Evidence suggests that J.S. Bach completed and revised the Fantasia and Fugue in G minor for organ, BWV 542 (the "Great" G minor, as opposed to BWV 578, the "Little" G minor), as an audition for an organist position in Hamburg in 1720. Bach didn't get the job, but, happily enough, posterity did get the piece; generations of organists since then have considered it one of their repertoire's crown jewels. The two parts of BWV 542 (the fantasia -- sometimes titled Prelude instead -- and the fugue) are thought to have been composed separately: the fugue is assigned Bach's Weimar years (1708-1717) and the fantasia to his time in Cöthen (1717-1723, but, if the audition theory is correct, not later than 1720).
The fantasia opens spaciously and in recitative-like style, but as it unfolds Bach finds room for dense passages in upper-voice imitation. There are five more or less balanced sections to this fantasy; intensely dramatic sections are interwoven with quieter, more even passages. The wide tonal scope of the fantasia has been a subject of fascination for two centuries of musicians: just when some kind of harmonic stability seems to arrive, Bach shoots off on a mock-improvised cadenza that jolts the music into a whole new pitch realm. Thus the fantasia both lives up to its name and contains quite a bit of contrapuntal rigor, and then, on top of that, more than one worthy mind has deemed the fugue to be Bach's ultimate accomplishment in the field of organ counterpoint. The task of selecting a king from that noble crowd, however, is not an enviable one. Though it provides the sense of a stable answer to the fantasia in its predominantly even sixteenth note rhythms, it is similarly ambitious harmonically: Bach makes two revolutions through the entire circle of fifths. The fugue makes a fine contrast with the later music of the fantasia while nevertheless seeming of a piece with it ~ Blair Johnston, All Music Guide
| 100 Years of Organ Music at Syracuse University |
1999 |
| Albert Schweitzer Plays Bach |
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| Albert Schweitzer Plays Johann Sebastian Bach |
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| Albert Schweitzer plays Bach, Vol.1 |
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| Bach 2000 Light: The Complete Bach Edition (without Sacred Cantatas) (includes Commemorative Book) (Box Set) |
1999 |
| Bach 2000: The Complete Bach Edition (Includes Commemorative Book) (Box Set) |
1999 |
| Bach Edition Leipzig [Box Set] |
1999 |
| Bach Edition, Vol. 6 [Box Set] |
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| Bach Edition, Vol. 6: Organ Works [Box Set] |
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| Bach Edition: Complete Works [Box Set] |
2006 |
| Bach Edition: Organ Works, Disc 4 |
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| Bach Organ Blaster |
1995 |
| Bach Organ Masterpieces |
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| Bach Organ Recital |
1999 |
| Bach at Bryn Mawr |
1987 |
| Bach at Lejansk |
1996 |
| Bach in Brentwood |
1999 |
| Bach in the Wind |
2007 |
| Bach on the Great Organ at Methuen |
1980 |
| Bach, Pinkham, Widor and others |
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| Bach, Saint-Saens, Guilmant and others |
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| Bach-Beispiele |
2000 |
| Bach: 250 Year Celebration (Box Set) |
2000 |
| Bach: Complete Organ Music [Box Set] |
2006 |
| Bach: Complete Organ Music [SACD] |
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| Bach: Complete Organ Works |
2009 |
| Bach: Complete Organ Works and Other Keyboard Works (Box Set) |
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| Bach: Complete Organ and Other Keyboard Works, Vol. 5 |
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| Bach: Das Orgelwerk (Complete Edition) [Box Set] |
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| Bach: Die Orgelmeisterwerke |
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| Bach: Die schönsten Orgelwerke |
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| Bach: Fantasia and Fugue in G minor "The Great", Franck: Fantaisie in A |
2004 |
| Bach: Fantasia and Fugue in Gm |
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| Bach: Fantasia and Fugue in Gm |
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| Bach: Fantasia and Fugue in Gm; Toccata & Fugue in F |
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| Bach: Fantasias, Preludes and Fugues |
2000 |
| Bach: Fantasy and Fugue in G minor and Other Mature Works |
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| Bach: Great Organ Works |
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| Bach: Great Organ Works |
1994 |
| Bach: Great Organ Works |
