Karl Richter – J.S. Bach: Organ Works (3CD) (2005)

Karl Richter's Bach performances, although they represented a departure from the over-romanticized treatments of Baroque music that had prevailed up to his time, were not the kind of trailblazing return-to-authenticity projects of Trevor Pinnock, Christopher Hogwood, and others, whose early-music-performance practices continue to be the standard today. Thus, in the matter of tempos, Richter may sound a little slow to some modern ears; however, he generally goes at a faster clip than his contemporary, E. Power Biggs, and his predecessor Albert Schweitzer, but not as fast as Anthony Newman and others who have followed in more recent years. His tempos and style are perfect for my taste, however: almost sassy compared with Biggs, yet much more tasteful than Fox (not that I am immune to enjoying the latter's excesses), and less frenetic than Newman.
The recording quality is excellent and works in concert with some nicely pungent reeds in the organ to produce results of sparkling clarity.