I want to start off by emphasizing that the music within this set gets 5 stars, hands down (why it only gets 4 stars will be explained soon). There is an indescribably beautiful, sublime feeling one derives from listening to these CDs -- an almost mathematical precision that manages not to be cold or impersonal. As a matter of fact, these organ works give me a warm feeling. I am no longer particularly religious, yet many of these works, but the sublimity of Bach's compositions (and their competent, enjoyable renderings by Herrick) makes me wonder whether Bach (a devout Protestant) was divinely inspired. While one may wonder how much organ music he or she can ultimately listen to, a proper listening session with this set will make that person realize that unaccompanied organ pieces are just as intricate and beautiful as an full orchestra -- perhaps even more so, in the right hands (e.g., Herrick's).
The reason I gave this set 4 stars instead of 5 was that this substantial collection of 16 CDs cannot be transferred to a personal computer. They are apparently all "copy protected", meaning that the works on them can't be converted to .mp3 files. I spent slightly over $200.00 (when accounting for tax) when I bought this, so I was expecting to be able to upload this beautiful music to my computer so that I didn't have to lug around the huge case of 16 CDs with me wherever I went. I realize that the company which put this out has an interest in preventing its product from getting onto a file-share network, but it went about it in the wrong way. I had no intent of putting the .mp3 files up for sharing with others -- I don't want others getting for free what i payed $200.00 for. I simply wanted them for my own personal use. That is why I gave this otherwise nearly perfect set 4, and not 5, stars.
