Arioso from Ich steh mit einem Fuß im Grabe (BWV 156) arr. Virgil Fox

I hesitated to upload this piece amidst all of the fine Christmas music that is being uploaded, but I felt this piece perfectly showcases the tonal integrity of the recently released Northrop Auditorium sampleset.

Upon learning of the release of this sampleset, I viewed the specification and immediately compared it to the Girard College Organ, which,along with the Newberry Organ at Woolsey Hall, are my favorite Skinner organs. I was struck with how close the specification is to Girard College, and it occurred to me that this organ would be well-suited for orchestral transcriptions and symphonic arrangements by Virgil Fox.

To test my theory, I recorded Fox’s arrangement of Bach’s Arioso from the Cantata Ich steh mit einem Fuß im Grabe. As with most of Fox’s arrangements of Bach, this is a very un-baroque interpretation of this piece but demonstrates the symphonic character of this instrument and the tonal integrity of this sampleset.

For those who love large Skinner organs in the symphonic style, I highly recommend this sampleset by Evensong.