1989 |
| Bach: Great Organ Works |
2000 |
| Bach: Great Works for Organ |
2000 |
| Bach: Highlights from 'Das Orgelbuchlein' |
1994 |
| Bach: L'Oeuvre d'orgue [Box Set] |
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| Bach: Organ Masterpieces |
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| Bach: Organ Music, Vol. 1 |
2002 |
| Bach: Organ Recital |
1997 |
| Bach: Organ Transcriptions; Chopin: Sonatas Nos. 2 & 3 |
1993 |
| Bach: Organ Works |
1986 |
| Bach: Organ Works |
1992 |
| Bach: Organ Works |
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| Bach: Organ Works |
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| Bach: Organ Works |
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| Bach: Organ Works |
1998 |
| Bach: Organ Works |
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| Bach: Organ Works |
1995 |
| Bach: Organ Works |
1999 |
| Bach: Organ Works |
2001 |
| Bach: Organ Works |
1988 |
| Bach: Organ Works |
2002 |
| Bach: Organ Works |
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| Bach: Organ Works |
1999 |
| Bach: Organ Works |
1986 |
| Bach: Organ Works (Box Set) |
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| Bach: Organ Works 1 |
1986 |
| Bach: Organ Works [Box Set] |
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| Bach: Organ Works [Box Set] |
1988 |
| Bach: Organ Works on Siberman Organs, Vol. IV |
1998 |
| Bach: Organ Works, BWV 565, 552, 542, 582, 564 |
2001 |
| Bach: Organ Works, Disc 1 |
1986 |
| Bach: Organ Works, Vol. 1 |
1995 |
| Bach: Organ Works, Vol. 1 |
1989 |
| Bach: Organ Works, Vol. 1 |
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| Bach: Organ Works, Vol. 1 |
1986 |
| Bach: Organ Works, Vol. 1 (Box Set) |
1994 |
| Bach: Organ Works, Vol. 2 |
2007 |
| Bach: Orgel Werke |
2006 |
| Bach: Preludes & Fugues, BWV 536, 541, 544, 546 |
1992 |
| Bach: Preludes (24) and Fugues, Vol. 1 |
1990 |
| Bach: Preludes, Toccatas and Fugues for Organ |
2009 |
| Bach: Preludium & Fuge, BWV 551-535; Fantasie & Fuge, BWV 542; Trio Sonata, BWV 525 |
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| Bach: Schübler Chorales, BWV 542; Passacaglia & Fugue, BWV 582 |
1992 |
| Bach: The Conductors' Transcriptions [Hybrid SACD] |
2004 |
| Bach: The Great Fantasias, Preludes and Fugues |
1993 |
| Bach: The Great Organ Works |
2000 |
| Bach: The Great Preludes & Fugues, Vol. 2 |
1988 |
| Bach: The Masterworks [Box Set] |
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| Bach: The Masterworks [Box Set] |
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| Bach: The Organ Works |
1999 |
| Bach: The Organ Works (Box Set) |
2000 |
| Bach: The Organ Works (Box Set) |
2001 |
| Bach: The Organ Works [Box Set] |
1995 |
| Bach: The Organ Works, Disc 5 |
2000 |
| Bach: The Organ Works, Vol. 1 |
1989 |
| Bach: The Organ Works, Vol. 1 |
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| Bach: The Works for Organ Vol. One |
1992 |
| Bach: Toccata & Fuge; Passacaille |
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| Bach: Toccata & Fugue |
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| Bach: Toccata & Fugue |
2007 |
| Bach: Toccata & Fugue |
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| Bach: Toccata & Fugue in D minor & other favorite organ works |
1999 |
| Bach: Toccata & Fugue in Dm; Passacaglia and Fugue in Cm |
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| Bach: Toccata & Fugue in Dm; Toccata, Adagio & Fugue in C |
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| Bach: Toccata & Fugue; Passacaglia |
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| Bach: Toccata & Fugue; Passacaglia & Fugue; Pastorale; Prelude & Fugue |
1991 |
| Bach: Toccata & Fugue; Preludes & Fugues |
2002 |
| Bach: Toccata et fugue; Chorals Schübler |
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| Bach: Toccata, Adagio & Fugue in C-dur; Präludien & Fugen; Fantasie & Fuge |
1991 |
| Bach: Weimar Preludes & Fugues |
2008 |
| Bach: Works for Organ |
1986 |
| Bach:Organ Masterpieces |
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| By Request |
1997 |
| Classical Evolution: Bach: Organ Works |
2002 |
| Die historische Sönig-Orgel der Basilika Steinfeld |
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| Dimitri Mitropoulos Conducts: Document 2 |
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| Dimitri Mitropoulos: Conductor |
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| Festspieldokumente 2000: Bach-Beispiele |
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| Franz Liszt, J.S. Bach: Organ Masterworks |
1999 |
| G. D. Cunningham: Historic Recordings, 1926-1937 |
1997 |
| Glocken und Orgeln des Hamburger Michels |
