TOP 100 CLASSICAL ORGAN FAVORITES

Eric Meece a.k.a. Eric Mystic
April 2002 edition, revised June 2009, June 2021

http://philosopherswheel.com/ericorgan.html

What are the best or greatest organ pieces in the world? Get started in finding them by exploring this list!

1.

J.S. Bach

Toccata and Fugue in F. S.540 played by Michel Chapuis (actually in G Major)        Toccata in F, S.540 played by Dan Campolieta       Toccata in F played by Lionel Rogg (S=Schmeider, compiler of BWV)
My special blog on the Toccata in F

2.

Bach

Toccata and Fugue in d minor, S.565

3.

Louis Vierne

Symphony #1-- especially the Final (finale)
My page on Vierne

4.

Bach

Passacaglia and Fugue in c minor, S.582

5.

Bach

Fantasy and Fugue in g minor, S.542

6.

Bach

Toccata and Fugue in d minor (Dorian mode), S.538

7.

Vierne

Carillon of Westminster (Pieces of Fantasie (PofF) (Suite 3, #6)

8.

Bach

Prelude and Fugue in E Flat, S.552, "St. Anne"

9.

Bach

Prelude and Fugue in D, S.532      Prelude       Fugue

10.

Jehan Alain

Litanies

11.

Vierne

Les Cloches de Hinckley (PofF 4, #6)

12.

Vierne

Symphony #2       hear 1st movement Allegro        Choral       Scherzo

13.

Eugene Gigout

Toccata in b minor from 10 Pieces

14.

Gigout

Scherzo from 10 Pieces

15.

Bach

Prelude and Fugue in e minor, S.548

16.

Charles Marie Widor

Symphony Romane (especially the final movement)       First Movement

17.

Widor

Symphony #8-- especially the Finale

18.

Bach

Prelude and Fugue in c minor, S.546

19.

Buxtehude

Toccata and Fugue in F, 157       Fugue in F, 157, Eric Meece organ      Toccata featured in Civilisation episode 9

20.

Buxtehude

Prelude, Fugue and Chaconne

21.

Felix Mendelssohn

Sonata #6      Finale

22.

Vierne

Naiades (PofF 4, #4)

23.

Cesar Franck

Choral in a minor      opening to Civilisation

24.

Franck

Prelude, Fugue and Variation

25.

Vierne

Legende (#13 from 24 Pieces in Free Style)

26.

Marcel Dupre

15 Pieces, Op.18: Vespers of Communion or Feasts of the Virgin (especially Antiphon 3, I am black but comely)        Antiphon 5

27.

Bach

Christ Our Lord to the Jordan Came, S.684

28.

Joseph Jongen

Toccata in D Flat

29.

Bach

Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C, S.564

30.

Bach

O Lamm Gott Unschuldig, S.656

31.

Georg Bohm

Prelude and Fugue in C

32.

Bach

Fugue in g minor, S.578

33.

Franck

Pastorale

34.

Widor

Symphony #1       Meditation      March

35.

Brahms

Lo How a Rose E're Blooming

36.

Vierne

Sur Le Rhin (PofF 3, #5)

37.

Franck

Final

38.

Mozart

Fantasy in f minor, K.608

39.

Bach

Prelude and Fugue in c minor, S.549

40.

Bach

Fantasia in G (Piece d'Orgue), S.572

41.

Bach

Nun Komm der Heiden Heiland, S.659         Dino Lupati's piano version which I featured on the classical festival

42.

Vierne

Toccata (PofF 2, #6)

43.

Bach

Wir Glauben all in einen Gott, S.680

44.

Vierne

Cathedrales (PofF 4, #3)

45.

Bach

Prelude and Fugue in g minor, S.535

46.

Franck

Fantasie in A (part 1 of 2)

47.

Widor

Symphony #5 (hear Toccata); also Adagio

48.

Vierne

Symphony #6 (hear Final movement)

49.

Bach

Prelude and Fugue in a minor, S.543

50.

Bach

Prelude and Fugue in b minor, S.544

51.

Bach

Herzlich Tut Mich Verlangen, S.727

52.

Widor

Symphony #6      Allegro       Finale

53.

Widor

Symphony Gothique       hear Andante Sustenuto       Finale (influenced Vierne's 1st)

54.

Bach

In Thee is Gladness, S. 615

55.

Gaston Belier

Toccata in d

56.

Bach

Fugue on a Theme of Legrenzi, S.574

57.

Franck

Grand Piece Symphonique (part 1 of 3)

58.

Bach

Fantasia on Come Holy Spirit, S.651

59.

Thalben-Ball

Elegy

60.

Bach

Ich ruf zu dir, S.639

61.

Vincent Lubeck

Prelude and Fugue in E

62.

Vierne

Impromptu (PofF 3, #2)

63.

