Couperin and Monteverdi are very often discussed. So it is definitely possible to post on composers other than Bach. :MILD:

 

Jerry!

Just noticed you're using Dali Skyline speakers.

I'm extremely jealous :O

If you ever want rid of them, send me a PM!

 

Hi Bottle - yep - they are really fab speakers. I'll bear you in mind when I come to sell (I tend not to keep any component for long - but the Dalis might just be an exception .... until the next ebay 'bargain' comes along !! )

Back on topic ...... I'd have to remove some tracks from my previous selections so as to have room to include some Bach (sorry !!) WTC P&Fs from the dulcet fingertips of Joao Carlos Martins - I've just bought Book 1 - my goodness! - simply wonderful interpretations - not for the 'purist' though !!

 

I'll change 5 cd's into 5 issues, and no CD-R burning possibility. Because otherwise it would take me about a year to create five discs of 80 minutes with favourite music.

Bach, Johannes-Passion, Gardiner et al.
Bach, Die Kunst der Fuge & Organ Concertos, Rogg.
Mozart, Le Nozze di Figaro, Solti et al (studio recording: Te Kanawa, Allen, Popp, Ramey, Von Stade).
Rachmaninov, Vespers, Sveschnikov.
Lassus, Cantiones Sacrae, Herreweghe.

And crying my heart out about Jacques Brel, The Beatles, The Smiths, Madrugada, Josquin, Purcell, Schubert, Mahler, Stravinsky, Pärt and the other thousands of composers, artists, musicians and compositions I'd have to leave behind.

 

Well-tempered Clavier- Walcha(1st)- Book I- c#minor, f#minor, b minor
Moroney- Book II- e flat minor/d# minor
Gilbert- Book I- c#minor, b flat minor
Leonhardt- Book I- b minor, Book II- e major, Emerson String Quartet- Book I - c#minor

Walcha- BWV 544(2nd), 552 fugue(Alkmaar/single cd with yellow cover),
546(2nd), 538 fugue(2nd), 582 passacaglia(2nd), 665(2nd), two
fantasias 537 and 562(2nd), trio sonata no. 1 adagio(2nd),
contrapuncti I, XIV unfinished(Alkmaar), 25th variation(Goldberg
Variations)

Marie-Claire Alain - BWV 544 fugue (2nd)

Moroney- 6 voice ricercare (Musical Offering)

Rainer Oster- BWV 538 fugue

Koopman- BWV 686 (Garrels organ)

Bine Katrine Bryndorf- BWV 665

 

