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nachthorn

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Everything posted by nachthorn

  1. Thanks for all your advice. Jon, I have particularly enjoyed listening to the improvisation on Victimae Paschali, but bear in mind that when Duruflé transcribed it, he made some important changes to tighten up the structure of the piece. (I want to be able to cite a source for this, but I can't remember where I read it now - sorry!) L'Orgue Mystique, in direct contrast, is written music designed to sound like improvisation. Oh, and I'm glad I'm not the only person to listen to it in the car I must admit to having the same reaction on occasion, where a piece lodges itself in my mind and I have to listen to it a lot! I was aware of the complete box set by Delvalleé, but I'd already bought the first set, and if I can find the two remaining sets at the price I bought the first two, the total cost will end up less than the complete set - I just have to be patient and shop around! NH
  2. A little while ago I acquired the first CD set (Cycle de Noël) of Georges Delvalleé's complete L'Orgue Mystique recording. The liner notes explain the concept of Tournemire's work - to supply music written in a quasi-improvisatory style using appropriate plainchant for each Sunday of the year - and the musical writing appeals to me greatly, although I get the impression that it's music that rewards patient study too. I've since acquired the third CD set (the first half of the Cycle après la Pentecôte) and am trying to get hold of the other two sets at a reasonable price. I have tried to locate the music, and the only source I can find is the Leduc website, where each 'week' is listed at an average price of 20 euros, or over £700 for all 51! Clearly at this price I need to be selective... What do people think about L'Orgue Mystique? Which 'weeks' are particularly appealing? Should I start at the start, or are there some parts more worth the effort than others?
  3. It already feels like that! I played a 'proper' instrument for the first time in a couple of weeks yesterday. Every time I aimed my feet for, say, CC, they ended up on EE, which is where CC is on that short compass pedalboard. It's started already...
  4. Not intending to do major mods to the thing in order to use the extra top notes - it's just that my feet keep getting confused with the rather non-standard board fitted, which I can't imagine would do my (already shaky) pedalling technique any favours...
  5. We obviously are! Sheer doggedness is the least of it - we spent a interesting hour investigating turbulence rumblings in the wind supply a couple of months ago (never thought I'd have to say that ), and I'm kept up to date with the latest exchanges with the builders... I'd agree that it isn't as good as it might have been, and that recent efforts have made significant improvements (swell reeds are the first things that come to mind, although I do like the new Harmonic Flute too!). But I wouldn't describe the instrument as a disaster. Maybe I'm just a parochial yokel, but I would far rather have that instrument than any number of the examples of 'organised firewood' produced by the Hele workshops between 1880 and 1910 that defy musicality altogether. At least the resident virtuoso makes it make music (Incidentally, how large is large, if IV/60-odd isn't? I wasn't talking S. Sulpice scale here!)
  6. High up on the list of examples being a large 4-manual instrument in the South (next to the sea) which I guess Cynic, I, and a number of others here know rather well. The one with a mobile electric action console in the nave which is used most days and for all Sunday services (which the church asked for) and the console in the fairly distant loft with ingenious right-angled tracker action which is used for tuning, occasional duets, and... er, that's it (which the advisor asked for). IMVHO the tracker action isn't even very good...
  7. Absolutely. To know exactly where one stands on these matters does help. More and more, it seems to be less predicated on common sense, and more on a strict - perhaps over-strict - interpretation of the law (pwhodges experience, for instance). And if it's anything like as well-written and indispensible as the first book, you can sign me up for a copy now! NH
  8. Pierre - listening on good monitor speakers at home, I can hear just the Principal (+ tremulant until 3'10) in the RH, with a Gedackt in the LH. Some notes of the Principal do cough and chiff a little, as you say, at random. IMHO this Principal has a very beautiful singing tone, especially with such a musical and unintrusive tremulant, and I forgive it the odd chiff which (as bombarde32 said) gives it variation and interest. I'm not sure that it would work well in a more intimate acoustic though. Opposite example is the Neue-Bach-Orgel in the Erlöserkirche in Bad Homburg (Gerald Woehl 1990) - one of the Principals (again, an Italian Principal-type) has a uniform chiff so intrusive it sounds like someone tapping each pipe with a stick as it speaks I have a recording, but not sure of the copyright ramifications of posting an excerpt. This instrument must be one of the last examples of neo-baroque overkill.
