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Recordings Of Vierne's Pieces De Fantasie


Colin Harvey

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No - PC would not have needed to cheat. Since his piano teacher had been Nadia Boulanger, his clavier technique was that of a concert pianist; it is highly probable that he brought his pedal technique up to the same standard.

 

I am (still) at school and I cannot find a specification on-line which lists couplers and accessories, but I do not recall there being a sostenuto on the N.-D. organ. No doubt, when I get home and check, the first thing that I shall notice is a sostenuto facility.... To which part of the DVD were you referring, incidentally?

 

It is interesting to watch his clavier technique - particularly his left hand. His facility really is quite impressive.

 

His piano teacher was Marguerite Long, wasn't she? The sostenuto wasn't there - at the very end of track01 on th DVD he ends with a tutti (oui....) where the left takes over a chord from the right where it seems as if there is a sostenuto (not so good filming actually). About this left hand: look at the descendig scale in the Couperin at the beginning: nice historically correct way to play ...

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This one deleted - I apparently have the problem with double posting again.

 

Obviously I occasionally do something incorrectly. If anyone knows why I sometimes get this problem, I would be grateful if they could let me know - thank you.

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His piano teacher was Marguerite Long, wasn't she? The sostenuto wasn't there - at the very end of track01 on th DVD he ends with a tutti (oui....) where the left takes over a chord from the right where it seems as if there is a sostenuto (not so good filming actually). About this left hand: look at the descendig scale in the Couperin at the beginning: nice historically correct way to play ...

 

 

Yes - sorry! His piano tutors were: Marius-François Gaillard, Margeurite Long and Paul Pannesay - I do not know why I thought that PC had a connection with Nadia Boulanger, he is not listed as one of her students. My apologies - it is probably an alcohol deficiency....

 

I will check out the bit you mean on the DVD some time - thank you for that.

 

I also remember sitting in a house somewhere in Gloucester a few years ago, with David Briggs and Ian Ball (and the people who owned the house) watching rather more footage* of PC playing the B minor P&F on the old 'amphitheatre' console. Ian and I were quite certain that, at times, PC appeared to be playing certain episodes an octave higher - presumably to obtain greater brilliance. However, he could not have played the entire piece like that.

 

I cannot remember whether DB agreed with us - but he did seem very interested in us all going out for a curry afterwards....

 

*[more] than was included on the DVD.

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Guest Roffensis
Olivier Latry has recorded a CD with Vierne's Second and Third (BNL 112741, very well recorded). The playing, of course, is marvellous, and he deals admirably with the Notre-Dame organ -- the recording was made in 1988, before the restoration of the instrument.

 

Apparently, Latry not only gets along very well with what has has been done to the organ by Synaptel, but really enjoys the possibilities of the computerized action; his Messiaen set is testimony to that. I wish he would go for the complete Vierne there now; what he recorded of the First for the 1994 Sony CD "Récital à Notre-Dame" sounded really spectacular, and now with the superior recording technology of the Deutsche Grammophon there could be extraordinary results. Another question is, would Vierne be a repertoire the DG would like to accept in their catalogue?

 

Best,

Friedrich

 

Latry also did 5 and 6 at Notre Dame. BEFORE the rebuild, which made the organ sounds less brilliant, and less interesting.

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Apparently, Latry not only gets along very well with what has has been done to the organ by Synaptel, but really enjoys the possibilities of the computerized action; his Messiaen set is testimony to that.

Best,

Friedrich

 

Well, Synaptel only provided the computerised part of the action - which initially kept malfunctioning; the computer itself was eventually replaced, I think, by another firm - Synaptel had apparently gone off to sulk somewhere by then.

 

The four firms who each took a part in the restoration of this historic instrument were, Hartmann, Jean-Loup Boisseau (son of Robert), Cattiaux and Synaptel.

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Hi everybody,

 

I agree with the recommendations for the van Oosten set and the Latry set of the Pièces de Fantaisie. They're very different from each other, player-wise and instrument-wise, but I like them both very much. (I'm a bit less enthusiastic about Christine Kamp's CDs.)

 

If you're into LPs, you might also try to get hold of the set by Gaston Litaize at "his" organ (St-François-Xavier in Paris). I'm not too keen on that instrument, but I find his way of playing Vierne quite thrilling.

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Well, Synaptel only provided the computerised part of the action...

The four firms who each took a part in the restoration of this historic instrument were, Hartmann, Jean-Loup Boisseau (son of Robert), Cattiaux and Synaptel.

 

True, and I liked very much what I was able to hear of Boisseau's and Cattiaux's tonal work. The new Chamades, at least ot my ears, sound much more noble than the old ones; and the overall character of the organ seems to have regained some of the Cavaillé-Coll warmth.

 

By the way, it is marvellous what C-C's pedal flues can do in that space. To an Englishman, they must appear modest as scale and pressure are concerned. But they sound more than appropriate there, quite noble and with an energy that is, strangely, as quiet as it is powerful.

 

Best,

Friedrich

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True, and I liked very much what I was able to hear of Boisseau's and Cattiaux's tonal work. The new Chamades, at least ot my ears, sound much more noble than the old ones; and the overall character of the organ seems to have regained some of the Cavaillé-Coll warmth.

 

Personally, I like both, but I agree that the new chamades sound noble. If only the had not decided to re-wind the 1970 Boisseau chamades - now they are somewhat unsteady.

 

By the way, it is marvellous what C-C's pedal flues can do in that space. To an Englishman, they must appear modest as scale and pressure are concerned. But they sound more than appropriate there, quite noble and with an energy that is, strangely, as quiet as it is powerful.

 

Best,

Friedrich

 

No, I agree with you; I have never felt the need for an Open Wood (for example) at N.-D. Having said that, it is true that the series of mutations do a superb job in amplifying the foundation-tone. As Vierne said "...Like a muster of double-basses."

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Guest Roffensis
The Oosten set is certainly a good one to have. One set not mentioned so far is that recorded by Colin Walsh at Lincoln Cathedral. As far as I'm aware, It's available from Priory Records' deletion service (£17 a CD).

 

Ah! Lincoln Minster....but.....that is the 24 Pieces en Style Libre, not Pieces de Fantasie. Very good though.

R

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I've just had a response from www.fnac - they can't obtain the Latry set, and have cancelled my order  :)  :( 

 

Any other suggestions?

 

Graham

 

I did manage to buy this CD on AMazon about a month ago - it was through the following Amazon marketplace seller

 

http://s1.amazon.co.uk/exec/varzea/ts/cust...1759964-2067003

 

Mind you, it did cost me £41 :D

 

As it's discontinued it does seem to be pot luck whether someone has some of the remaining stock.

 

JJK

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If you're into LPs, you might also try to get hold of the set by Gaston Litaize at "his" organ (St-François-Xavier in Paris). I'm not too keen on that instrument, but I find his way of playing Vierne quite thrilling.

 

I used to have the Gaston Litaize many moons ago, and I quite agree with you about his playing - it really was thrilling. For me, his interpretations were spot on.

 

It would be great if it were to be re-issued as a CD.

 

As to the Gonzalez re-build at St Francois Xavier ... I suppose it was very much a product of its time, but - for me - the less said, the better.

 

Rgds,

MJF

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