For what it's worth, I made some changes to this post. Finally, in addition to those changes, I would add Kenneth Gilbert's prelude/fugue in e flat minor/d#minor from book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier and his fugue in c minor from book II, Olivier Vernet's BWV 546 prelude, Gerhard Weinberger's BWV 544 fugue, Walcha's BWV 572(2nd), Hannes Kästner's BWV 582 passacaglia, Hans Otto's BWV 544 fugue, Walcha's contrapuncti V, VII, and XI(Art of Fugue), Moroney's canon alla decima in contrapunto alla terza(Art of Fugue), Kenneth Gilbert's canon per augmentationem in contrario motu (Art of Fugue-earlier version), Walcha's third variation(canone alla settima) of BWV 769 canonic variations on Von Himmel Hoch(2nd), Walcha's BWV 547 fugue(2nd), Leonhardt's prelude/fugue in b flat minor from WTC book II, Hans Otto's BWV 538 fugue, and Gerhard Weinberger's 6 voice ricercare(Musical Offering). I would not include the preludes for Leonhardt's b minor and e major from the WTC. I would replace Walcha's BWV 525 adagio(2nd) with that from his 1st integral. I'll drop the Goldberg variation. For Walcha's BWV 582 the fugue is to be included. I'll drop Bryndorf's BWV 665 in order to make room for Leo van Doeselaar's BWV 546 prelude, a more recent recording of the Alkmaar organ (than Walcha's recordings). I'll drop the BWV 537 fantasia so that I can include the fugue for Kästner's BWV 582. I'll drop Walcha's BWV 562 fantasia and replace it with Johannes Ernst Köhler's BWV 562 fantasia. I would want a recording of the Trost organ at Altenburg. Therefore, I'll drop Walcha's b minor fugue from WTC I(Leonhardt is sufficient for that one) and add Gerhard Weinberger's BWV 582. I'll drop Hans Otto's BWV 544 fugue and the Emerson String Quartet's BWV 849 fugue. I'll replace them with Felix Friedrich's BWV 546 on an organ by Gottfried Silbermann. I'll add Felix Friedrich's BWV 686 and BWV 552 fugue for an additional recording of the Altenburg Trost. I'll drop Hans Otto's BWV 538 fugue and add Walcha's 4-voice mirror fugue (inverse) from the Art of Fugue. I'll drop Marie-Claire Alain's BWV 544 fugue and add Kenneth Gilbert's Contrapunctus XI from the Art of Fugue. I'll drop Walcha's BWV 665 and add Kenneth Gilbert's 4-voice mirror fugue (inverse). I'll drop Moroney's canon alla decima in contrapunto alla terza from the Art of Fugue so that I can keep the Emerson String Quartet's BWV 849 fugue(c sharp minor fugue from Bk I of the Well-Tempered Clavier). I'll replace Leonhardt's b minor fugue from WTC Bk I with that of Walcha(1st recording). I'll drop Köhler's BWV 562 fantasia in order to bring back Marie-Claire Alain's BWV 544 fugue (second integral). I'll take Walcha's BWV 546 prelude from his first integral in place of the same piece from his second integral. I'll keep the BWV 546 fugue from Walcha's second integral. I'll drop Leo van Doeselaar's BWV 546 prelude so as to be able to include some Lionel Rogg(contrapunctus XVIII-Art of Fugue). I'll drop Kenneth Gilbert's c sharp minor fugue from the WTC Bk I and add Moroney's contrapunctus V(Art of Fugue). I'll drop Felix Friedrich's BWV 546 fugue (I'll keep the prelude to be able to hear a bit of the Silbermann sound, along with Kästner's BWV 582 listed earlier) in order to add a harpsichord version of the unfinished fugue from the Art of Fugue (Moroney-Contrapunctus XIV). I'll replace Gerhard Weinberger's BWV 582 with that of Lionel Rogg from his second integral (I still have Felix Friedrich's BWV 686 and BWV 552 fugue to be able to hear the Trost organ of the Altenburg castle church). I would want Walcha's recording of Buxtehude's prelude in d minor. I'll drop the canon and the mirror fugue(inverse) played by Kenneth Gilbert so that I can add another piece by Buxtehude (prelude in g minor BuxWV 149 played by Harald Vogel). I'll drop Walcha's Buxtehude recording, Kenneth Gilbert's c minor fugue from the WTC Bk II, and the trio sonata adagio played by Walcha in order to clear a bit of space. My final changes will be to add Kay Johannsen's BWV 534 for another recording of the Treutmann organ, Kay Johannsen's BWV 686, Walcha's BWV 565 at Alkmaar, and Gerhard Weinberger's BWV 546 prelude (the last in order to have a recording of the Gottfried Silbermann organ in the St. Peter's church in Freiberg). Having added Weinberger's BWV 546 prelude, I won't take Felix Friedrich's BWV 546 prelude. I'll make two further additions, Kay Johannsen's BWV 552 fugue and Robert Köbler's BWV 546 prelude. I'll replace Weinberger's BWV 546 prelude with Marie-Claire Alain's BWV 565 on the imposing Christian Müller organ in Haarlem. I will add Leo van Doeselaar's BWV 546 prelude and Walcha's sarabande from Bach's French suite no. 1. I will also add Sweelinck's fantasia in g played by Leo van Doeselaar and Sweelinck's fantasia chromatica played by Petros Paukkunen on the pretty amazing Stellwagen organ in Stralsund, Germany. I would like to have a recording of the Schnitger organ of the Martinikerk in Groningen. For that, I'll add Marie-Claire Alain's BWV 544 fugue from her 3rd integral. I'll replace Vogel's recording of Buxtehude with Bine Katrine Bryndorf's recording of Buxtehude's prelude in d minor (BuxWV 140). For the BWV 869 fugue, I will take Leonhardt as well. For an additional view of the