Bach or Buxtehude?

[m2r]

Who do you think is better Bach or Buxtehude?  I find that Buxtehude is better simply because he was an elaborate fugal composer and his passacaglia in d minor is superb...I also read that Buxtehude was Bach's role modle.  Any ways i want to hear from you.

[liordavid]

buxtehude by far. just looking at the score of buxtehude's passaglacia in d minor I can tell how much better it is than Bach's toccata and fugue in d minor just by looking at the score.

[djealnla]

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[quantum]

BWV 565 is considered questionable by some scholars as to being penned by Bach. 

[jlh]

Buxtehude was a big influence on JS Bach.. in fact, he once walked 400 km just to hear Buxtehude play.

[djealnla]

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[casaet]

The vote is now 3-3, since I just voted for Bach. Two good reasons for that is Kunst der Fuge and Grosse Fuge. I have not listened to Buxtehude for a long time, so I have to do something about that.

[djealnla]

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[casaet]

I am referring to Toccata and Fugue in D minor. Bach did not give the name Grosse Fuge for this composition, it has just become a very usual name for it. Guess why.

[djealnla]

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[casaet]

My guess is,  because it is a great piece of music. One of the greatest. But I have made a little mistake here. I never remember the BWV numbers, and I just discovered that both the BWV 565 (Grosse), and BWV 538 (Dorian), are named Toccata and Fugue in D minor.
I knew I had two organ versions of "Grosse", but a fast check revealed that I also have an organ version of the "Dorian".