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Ton Koopman Plays Bach

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Unrated
Format: DVD
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 6 ratings
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September 21, 2004 		—
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$31.04 $17.18

Product Description

Ton Koopman is one of the most distinguished Bach interpreters of our time, here performs Bach’s greatest organ works in a program featuring popular Toccata in D minor played on the world-famous Silberman Organ in Freiberg (Saxony). "At Home with Bach" shows Ton Koopman playing harpsichord pieces and accompanying Bach arias performed by eminent Bach singer Klaus Mertens. This program was recorded in the enchanting Gohliser Castle in Leipzig.

Product details

  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ Unrated (Not Rated)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches; 3.84 ounces
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Color, Dolby, Classical, Multiple Formats, NTSC, Widescreen
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 20 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ September 21, 2004
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Bach, Koopman, Mertens
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ EuroArts
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0002TNGVY
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 6 ratings

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
6 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

wolfophile
5.0 out of 5 stars TON KOOPMAN PLAYING BACH WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO MOVE TO HOLLAND!
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2015
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Ton Koopman playing the great organ works of Bach is something of rare beauty. You feel so grateful to have the opportunity. I was not disappointed, even though I noticed that level of excitement and the feeling of being thrilled was occasionally a tiny bit under par for him. AND REALLY NOT WORTH MENTIONING, since even so his standard of excellence and of achieving it are legendary.
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Kevin T.
4.0 out of 5 stars good close up camera work
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2005
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It is enjoyable to see close ups of the organ keyboard and pedal work.
5 people found this helpful
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E. I. K. Esser
5.0 out of 5 stars important DVD
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2014
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Ton Koopman is not only an international authority on Organ and harpsichord, but he also has a deep knowledge and insight in Bach music and its performance. A must for J.S.Bach lovers. BERT ESSER
One person found this helpful
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ryan warmboe
5.0 out of 5 stars This is without a doubt the most beautiful collection of music I have on DVD
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2014
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This is without a doubt the most beautiful collection of music I have on DVD. Ton Koopman is a true master and deserves recognition.
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J Scott Morrison
5.0 out of 5 stars Koopman in Two Different (Mostly) Bach Programs
Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2004
This DVD combines two different recitals by Ton Koopman from two different venues and playing several different instruments. In the first part he plays five organ pieces by Bach on the great Silbermann organ of the St. Marien Cathedral in Freiberg. In the second he teams with the distinguished bass Klaus Mertens who is listed, for some reason, as a baritone. That recital was filmed at the Gohliser Schlösschen in Leipzig. Both recitals took place in 2000.

Amazon has not as yet listed the contents of the DVD. In the organ recital Koopman plays 'Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme' from the Schübler Chorales, BWV 645, 'Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland', BWV 659, the 'little' Fugue in G Minor, BWV 578, 'Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele,' BWV 654, and the Toccata (but not the Fugue) in D Minor, BWV 565. One can see as well as hear the marvelous articulation for which Koopman is noted; he seems almost to play with a constant staccato. I suspect this is at least partly because of the cathedral acoustic which makes clear articulation more difficult than it might be in a drier space. The camerawork is excellent. For instance, in the little G minor fugue one gets to see the intricate pedalwork close up. The 'Wachet auf' chorale is played sweetly until the entrance of the chorale tune; I felt the registration for the chorale was a bit harsh. 'Schmücke dich,' on the other hand, is dreamily lovely. Although the Toccata in D Minor was exciting, I was disappointed that it was played without its equally exciting fugue. The high point, for me, was the exhilarating G Minor Fugue. Excellent!

The second recital, entitled 'At Home with Bach,' contains 18 numbers and is a bit of a mish-mash, but I suspect it was meant to be. It primarily comprises pieces taken from the Anna Magdalena Bach notebooks and the less-well-known Schemelli Songbook and includes some pieces that may or were not actually by old J.S. himself, although he may have doctored them a bit when he included them in his practice books for his sons. Klaus Mertens, a noted Bach singer who has collaborated with Koopman in many Bach cantata recordings, sings nicely such things as the familiar solo cantata, 'Ich habe genug,' BWV 82, that includes one of Bach's greatest arias, 'Schlummert ein.' (I have to admit that I haven't been able to hear this aria in recent times without hearing, in my mind's ear, the radiant version included in Lorraine Hunt Lieberson's recent Bach cantata CD.) He also sings the less-familiar 'Amore traditore,' BWV 203, and beautifully so. Koopman plays first a harpsichord and then a portative organ, mixing and matching which instrument he uses to accompany Mertens. Among the solo harpsichord pieces are the two versions of the Minuet in G from the Anhang to the AMG Notebooks, one by Petzold (known to every beginning piano student), the other by who-knows-who. He plays a lovely version of 'Vater unser im Himmelreich,' BWV 683, from the Clavier-übung III on the little portative. Mertens trots out an elaborately carved old pipe when he sings the comic aria, 'So oft ich meine Tobackpfeife,' BWV 515a.

I had never seen Koopman live before and was amused to see that when he is playing solo organ he tends to be relatively still, although one sees him keeping rhythms subtly with his torso and head. But when he is accompanying Mertens or playing solo harpsichord he vigorously bobs and weaves; clearly this is an old habit that comes from leading ensembles from the keyboard. I found it a little distracting until I decided to think of it as a form of dance; then I felt it added rhythmic point to the proceedings.

Koopman is clearly one of our leading baroque musicians and this DVD easily explains why. He is not only a marvelous instrumentalist, he is also a knowing and enthusiastic musician who communicates both the heart and mind of the music to his audience.

TT=80m

Scott Morrison
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otik0608
4.0 out of 5 stars 買って損なし！
Reviewed in Japan on October 3, 2004
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バッハ没後２５０年記念の２０００年に録画されたＤＶＤ。前半はオルガン曲、後半は「アンナ・マグダレーナのための音楽帳」や「シェメッリ歌曲集」収録の歌曲や小型オルガン、チェンバロのための作品などが演奏されている。
前半のオルガン曲ではフライベルクの聖マリエン大聖堂のオルガンを使用している。コープマンの演奏は往年の切れ味に円熟味が加わってすばらしく、音質も良好で映像も美しい。演奏するコープマンの手や足もよく映されているので、実際に演奏される方には参考になるかも知れない。不満な点は、ＢＷＶ５６５がトッカータだけしか演奏されてないところだ。この曲はフーガがないとどうも中途半端な印象である。さらに細かいところでは、ＢＷＶ５７８が字幕ではＢＷＶ５７４と誤記されている。
後半はバリトンのメルテンスが主役である。コープマンのバッハ・カンタータ全集でも不動のレギュラーを勤めているメルテンスは、さすがに伴奏するコープマンとの息もピッタリと合った、安定感のある名唱を惜しげもなく披露している。そのやさしく温かみのある声の持ち主は、風貌も声同様にやさしそうなおじさんである。「パイプの歌（ＢＷＶ５１５ａ）」ではバロック時代のパイプを手でいじくりながら歌っているのがユーモラスだ。
バッハファンなら、買って損なしの１枚である。
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