BWV 869 fugue, I'll add Bernard Lagace's version on organ. I would also want organ versions of BWV 878(just the fugue) and BWV 891(prelude and fugue) by Bernard Lagace. I'll add Gerhard Weinberger's BWV 552 fugue for the gravity of the Treutmann organ, even though I think that Weinberger overuses rubato. I'll replace Kay Johannsen's BWV 534 with that of Walcha (the prelude from the first integral and the fugue from the second). I'll take Walcha's BWV 582 from the first integral rather than the second so as to get the slower tempo. I'll drop BWV 534. I won't take Kay Johannsen's BWV 552 fugue. I'll replace Leonhardt's BWV 869 fugue with that of Glen Wilson. I'll add Glen Wilson's BWV 849. I'll add Hans Fagius' BWV 686. I'll drop Alain's BWV 565. I'll add Frederic Desenclos's BWV 869 and BWV 878 fugues and Louis Thiry's BWV 891 fugue. Add Gerhard Weinberger's BWV 665 and Walcha's BWV 562 (2nd). As with BWV 544, Weinberger plays BWV 665 on the Trost organ of Waltershausen. Add Bine Katrine Bryndorf's BWV 665 (Wagner organ, Trondheim). And for a slower reading of BWV 665, Walcha's second recording. Add Martin Rost's BuxWV 140 for another recording of the Stellwagen organ in Stralsund. Add Robert Levin's BWV 891 fugue. I'm not sure if I previously included the BWV 892 fugue, but I would want that one (Leonhardt). I won't take Gerhard Weinberger's BWV 552 fugue. I will drop Lagace's well-tempered clavier pieces and add Olivier Vernet's BWV 686 on the Treutmann organ. I'll drop Fagius' BWV 686. I'll add Daniel Chorzempa's BWV 538 fugue. Add Glen Wilson's BWV 853 fugue and 867 fugue. Add Walcha's BWV 849 fugue from his second wtc. I'll drop Gerhard Weinberger's BWV 544 fugue and BWV 665. Add Walcha's BWV 859 fugue(2nd wtc), Edgar Krapp's BWV 686 and BWV 552 fugue, and Matteo Messori's BWV 552 fugue and BWV 686. Add Marie-Claire Alain's BWV 566 toccata(3rd). Add Glen Wilson's BWV 878 fugue. Add Marie-Claire Alain's six-voice ricercar from the Musical Offering(3rd). I'll drop Messori's BWV 552 and 686. Add Walcha's fantasia chromatica by Sweelinck. Add Angelo Castaldo's BWV 565 toccata (not the fugue) on the Trost organ in Altenburg and Hans-Andre Stamm's BWV 565 on the Trost organ in Waltershausen. Add Walcha's BWV 525 adagio(2nd). Replace Leonhardt's BWV 878 fugue with that of Moroney. Replace Leonhardt's BWV 891 and 892 with those pieces by Kenneth Gilbert. Add Kenneth Gilbert's BWV 877 fugue and BWV 878 fugue. Replace Walcha's second version of BWV 849 with Kenneth Gilbert's BWV 849. Add Hans Otto's BWV 538 fugue. Remove Glen Wilson's BWV 878 fugue. Replace Bine Katrine Bryndorf's BWV 665 with the slower version by Marie-Claire Alain(3rd). Add Jean Mouton's Ave Maria Virgo Serena(Tallis Scholars). Drop Marie-Claire Alain's six voice ricercar (just too slow). Add Glen Wilson's fantasia chromatica by Sweelinck. Add Moroney's contrapunctus XI from the Art of Fugue. Add Moroney's BWV 891 fugue. Drop Kenneth Gilbert's BWV 849. Add Robert Levin's BWV 849 fugue. Replace Chorzempa's BWV 538 fugue with that of Wolfgang Stockmeier. Replace Marie-Claire Alain's BWV 544 fugue (the 3rd, I'll keep the 2nd) with that of Wolfgang Stockmeier. Drop Hans Otto's BWV 538 fugue. Drop Sweelinck's fantasia in g. Add the first movement of Saint Matthew Passion (Harnoncourt's first, 1970). Replace Felix Friedrich's BWV 686 with that of Fagius. Add Masaaki Suzuki's BWV 686. Drop Glen Wilson's Bach recordings (keep the Sweelinck). Add Moroney's BWV 853 fugue and Walcha's BWV 869 fugue(2nd). Add Walcha's BWV 867 fugue(2nd). Add Walcha's BWV 849(2nd). Replace Kenneth Gilbert's BWV 878 fugue with that of Walcha(2nd). Drop Robert Levin's BWV 849 fugue. Drop Marie-Claire Alain's BWV 665. Add Fagius' BWV 552 fugue. Add Walcha's BWV 853(1st). Add Bernard Foccroulle's BWV 538 fugue and BWV 572. Add Walcha's BWV 689(2nd). Add Masaaki Suzuki's BWV 849 fugue. Add Fagius' BWV 689. Add Matthias Eisenberg's BWV 546 prelude on the Trost organ. Add Nicolas Gombert's Lugebat David Absalon (Henry's Eight). Add Harald Vogel's BuxWV 140 and BuxWV 149. Add Bine Katrine Bryndorf's BuxWV 146. Drop Bine Katrine Bryndorf's BuxWV 140. Add Hans Fagius' BWV 546 prelude. Add Andras Schiff's BWV 849 (1st). Add Mauersbergers' Matthew Passion opening chorus to go along with Harnoncourt listed earlier. Drop Walcha's BWV 878 fugue. Add Bob van Asperen's BWV 878 fugue. Add Hans Otto's BWV 538 fugue. Replace Hans Fagius' BWV 689 with that of Hans Otto. Add Johannes-Ernst Köhler's BWV 562. Drop Wolfgang Stockmeier's BWV 538 fugue and Walcha's second BWV 849 fugue. Add Richard Egarr's BWV 849 fugue. Replace Foccroulle's BWV 538 fugue with that of Marie-Claire Alain(2nd). Add Bernard Lagace's BWV 552 fugue. Replace Hans-Andre Stamm BWV 565 with that of Bram Beekman. Add Karl Richter's live recording from Tokyo concert of BWV 538(youtube). Replace Hans Otto's BWV 538 fugue with that of Bernard Foccroulle. Replace Walcha's BWV 565(2nd) with his mono recording. Add the opening of Saint Matthew Passion from the film Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach and drop Harnoncourt's 1970 recording of the same.
When I listed Walcha's unfinished fugue from the Art of Fugue, it should have read Contrapunctus XVIII rather than XIV.

I've well exceeded the limit, so I'll stop now.