Yes, these are the definitive late-'50s recordings of
Leopold Stokowski conducting his symphony orchestra in his transcriptions of
Bach. In terms of sheer aural charisma, they are simply impossible to beat.
Stokowski put all the showman and all the charlatan that was in him into his
Bach transcriptions and his late-'50s recordings of them are still awe-inspiring. No, they are not nuanced. The angel trumpets and devil trombones of the Toccata and Fugue in D minor are colossal. The basses and tubas in the Little Fugue in G minor are gargantuan. The very bassoons in the Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor are enormous. No, they are not subtle. The sorrow of Komm, süsser Tod is unbearable. The majesty of Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott is overpowering. The serenity of the Air on the G string is overwhelming. Yes, they are absolutely unbelievable and anyone who enjoys
Stokowski's extravagant transcriptions will enjoy this disc. EMI's digital remastering is very large, very loud, and very, very intimate.