  9. Steve - I'm talking about my own region here, but I would love to see the RSCM doing more to drag standards up and encourage people to achieve more. Our local group give the impression (correctly or not) of managing the steady extinction of decent parish choirs as gracefully as possible, while looking after the 'average' church choir of six elderly altos and one tuneless gent of advanced years by providing vastly-simplified music and interminable Crucifixions.* They don't provide local support for organists attempting to play to high standards, they don't provide any support for the poor guy trying his hardest to aim for good musicianship within his choir, and they certainly don't have a clue about helping with chorister recruitment. I know this sounds like a rant (largely because it is) but it is truly heartfelt. Does any of this sound like the sort of thing people in your area might want? *Pros and cons of Crucifixions not to be debated again just now
  10. Isn't that stop known as 'Big Bertha'?
  11. Contrast the RFH problem with Birmingham's approach - the forthcoming celebration of the Town Hall reopening quite rightly includes information on the organ, as well as the Symphony Hall Klais: Birmingham's Town Hall: The organ (Not wanting to provoke an off-thread discussion, but I've heard few people speak well of the Symphony Hall Klais since the grand opening, which I went to. Although I've never had the opportunity to play it, to hear it both live and on recording, it sounds perfectly well, if a little polite. Did people simply expect something life-changing, and were consequently disappointed? Certainly it's given much-needed positive publicity to the instrument generally in the city.)
  12. My experience too - neither the Anglican Church nor the RSCM seem in the least interested in supporting a choral tradition at the parish level. There is this horrible mindset that choral music is not politically correct 'today' and that they would be quite happy to see it slowly phased out of the church altogether. Locally, I find the RSCM desperately unambitious - a few 'bring and sing' Crucifixions each year plus the odd trebles course is all they can manage - and the all-things-to-all-musicians approach that the HQ have simply means that they don't seem to achieve much worthwhile. I've heard a lot of serious church musicians say that the RSCM is simply no use, and I can see why they would say that. As for diocesan music - ours is run by a guy who seems to be a talented musician, who nonetheless seems fixated on 70's choruses and Iona stuff. The annual diocesan music day is dominated by pop/folk/gospel with the only 'classical' contributions being a half-hearted nod towards simple choral settings for the musically challenged. Patrick: I tried to do something similar, but it ended up being a battle between musicians/clergy and the choir/PCC, who frankly would go for anything that involved derailing the vicar's ideas. I tried to find external funding, but as I guess you found, very few secular organisations will even consider church-based projects, very few church organisations will consider 'luxuries' like choral music, and very few choral music-supporting organisations have the funds for anything more than a set of cassocks. I wrote meaningful and carefully-thought-out letters to various organisations, and the only replies I got were in the negative. In my situation, I planned to seek out generous individuals and possibly bequests to get the ball rolling, and hope that it was successful enough to attract funding later. As it was, I left, thoroughly dishearted because I couldn't take the abuse and attitude from the choir and PCC, but I feel that we could have had something very worthwhile. I wish you the very best of luck - the hard work is always worth it!
  13. One annoying example is the beautiful Duruflé Prélude sur l'Introït de l'Épiphanie, which is only available in a Schola Cantorum album costing over £20. I wouldn't mind if the rest of the album was interesting, but the other pieces seem fairly inconsequential.
  14. The introduction and setting of Angel Voices by Colin Mawby (I think) is great fun if not in the most impeccable taste. After hearing it, I've always thought the hymn to be poorer without it, which I suppose is the most important criterion. Oh, and the introduction to Lord of the Dance is essential - a standard playover, two beats and in kills it. I played it at Winchester a few years back for their Sunday morning service, which was attended by (amongst others) massed morris dancers I'll never forget the nave filled with jingling as they sang that hymn...
  15. I have recently parted with a modest sum of precious cash in order to acquire one Viscount Domus D40 toaster effort, complete with entirely non-standard pedalboard. I bought it knowing the shortcomings of said pedalboard as my finances wouldn't run to better things. To be specific, the current pedalboard is too short - 27 notes - and too shallow from back to front by quite some margin, also the sharp keys are too small. Nightmare, and certainly not the thing to do meaningful practice on. Does anyone have a rather more 'standard' (knowing full well that there is no such thing, literally speaking) pedalboard going, either gratis or for a modest consideration? I have a means of collection and the ability to transfer the contacts from the old to the new, plus the tools to make the necessary alterations to the console furniture. All I need is the pedalboard! Can you help me? Nachthorn
  16. Thanks everyone for the information and advice. Going to have to get the maps out and start planning! Nachthorn
  17. I'm going on a short holiday to Brittany in the last week in June, going as far east as Rennes and Nantes. Does anyone know anyone who can let me play instruments in the area? I would play suitable music reasonably well and not make a fool of myself! I was in Brittany a couple of years ago, and wandered into the Basilica in Guingamp to find someone practising. A passing verger-type saw my interest in the organ and ushered me up the stairs into the loft where the very accommodating organist in question let me play briefly, despite having no music, no organ shoes, and no adequate French. (They never covered the vocabulary needed to discuss Monsieur Cavaillé-Coll's finest work at school.) We spent a happy twenty minutes trying different tone colours. You can imagine it - he says "Zis stop is very... euh... very... ", holds arms wide, and makes growling noise with mouth. I try stop out, raise eyebrows in surprise and delight, and say "D'accord, très... er.... très... ", hold arms out, and approximate the growling noise in return. I borrowed a couple of his scores and had my eyes well and truly opened. He was actually rehearsing for a recital and I felt uncomfortable interrupting him, so I didn't stay any longer. Anyway, I would love to repeat this experience, this time armed with music, shoes and a hastily compiled book of French organ vocabulary. Can anyone help me? Nachthorn.