Vierne

Maestoso in c# minor (from Mass Op.16)

64.

Bach

Wachet Auf, S.645

65.

Bach

Prelude and Fugue in e minor, S.533

66.

Bach

Fantasia and Fugue in c minor, S. 537

67.

Bach

Vater Unser im Himmelreich, S.683

68.

Buxtehude

Prelude and Fugue in g minor, 149

69.

Buxtehude

Prelude and Fugue in D Major, 139

70.

Felix Alexandre Guilmant

March Religious upon Handel's Lift Up Your Heads, Op.15 #2

71.

Vierne

Feux Follets (PofF 2, #4)

72.

Dupre

Prelude and Fugue in g minor, Op.7 #3

73.

Vierne

Symphony #4 (hear Romance)      Hear the Fourth Finale on You Tube

74.

Vierne

Symphony #3 (hear Final movement)

75.

Mendelssohn

Sonata #1 (Finale)       part 1, part 2, part 3

76.

Franck

Piece Heroique

77.

Weckmann

Fantasie in d minor

78.

Johann Michael Bach

In Dulci Jubilo, S.751

79.

Olivier Messiaen

L'Ascension (part 1 of 2)

80.

Alain

Trois Danses

81.

Bach

Aus Tiefer Not Schrei Ich Zu Dir, S. 686

82.

Bach

Komm Gott Schopfer heiliger Geist, S.667/631

83.

Bach

Kyrie Gott Heiliger Geist, S.671

84.

Bach

O Mensch Bewein den Sunde Gross, S.622

85.

Jacques Lemmens

Fanfare

86.

Percy Fletcher

Festival Toccata

87.

Alexandre Pierre François Boëly

Fantasie and Fugue in B-Flat Major

88.

Camile Saint Saens

Fantasie in E Flat

89.

Bach

Prelude and Fugue in C, S.547

90.

Bach

Prelude and Fugue in C, S.531

91.

Maurice Durufle

Prelude and Fugue sur le nom Alain

92.

Vierne

Communion Op.8

93.

Alain

Intermezzo

94.

Guilmant

Sonata #1 (especially the Final)

95.

Francois Couperin

Mass for Parishes       Offertoire       Fugue on the Kyrie, performed by me

96.

Couperin

Mass for Convents       5th movement of Gloria       Kyrie and Gloria excerpts

97.

Bach

Vor Deinen Thron tret Ich Hiermit, S.668

98.

Franck

Choral in b minor

99.

Leon Boellmann

Suite Gothique especially the Toccata       Choral and Priere a Notre Dame

100.

Pachelbel

Toccata in e minor

Runners up and climbers


Top contenders:

Bach

Pastorale, S.590

Bach

Toccata in E, S.566

Arthur Sullivan

The Lost Chord

Harry Rowe Shelley

Fanfare for Organ

Klaas Jan Mulder

Fantasie - Toccata over 'Wat God doet, dat is welgedaan'

Jan Zwart

Toccata on Psalm 146

C.C. Palmer

Postlude on St. Anne

Bach

Vater Unser im Himmelreich, S.737

Bach

Liebster Jesu wir sind Heir, S.731

Bach

Prelude and Fugue in G, S.550

Bach

Prelude and Fugue in C, S.545

Bach

Prelude and Fugue in f minor, S.534

Schieferdecker

Meine Seile erhebt den Hernn

Bach

Ach Gott vom Himmel sieh Darein, S.741

Mozart

Fantasia and Fugue in f minor, K.594

Bach

Fugue in G S.576

Gigout

Prelude, Choral and Allegro, from 10 Pieces

Bach

Fugue in G "Gigue", S.577      Fox rocks the house

other climbers by composer:

H. Andriessen

Thema met variaties

Bach/Schemelli/Stokowski

Come Sweet Death, S.478, arranged and played by Virgil Fox;
Not numbered on my list, because originally a vocal hymn setting (only BWV or S.#s 525-769 are organ works).

Bach (attrib.)


Prelude and Fugue in C S.553
Prelude and Fugue in d S.554
Prelude and Fugue in e S.555
Prelude and Fugue in F S.556
Prelude and Fugue in G S.557
Prelude and Fugue in g S.558
Prelude and Fugue in a S.559
Prelude and Fugue in B Flat S.560

Bach

Prelude and Fugue in G S.541

Bach

Prelude and Fugue in d minor, S.539 (transcription from Violin Sonata)

Bach

Fantasia in c minor, S.562; plus unfinished fugue, Completed here by Zoltán Göncz

Bach

Fantasie in C, S.570

Bach

Trio Sonatas, S.525-530

Bach

Wo soll ich fliehen hin, S.646

Bach

Erbarm dich mein, O Herre Gott, S.721

Bach

Allein Gott in her Hoh sei Ehr, S.663

Bach

Schmueke dich o liebe Seile, S.654

Bach

Nun Danket alle Gott, S.657

Bach

Jesus Christus Unser Heiland, S.688

Bach

Valet will ich dir Geben, S.736

C.P.E. Bach

Fantasia and Fugue in C

Otto Barblan

Toccata, op. 23

Rene L. Becker

Toccata in g minor from Sonata 1 with a tribute to Boellman's Toccata at the end. Also, Prayer.

