BWV 582 passacaglia

Arguably, one of the greatest works of THE Master and, also, one of the best test pieces for a baroque or baroque-inspired instrument. A test, I believe, this instrument passes with flying colours.
The big dilemma with the Passacaglia, other than registration is the way to start the fugue. The current thinking seems to be that it is the final variation & should be at the same speed. I have listened to so, so many performances & find all the options convincing in the hands of a great player. I myself have favoured upping the tempo for the fugue, but running them together as written.
However, pragmatism & my seeming inability to get through all 14 minutes without catastrophic error led me to the path trodden by the great Karl Richter. To be able to reset myself in this “recording studio” performance was of great benefit. However much I try to tell myself to treat this as a live performance with audience, I cannot quite muster the same sort of concentration (that’s difficult to express, but I feel sure that many of you WILL understand).
So, for better or worse, here it is!!

PS I have loved getting to know this organ!!

Registration scheme (roughly!)
Ped 16’ 8’
HW 8 Principal
OW 8+4 flutes
BW 8+4 flutes
OW 8+4 flutes + Quintadena
HW 8+4 Principals
BW 8+4+2 flutes / RH OW 8+4 flutes + Quintadena + 2’
HW 8+4+2 Principals
OW 8+2 flutes / RH BW 8’4’ Tertian
BW 8+4+1 flutes
HW Plenum / Ped Plenum
HW + Trompete
+ OW plenum / Ped 32’

Fugue HW plenum / Ped full flues + 8’ reed
HW + 8 Trompete
Ped + 16/4 reed
+ OW plenum
+ HW 16 reed / BW plenum / BW-Ped / Ped 32’
+ HW - ped