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AJJ

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Posts posted by AJJ

    New organ in Trier’s Constanine Basilica

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Anyone who hears the Bath organ in its liturgical role played by current Sub organist (for an amazing 40 years) Marcus Sealy will understand why it is a rather special beast. In my experience it fares less well with players for some vsiting choirs who perhaps only have a short time to get used to it and who register maybe rather by habit than by ear. I have heard a some superb recitals by a few on the 'top notch' circuit who also bring put the best in it including of course Peter King the DOM.

     

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    Console Light

    in Nuts and bolts

    Posted

    Roger Taylor, who builds organs down here in Somerset was at one point looking after the Downside Compton and last time I played it (some years ago now) all of the lights seemed ok. The only problem was that in sunlight it is sometimes difficult to spot which stops were on or off.

     

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    Canterbury Cathedral & Manchester Cathedral, New organs

    in General discussion

    Posted

    This looks very exciting. One point however - I wonder how the divisions in the main case can be equally effective from the east and west. I note the 2 x Open Diapason arrangement on the Great as at Gloucester but unless the other pipework is divided west and east (also as Gloucester) then there would presumably need to be some sort of compromise. Hopefully it will not be on a north/south orientation as at Exeter or Wells where to my ears at least the overall effect can be disappointingly diffused - indeed at Wells it often sounds to me as if it is in another building! Presumably also the Swell will have two sets of shutters.

     

    We await further details with interest!

     

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    Notre Dame - inaugural recital after restoration

    in General discussion

    Posted

    I went to the Yves Castagnet concert in the opening recital series last night. The opening item was the Cesar Franck 3rd Chorale which to my ears at least sounded quite authentic, seemingly using the C-C pipework only. The strangely compelling 2nd Symphonie by Dupre followed and immediately all the other colour sonds were evident, sparkling mutations and the big reeds etc. Castagnet's own 'Poeme' for two organs followed - an amazing and almost impressionist piece with Virgile Monin playing the choir organ. This piece could almost be said to have played 'the building' sonically and was highly effective. The organ can obviously do justice to a huge chunk of the repertoire and in that acoustic can be tremendously exciting or show off a wealth of quieter sounds - I enjoyed hearing it - not necessarily comparing it to any former incarnations but as the instrument that it appears to be now.

     

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    Ampleforth Abbey

    in The Organ

    Posted

    I have recently recorded a disc for Priory at Ampleforth, featuring works by Tournemire, Demessieux, and Philip Moore. This was released in June. Neil Collier did a superb job of recapturing the sound of the organ in the abundant acoustic and we are very pleased with it.

    I have this disc and have enjoyed listening to it very much. As I wrote somewhere above I have also a recording (45rpm) from when the organ first went in as well as a tape of the Langlais Mass and other liturgical music where it features. Although one recent review was not all that nice about the instrument I feel that the combination of acoustic and instrument is ideal for the repertoire and that as an organ of its time it works really well. Really good playing too!

     

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    Paris - Music Shops?

    in General discussion

    Posted

    I will be in Paris for a short time early next month - can anyone please advise as to where I could spend a happy half hour browsing through some decent organ music with the possibility of purchasing! Ideally in the central area - I once shot off on foot somewhere behind S. Eustache looking for Di Arezzo only to find that they seemed to be mail order only!

     

    Thanks

    A

    Louis Vierne

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Duruflé is really interesting despite his very small output, I have recordings of the Prélude, récitatif et variations op. 3 for flute, viola, and piano (1928) which is a fine piece as are the Trois danses op. 6 (1932) for orchestra. The Andante et Scherzo op. 8 (1940) for orchestra uses material from the organ Scherzo op. 2 (1926) - I have only heard this in a rather bad recording. Maurice Duruflé, the Last Impressionist (Ronald Ebrecht, 2002) is quite an informative read if one wants a compendium of scholarly articles and Maurice Duruflé the Man and His Music (James E. Frazier, 2007) is a real insight into the man and his background.

     

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    Samuel Ducommun (1914 - 1987)

    in The Organ

    Posted

    Does anyone play any music by the above - he was sometime organist at the Collegiate Church in Neuchâtel in Switzerland and a student of Marcel Dupré? 'Googling' reveals some interesting music on CD/iTunes etc. but no mention of scores.

     

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    Notre Dame - inaugural recital after restoration

    in General discussion

    Posted

    A few years ago I and some others were able to have a private demonstration of the ND organ by Philippe Lefebvre one evening once the crowds had departed. We did not alas visit the tribune but from down in the nave things were crystal clear and hugely atmospheric. He started with the classical choruses and then went on to the Franck 'sound world' followed by the noises Vierne would have been used to and finally on to Cochereau and post Cochereau, the latter via an improvisation. My lasting impression was of a versatile instrument well able to deal with anything thrown at it. The early pipework gave a convincing (if refined perhaps) account of the appropriate repertoire and it was similar for the earlier and later romantic/symphonic areas on first C-C pipework alone then with the additions from Vierne's era. The (lengthy) improvisation then showed what the rest of it could do, not in the style of Cochereau, very much more '21st Century' - not easy listening but very effective. The whole experience was extremely tiring on the brain (one needed to listen etc.) but one not to be forgotten. It showed what an amazing instrument the ND organ is and how at the hands of one who knows it well it can make some marvellous music.

     

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    Organs And Organists In Brittany

    in General discussion

    Posted

    An update......Rennes Cathedral main west end organ is a fine beast in reasonably good working order and the east end choir organ a real gem! I was lucky to be able to play both last week. There are also other interesting instruments in Rennes which are regularly featured in their annual recital series. Rennes is also a good place for a couple of days exploring and the rather good Saturday market (in the old city near the Cathedral) is one of the largest in France.

     

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    Elgar Organ Sonata

    in The Organ

    Posted

    Not C-C but the Sonata was concluding voluntary on a R3 Choral Evensong broadcast from New College Oxford some years ago, I don't remember the player. It actually sounded rather fine! Coincidentally also I heard it last month played very effectively by Gary Sieling at Southwark Cathedral, an instrument I had previously not heard 'live'. It worked well here too despite the slightly strange balance of the Swell as heard from the nave. The small solo reeds and great flues came over very effectively and the big choruses and larger reeds bounced merrily around the place without a feeling of being bogged down. The Lewis organ though is uncharacteristic for its time.

     

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