What are you listening to?

[DaveF]

Buxtehude may be best known as a composer of for the organ but he sure did write some beautiful choral music.

[DaveF]

Question for Simon or anyone else with the knowledge: Does an organist usually have to adapt their style or performance based on the venue they are playing in? For example, a vast space like St Ouen would have a lot of reverb and delay generated by the sheer size of the place, so does that dictate in way how fast you can play or the technique you use so that the notes dont sound a mess by falling on top of one another? I'd imagine that it takes a skilled organist to get the sound right.

You're absolutely spot on, Dave, and that would be one of the things that organists must take into account. Tempo and articulation, plus choice of stops, all help or hinder the performance. Of course, the organs you're talking about at St Sulpice etc wouldn't be ideal for this repertoire, but I've heard Daniel Roth play Buxtehude there and it's been fantastic. Not authentic, perhaps, but really great all the same.

Cheers Simon.
I've seen a few youtube clips showing a 128' stop being activated during a performance. Surely it must be a fake as I though a 32' was the biggest??? Surely there is only so low you can go without bringing the venue crashing down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wpn7xyzUqg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wpn7xyzUqg

[Diapason]

I think the 128's are all fake, and given that you're dealing with 4Hz at the bottom, if they did exist they'd probably be pretty pointless sonically, and pretty undesirable structurally!

There are a couple of 64's in existence, though. One is on the Atlantic City Convention Hall organ, which is the largest organ in the world and, last time I checked, not exactly in full working order. That's a ridiculous beast of a thing, and worth doing a google image search for if you've a moment or two to kill. I think I even saw a video of it being played once. (Look up the Wanamaker organ while you're at it, and the West Point chapel organ.) The other one with a 64' is in Sydney somewhere, and I know nothing about it. Wouldn't mind hearing some of these in the flesh though, as a recording would be virtually pointless.

For all practical purposes, 32' is enough for me. There's nothing quite like the "dinosaur coughing up a lung" sound of a 32' reed in full flight, especially in a good acoustic that can handle it.

(PS I was in St Sulpice a couple of weeks ago, and had the good fortune to be there while somebody was having an organ lesson. No matter what you've heard on recordings, this instrument is AWESOME in real life. I've been at a few things there now, and it never fails to raise a goosebump or several.)

[DaveF]

I think the 128's are all fake, and given that you're dealing with 4Hz at the bottom, if they did exist they'd probably be pretty pointless sonically, and pretty undesirable structurally!

There are a couple of 64's in existence, though. One is on the Atlantic City Convention Hall organ, which is the largest organ in the world and, last time I checked, not exactly in full working order. That's a ridiculous beast of a thing, and worth doing a google image search for if you've a moment or two to kill. I think I even saw a video of it being played once. (Look up the Wanamaker organ while you're at it, and the West Point chapel organ.) The other one with a 64' is in Sydney somewhere, and I know nothing about it. Wouldn't mind hearing some of these in the flesh though, as a recording would be virtually pointless.

For all practical purposes, 32' is enough for me. There's nothing quite like the "dinosaur coughing up a lung" sound of a 32' reed in full flight, especially in a good acoustic that can handle it.

(PS I was in St Sulpice a couple of weeks ago, and had the good fortune to be there while somebody was having an organ lesson. No matter what you've heard on recordings, this instrument is AWESOME in real life. I've been at a few things there now, and it never fails to raise a goosebump or several.)

Thanks Simon. I'll check out those organs you mentioned. A trip to St Sulpice is a must soon.

[DaveF]

while I'm in the mood.....

[Jared]

Franz Schumann
Piano Quintet
Piano Quartet
Beaux Arts Trio with
Dolf Bettelheim Violin
Samuel Rhodes Viola

what are you making of those performances collectively, Sean?

[Jared]

I have been spending my time, trawling through this lovely collection... Dvorak's chamber works for more instruments seem to have taken me a little time to appreciate... they haven't been as immediate for me as the Brahms or Schumann or indeed his own Trios, which are melodic gems.. but I am enjoying them all the same..

[DaveF]

Piano Concertos No.8 & 9

[Seán]

Franz Schumann
Piano Quintet
Piano Quartet
Beaux Arts Trio with
Dolf Bettelheim Violin
Samuel Rhodes Viola

what are you making of those performances collectively, Sean?

I really like them, and if I had to single out one piece in particular I might say that the quintet is marvelous.

[fergus]

Tone Poems: Kareila Suite, The Oceanides, Finlandia, Valse Triste, Tapiola & Nightride & Sunrise....Finlandia was a very spirited rendition and I really liked the version of Nightride & Sunrise, particularly the very fine conclusion.