Denis Beddard

Toccata

Denis Beddard

Sortie from Suite Liturgique

Leon Boellman

Marche-Final

Rudolf Bibl

Drei Charakterstucke, Op.64

Brahms

Prelude and Fugue in g Minor

Bruhns

Prelude and Fugue in e

Buxtehude

Toccata in F, #156

Buxtehude

Prelude and Fugue in F

J. Callaerts

Toccata in e minor

Jeremiah Clarke

Trumpet Voluntary (Prince of Denmark's March)

William Ralph Driffill

Toccata in f minor

Theodore Dubois

Toccata in G

Dupre

Cortege and Litanie

Dupre

Suite Breton

Dupre

Prelude and Fugue in G, Op.7#1

Dupre

Toccata

Dupre

Seven Pieces      Carillon       Final, and 2 other pieces, on My Space

Durufle

Suite Op.5, incl. Prelude and Toccata

Franck

Priere

Franck

Fantasy in C

Franck

Cantabile

Franck

Choral in E

Franck

Grand Choeur in C

Gigout

Minuetto from 10 Pieces

Gigout

Piece Jubilaire

Gigout

Absoute from 10 Pieces

Greene

Voluntary in G

Guilmant

Fugue alla Handel Op.49 #6 (portion)

Guilmant

Funeral March

Guilmant

Grand Triumphal Chorus, Op.47 #2

Guilmant

Priere et Berceuse

Guilmant

Scherzo Symphonique in C, Op.55 #2

Guilmant

Pastoral and Adoration, from Practical Organist, Op.50 (Sonata #2 is also Op.50)

Ernest Halsey

Toccata in C Minor

Handel

Allegro in F majeur, The Cuckoo and the Nightengale

David N. Johnson

Trumpet Tune in D

Kneller

Prelude and Fugue in d minor

Jean Langlais

Suite Medievale (part 1 of 4-part video)

Jean Langlais

Suite Breve       Grand Jeux      Cantilene      Plainte      Dialogue on the Mixtures

Friedrich Marpurg

A Mighty Fortress

Mendelssohn

Sonata #3

Mendelssohn

Sonata #4

Mendelssohn

Prelude and Fugue in G

Mendelssohn

Prelude and Fugue in C

Messiaen

La Nativite du Seigneur

Klaas Jan Mulder

Fantasie Psalm 68

Henri Mulet

Carillon Sortie

Mulet

Toccata Tu Es Petra, from Byzantine Sketches

Arthur Nobile, Jr.

Festival On Palm Beach aka Fanfare on Palm Beach

Arthur Nobile, Jr.

Fantasy in D Minor

Pachelbel

Fugue in D

Pachelbel

Choral Prelude on Old Hundredth

Pachelbel

toccatas in c major, d minor, c minor, ricercares, etc.

Max Reger

Introduction and Passacaglia

Reinberger

sonatas

Samuel Scheidt

Modus Ludendi, from Tabulatura Nova

Robert Schumann

Prelude and Fugue on BACH

Hans Andre Stamm

Toccata Giocosa

Vierne

24 Pieces in Free Style: #1 Preambulum, #10 Reverie, #4 Epitaph, #17 Lied, #20 Pastorale, #11 Divertissement, #7 Meditation, #8 Idylle Melancolique, #19 Berceuse, #9 Madrigal

Vierne

Symphony #5

Vierne

Masse Besse Op.30

Vierne

Pieces of Fantasie: Etoile du Soir (Suite 3, #3), Aubade (Suite 4, #1), Prelude (Suite 1, #1), Clair de lune(Suite 2, #5) , Fantomes (phantoms) (Suite 3, #4), Resignation (Suite 1, #5)

Vierne

Triptyque, Op.58, including Communion.

William Walond

Introduction and Toccata

Johann Walther

Lobe Den, Herren Den Machtigen, Konig der Ehren

Percy Whitlock

Folk Tune

Widor

Suite Latine (final movement, Lauda Sion)

Widor

Symphony #7 Allegro, and hear Lento

Widor

Symphony #2 (hear Finale)

Widor

Symphony #4 (finale) Andante

Gordon Young

Prelude in Classic Style

Heinz Zimmermann

Orgel Psalmen

last (and maybe not least??):

Eric Meece

Fantasy in E Minor

info about my own compositions here

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