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| Glocken und Rudigierorgel im Linzer Mariendom |
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| Grand Piano: Bach |
1997 |
| Great European Organs, No. 33 |
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| Great Organ Music |
1995 |
| Great Organ Music |
1995 |
| Historic Swiss Organs, Vol. 11 |
1986 |
| J. S. Bach: Organ Works Complete [Box Set] |
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| J. S. Bach: Organ Works Complete, Vol. 1 |
1993 |
| J.S. Bach: Complete Works for Organ (Box Set) |
|
| J.S. Bach: Complete Works for Organ, Vol. 12 |
1994 |
| J.S. Bach: Fantasies & Fugues |
1992 |
| J.S. Bach: L'œuvre pour orgue, Vol. IV |
1998 |
| J.S. Bach: Organ Works [Hybrid SACD] |
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| J.S. Bach: Orgelwerke aus der Thomaskirche |
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| J.S. Bach: The Complete Organ Works |
2000 |
| J.S. Bach: The Great Fantasias, Preludes & Fugues |
1993 |
| Johann Sebastian Bach Premium Edition [Box Set] |
2006 |
| Johann Sebastian Bach Premium Edition, Vol. 4 |
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| Johann Sebastian Bach: Das Orgelwerk [Box Set] |
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| Johann Sebastian Bach: The Complete Organ Music, Vol. 2 |
1986 |
| Johann Sebastian Bach: Toccaten & Sonaten für Orgel |
2008 |
| Karel Paukert Plays JS Bach |
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| Kent Tritle, Organist |
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| Knud Vad Spiller Bach På Sorø Kirkes Orgel |
1995 |
| Les Rarissimes de Yvonne Lefébure |
2006 |
| Masterpieces from the Weimar Period |
1998 |
| Masterworks: Bach [Box Set] |
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| Michael Murray Plays Bach on the Great Organ at Methuen |
1980 |
| Michel Chapuis joue Bach |
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| Mitropoulos: Maestro Spiritoso (Box Set) |
2003 |
| Mitropoulos: Maestro Spiritoso, Disc 1 |
2003 |
| Monza: I nuovi organi del Duomo |
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| On the Town |
2006 |
| Organ Gloriosa, Vol. 1 |
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| Organ Kaleidoscope |
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| Organ Works |
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| Orgelkonzert in der Dresdner Frauenkirche |
1999 |
| Orgeln i S:t Jacob |
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| Orgelwerke von Liszt, Vasks, Bach, Hakim & Glass |
2003 |
| Play Bach, Vol. 4 |
2000 |
| Portraits, Vol. 4 |
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| Pro Cembalo Pleno |
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| Robert Sharpe Plays Organ Music from Truro |
2004 |
| Samuil Feinberg in Sound and Thought |
2005 |
| Schwebender Klang |
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| Stokowski's Symphonic Bach, Vol. 2 |
2005 |
| The 'Great' Fantasias, Preludes and Fugues (1) |
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| The Bach Family |
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| The Bach Family Organ Works |
1993 |
| The Bach Gamut |
2006 |
| The Bach Gamut: Historic Concert Recording, Vol. 1 [CD + DVD Video] |
2006 |
| The Best of Johann Sebastian Bach |
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| The Best of Johann Sebastian Bach (Box Set) |
1992 |
| The Best of Johann Sebastian Bach (Box Set) |
1992 |
| The Best of Johann Sebastian Bach, Vol. 1 |
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| The Best of Johann Sebastian Bach, Vol. 4 |
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| The Complete Organ Music of Johann Sebastian Bach (Box Set) |
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| The Grand German Organ Tradition |
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| The Ladegast-Orgel der Scholßkirche zu Wittenberg (1864) |
2006 |
| The Marcussen Organ In Tonbridge School Chapel |
1998 |
| The Organ Works of J.S. Bach, Vol. 1 |
1990 |
| The Thrill of the Chase |
2009 |
| The Very Best of Jacques Loussier |
2003 |
| The Young Bach-Organ Music And Influences Of The Early Years |
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| Thomas Heywood's Grand Organ Gala! |
2003 |
| Toccata and Fugue: A Bach Organ Work Selection |
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| Toccata and Fugue: Bach Organ Music |
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| Toccata und Fuge |
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| Virtuoso Organ |
1994 |
| Vladimir Viardo, Piano |
1997 |
| WASBE '99: The KNUA School of Music Wind Ensemble |
|
| Wayne Marshall Plays Bach, Liszt, Brahms |
1998 |
| Zwischen Barock und Romantik |
2002 |
