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Thanks you for making me aware of this CD. What a pleasant discovery! I immediately downloaded it, and, as with other downloaded works, changed it into a CD with old-fashioned LightScribe CDs. A first superficial listening makes me agree with Richard that Bright is better-sounding than Gipps, for the reason he mentioned.

My praise for all involved. You have done humanity a great favour. This is great. The work is beautiful, and the unusual combination of instruments is refreshing.

Like Mark, I can also recommend 4K Video Downloader. VERY efficient!

From my side as well, tremendous thanks to Tobias for this effort. Also, your website is remarkable.

It looks like it may have been uploaded on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/zRZXPtN128U

I think some (but obviously not all) unsung organ composers are often well known in their countries of origin, but not elsewhere. With a wealth of unsung organ compositions available on Youtube but not always commercially, I have downloaded works by Lefébury-Wély, some brilliant works by Andriessen, and Boëllmann, Bossi and Gigout. Commercial CDs are available of unknown organ works by sung composers, which make for fascinating listening if one knows some of their other compositions. Examples in my little collection are i.a. Bruch, Busoni, Glazunov, Glinka, Khachaturian, Liszt, Lyapunov (unsung?), Martucci, Respighi, Satie, Schumann, Sgambati, Taneyev and Vaughan Williams.

I tried to access the download, but AVG warned me about a virus. I'd rather be a coward and not download...

It looks like the Koczalski CD is now available for order, but unfortunately it is out of reach pricewise. Forty dollars plus shipping...

The sample piece is incredibly beautiful. Please keep us updated when this CD becomes available.

Congratulations on a remarkable piece of research, Giles! I'm printing the list to look up more unknowns' music on YouTube etc.

The download: what is an m4a file? Can I save and play it as an mp3? Can I write it to a CD?

If I am not mistaken, this is the recording which used to be on cassette tape decades ago. This is where I discovered Rheinberger's concertos when I borrowed it from a public library.  The tape, however, sounded stretched. Some years later I managed to buy my own copy, but that had exactly the same problem. Over time I could replace those recordings with the clear Spang-Hansen and Juffinger CD recordings.

Two comments then: One should listen to the Biggs recording before buying to make sure it is OK. Secondly, I have always hoped that the works for solo violin and organ which are also found on some recordings of Rheinberger's OCs would one day be transcribed and performed for string orchestra and organ. An example is the Suite for violin and organ (Op. 66) on Juffinger's Cappricio label CD.

A brief scan of the 4th on YouTube impresses me tremendously. Its heady stuff, though, sounding like Bruckner, Mahler, Rott and Reger, difficult to follow. But very imposing and of the same quality. The recording which is used on YouTube does not seem to be available on the internet. Pity there is no piano or organ concerto.

Mikehopf's dilemma shows that perhaps there may be further possible initiatives that our group could look into: It would be fantastic if, on each continent, a centre could be established from where CDs could be exchanged, or where collections could be dumped, or given away free, or sold to other members, or donated, or disposed of in any sensible way.

Consider my situation: I am not a youngster any more, but I am still actively collecting CDs, and I am blessed with a wife who eagerly listens to everything in my collection. However, the low value of our (South African) currency as well as the expensive shipping rates (> $14) of Amazon, JPO, etc. have, for all intents and purposes, stalled my collection. I would love to get my hands on CDs that some of you may be disposing of.

A starting point could be a site where members could list what they have to sell / give away.

Dreaming?

I bought the CD after enjoying Hyperion's Stojowski with the PCs very much. The music doesn't make a lasting impression in the sense that you don't look at the CD on the shelf and say: Wow, that's the CD that I enjoy so much because... But yes, I also find it very, very enjoyable.

I agree that the Suite for Orchestra appears disjointed, but then, isn't that what suites often are?  A composer just throws together three (or more) pieces that are stuck in a drawer and calls it a suite. The only connection is sometimes that the same instruments have to be used in all three, and even that isn't always so. One of the reasons why I like the piece is because of the delightful, binding use of tympani and brass in all three movements, and on this recording it comes out loud and clear.

In Le Printemps there is plenty of melody and rhythm, a plus once again.

Prayer for Poland is also pleasant and reminds me in places of Grieg's Olav Trygvason, although not up to the same standard in terms of melody and drama. For example, listen to the rather tuneless soprano passages. Strong points are tympani, organ and harp. And the organ isn't just added at the end to make a point, as we find in Liszt and Respighi.