Simon Preston (b. 1938) is an internationally acclaimed concert organist. O… Read Full Bio ↴Simon Preston (b. 1938) is an internationally acclaimed concert organist. Originally a chorister at King's College, Cambridge, he studied the organ with C. H. Trevor before returning to King's as organ scholar. He was sub-organist of Westminster Abbey from 1962-67, and organist of Christ Church, Oxford from 1970 before returning to Westminster as Organist and Master of the Choristers in 1981. He relinquished his Westminster post in 1987, and has since led an international concert career, and has also composed works for the organ, the best-known of which is probably his "Alleluyas", written in the style of Olivier Messiaen. His playing approach, always very clean and precise, has mellowed from the fiery and incisive style of his younger days, to the more sedate and comfortable now, though always with mastery of the instrument and the work in question. He has many recordings to his credit, including the complete works of J. S. Bach for Deutsche Grammophon.
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
Toccata And Fugue In D Minor BWV 565 : Fugue
Simon Preston Lyrics
No lyrics text found for this track.
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
revy kevy
being a listener not a performer i instinctively knew this is the best interpretation having heard many other versions over the years Simon does not fall into the trap of overblown, too loud or bombastic just perfectly nuanced just fantastic
Nelson Whaley
This is without question in my opinion the greatest recording...Simon's entire Bach Organ Works box set recording is significant and unequalled. He was a fantastic musician and personality.
Andrey Romanov
Очень интересное прочтение! Бах звучит по-новому, как-то необычайно ритмично, свежо, и в тоже время всё равно очень по-баховски...)) Thanks for music, J.S.Bach, Simon, and Ria))
ciutadaF
I have listened many different versions of Toccata & Fugue in D minor, and this is my favorite one. In my opinion, this is by far the best interpretation and the best recording. Great Simon Preston.
Abega Fouda
Excellent. Véritable cure de jouvence. Quel brio !
BRUCE MCINTOSH
I have this Box! This is THEE BEST extant recording of this Work - and Trust me, i've listened to scores of Versions. This Bach, shorn of all the usual Psuedo-Goth, Vincent Price Hammer Horror connotations This is as close as you can get to Bach playing it Himself. Superb recording, and a wonderful instrument which Preston orchestrates well, nuancing all the tempi superbly.
If someone visits Planet Earth, Millions of years hence when we have reduced it to an uninhabitable freezing wasteland, and they wondered who God was and what It Sounded like, play them TWO Recordings. PARTITA NO.2. by Bach, performed by MARVELLOUS MARTHA ARGERICH, and This. There IS No More!
64Alvis
Agree! There’s a lightness of touch that is quite playful at times. Simon can take direction if asked, as when he plays this piece in the opening sequence of the movie Rollerball. I think the director said “Simon baby, I want you to give it the full beans!” It's here on YouTube. That was around 1975, when Simon was at Christ Church Oxford, as indeed was moi.
You Know It
I also have the 6-discs box set from Simon Preston (Deutsche Grammophon).
Preston is still my favorite Bach interpret for the Organ, with maybe E. Power Bigg.
You Know It
@64Alvis "There’s a lightness of touch that is quite playful at times"
THIS!
House of Jackson
Amen