timothyguntrip

I've spent the last couple of weeks revisiting this work, having started a number of times and given up at some stage or other. However, despite seeing the 'BACH' and (less often) the 'Ad Nos' programmed in concerts, I've noticed that 'W, K, S, Z' seems to get a lot less outings on the concert scene. Nonetheless, would it be rather risky to include it in a future recital programme? I can imagine it is not the easiest of works on the ear, perhaps not having the variety of 'Ad Nos', or the relative brevity of the 'BACH'. I'd be grateful to hear from any other contributors who have performed this piece and can offer me any advice in how to 'bring it off' well. VA

Would that be the Durufle work, Malcolm? That's an equally wonderful work - wish I could get that one under my fingers! VA

Thanks to you all for your most informative replies regarding my query! VA

Does anyone play that rapid succession of chords in the left hand AS written? I'd be interested to know what other contributors do - I've certainly never managed it... VA

I highly recommend the 'Victorian Organ Album' from Oxford, edited by Malcolm Archer. There are some compositions in here which are of great interest - particularly the fun little Caprice in D flat by Cuthbert Harris, and the Grand Choeur in D by William Faulkes. I don't really care much for Wolstenholme - except perhaps his Sonata in the style of Handel, which I find far more satisfying than many of his other organ works. Henry Smart's complete oeuvre is now available for download online - again, there are some pieces in there which are worth more than a passing glance.

I played the Rawsthorne arrangment of the Hallelujah Chorus, as usual.

Also worth a mention is the Sweetland organ at Grittleton Manor, which has an interesting system of stop keys. http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N10358

Although I have the majority of his works, I've only ever played the Prelude Funebre, a nice piece - and also a few from the harmonium collection. I've looked through a number of the others, and the Introduction and Allegro Moderato looks rather interesting too. The Sibley Music Library has the full version of the Sortie.

I was in Amsterdam earlier this year and played at a church during the Sunday morning service. The very gracious lady organist there habitually started her morning with a cup of tea up in the organ loft - and was kind enough to offer me one also. I tend to take water to church with me (particularly at this time of year - with the temperature reaching 35 degrees some days!) but always keep it at a safe distance from the organ. I tend to be rather discreet though when taking a swig - in both churches I play at, the consoles are in full view of the congregation. I remember watching a documentary on Youtube filmed at Notre Dame in the 1980s, and one shot shows one of the resident organists, cigarette in hand in the loft.

Further to your response, I believe that the reprint is based upon the first edition by Hamelle - I'm pretty sure that there are bound to be misprints, but perhaps another more informed member of the board can help you with this - I'd be interested to know as well! (Perhaps a new misprints thread...?)

I have quite a number of Dover editions among my collection of music. As mentioned before, binding is always an issue, although it seems to have improved slightly in more recent editions. If anything, I prefer some of the Dover collections for their inclusion of relatively unknown and hard to find music, including pieces which have been out of print for quite some time (eg. Dupre Souvenir Op.65, or Saint-Saens Trois Pieces). They are perhaps better as editions to start out with, from a financial point of view, perhaps upgrading later on. The Dupre volume is perhaps the best bargain in their catalogue (compared with the French editions!). I'd love to see them release a cheaper reprint of Tournemire's L'Orgue Mystique or the Rheinberger Sonatas. VA

I don't know if this has been posted already, but performance of the Johnson Trumpet Tune in A at St.Eustache is quite impressive. Nice to hear it played at a more stately tempo than is often heard.

Complete Gigout - Gerard Brooks Franz Schmidt: Toccata in C - Wayne Marshall at Coventry Vierne's 1st - Jean Pierre Leguay at Notre Dame and dare I mention... Le****re W**y - Ben van Oosten at La Madeleine

I have the Editio Musica Budapest edition, which is very good - although I'm not sure how easy it is to find - I think you're quite unlikely to find it in the everyday music shop. There are quite a lot of critical notes and information, including specifications of the organs which Liszt was familiar with. The music is also in quite large print which is very clear - but also means more pageturning! I've also heard that many have a preference for the Peters edition. VA

Sorry to bump this thread up again - I'm planning to play this work in recital later this year. Bar 150 also seems to contain an obvious misprint in the pedal line - but would anyone be able to give a complete list of misprints against the original edition? I'm also playing from the Crescendo edition, so would be most grateful to hear of any others I may have overlooked. Best regards VA

I play this piece quite often - and it is of much better quality than some of his other output. It is available in 'A Victorian Organ Album' edited by Malcolm Archer, and I believe it is available from Allegro Music. I played it last week during the offertory in a service in Amsterdam - as usual, people were interested to know what it was! If you would like more details about getting hold of it, PM me. Best regards VA

Many thanks for all your responses - I'm rather tempted to have a go at trying it out for myself...

'Organ Building for Amateurs' by Mark Wicks is now available to read online at www.openlibrary.org - in which he describes in detail his method of making organ pipes from paper. Have these ever actually been used in practice? I've come across paper dummies before, but not a speaking rank of such pipes. Just a thought! VA

Thought this might be the ideal place to raise a similar issue concerning another Dupre piece. The Allegro Deciso from Evocation, Op.37 - on the final page, 4th system, 2nd bar - can't help thinking that the C flat in the left hand ought to be a natural - it certainly seems to sound strange otherwise! Would also seem to be a misprint as in the right hand they are naturals. Any thoughts?

Slightly different, but I once came up with a couple of new stops... One was the Voix Marie Celeste, the pipes of which mysteriously disappear without explanation from the Swell box when the stop is drawn. The other was the Buffoon Hautbois, which was primarily intended for any work by Lefebure-Wely.

I too tend to leave out the triple pedalling, or everything gets rather muddy in some cases! I own the complete scores of the eight sonatas, but have really only ever played a handful of selected movements. I'd love to learn the 8th in it's entirety one day, having only ever played the second movement - for me it's the finest of the set!

I've only played a small amount of Peeters' music, but what I've played, I've liked: Aria - I'm sure most on here will be familiar with this one. Suite Modale - a great work, not too taxing, except perhaps the final toccata movement. The other three movements (Koraal, Scherzo, Adagio) are not problematic at all. Lied-Symphony - I've only ever bashed my way through the last two movements of this, but I think it's a really great work. It's also a shame we don't often hear the work in its entirety. It's rather tricky, and quite difficult to make it sound convincing. I've also got the score to that Ave Maris Stella work, but haven't ever tried it. Perhaps others can give some tips on this one. VA

I've been looking for this one for quite a while too - would be most interested to know where I could get hold of this as well. VA

Then there's the III/7 Willis in the Methodist Church in Kilkhampton, Cornwall. I've never played it, but have been told it is surprisingly versatile, despite its modest specification.

I do - great raucous fun it is too. VA