Playing Bach

Firsty: Of course it's relevant! The organ is different from most instruments in that the player's touch has little effect on the sound that is made, which is produced mechanically. Interpretation of Bach's organ works comes under a somewhat different set of guidelines. Again, while Bach might have (happily) gotten used to the size and grandeur of an 80 rank Aeolian-Skinner organ (as well as some of its modern improvements like an electronic console with almost unlimited coupling capability...and electric fans to fill the chests instead of bellows!), the fact is what he had to work with in Leipzig and elsewhere was considerably more modest, and he wrote his music for what he had. It is therefore really easy to over-register for Bach. I like grand and impressive Bach too, but he can be all that without throwing in the kitchen sink.

Have you ever played any Bach on a small tracker organ?

Zetetic: my pleasure! Can you tell I'm a bit "too" passionate about authentic performance?

I play on a rickety old church organ that hasn't been serviced in god konws how long lol... the D foot pedal has broken which really sucks in the Toccata and Fugue in D minor

Ah...I sympathise. Organ maintenance can be an expensive business, and it isn't in the budget of most churches these days, whose numbers generally are not on the rise, nor are their tithes.

Furthermore, a decline in clerical moral standards means that the clergy would rather be seen to invest their money in the third-world than on organ repairs. What about all the starving musicians?

All that is true - but i think if the organ you play on is a bit decrepid it adds to how personal playing it is Its a pain sometimes but its more personal lol One of the reasons the organ is my favourite instrument to play