  18. 1. Poulenc Organ Concerto - Ian Tracey/BBCPO/Tortelier at Liverpool Cathedral (Chandos) Sheer beauty of sound and a very successful outcome to a significant recording challenge IMHO. 2. 'Weihnachtliche Orgelmusik' - by Paul Wisskirchen at Altenberger Dom (EMI reissued Prezioso) I bought this on eBay for 50p and is a stunning recording of the 1980 Klais. Not technically perfect, but played with a real sense of the spirit of the music and some very interesting tone colours. 3. Widor Symphony 8 and Cochereau Variations sur un Noel - Jeremy Filsell at Liverpool RC (ASV) Wonderful sound, real flair in the playing. 4. Complete Messiaen on 6 discs - Olivier Latry at Notre Dame de Paris (DG) Not all the music to everyone's taste, mine included, but the conviction and seemingly effortless playing makes this very rewarding to listen to. 5. 'Popular Organ Music 2' - David Briggs at Gloucester (Priory) Yes, I know - Popular Organ Music... but as a collection it's very interesting on many different levels, particularly the Cochereau Bolero and the Dukas Sorcerer's Apprentice. Plus I like the Gloucester organ And need I talk abour DB's playing? I'ver just acquired a copy of 'Les Offices du Dimanche', a Solstice disc of Cochereau improvising at Notre Dame. This may, with time, nudge one of the others off the list. Too soon to tell. There's also the Jennifer Bate recordings of Franck at Beauvais (Unicorn Kanchana, reissued by Regis) which I find very compelling if not particularly purist. I can't warm to the Messiaen recordings at Beauvais so much, though.
  19. Aside from adjustable benches or pedals, MM and heva have the only choices, so I think I'll stick to living with it I'll console myself with blaming my Dutch ancestors... Although I'm obviously not advocating schadenfreude in this case, I'm at least happy to know that it's not just me flailing away at the console in odd positions. Incidentally, I think the most uncomfortable organ I've played recently was the Willis at St. Michael's Tenbury - a low (non-adjustable) bench with no room behind it. Some consoles seem to work much better though, and not for any obvious reason. Incidentally, regarding posture, how do people rate Peter Hurford's diagrams and instructions in 'Making Music at the Organ'? Obviously PH has had a reputation as an impeccable player - is his advice equally reliable?
  20. This is my first post, although I've been 'lurking' for a while now, reading the various discussions with interest. Bit of a weighty topic for an opener, but I hope it's of interest! I've been playing for fifteen years now (since the age of 12), and although the organ and related music has always been a big interest for me, I've often felt less than comfortable when playing. In particular, my pedal technique is almost non-existent because it has always felt like a real physical struggle, and I'm afraid that the standard of my playing suffers considerably. Nonetheless I got through the ABRSM grades at school, and I'm now looking at doing the CertRCO. I recently bought a toaster to do some home practice, and got my girlfriend (a proper musician well versed in Alexander Technique) to look closely at my posture at the console as I play. Now, at 6' 5" tall, I realise that most consoles are unlikely to be designed with me in mind, but I never realised just how bad my posture was while playing. Once pointed out, it became clear that: 1. To allow my feet to slide across the top of the pedal keys, I had to lift my legs up quite strongly, leading to muscle tension in the tops of my legs (and resultant restriction of both vertical and horizontal movement). 2. Partly as a result of (1) I was also lifting the toes of my feet hard and holding my heels back towards me, leading to my legs/feet ending up in a sort of 'Z' shape. All of this gets my feet in roughly the right position to play, but rules out any chance of flexibility and quickly leads to cramp - not the best way to play any instrument! 3. Because of the placing of my knees and the need to raise the bench (and, if I admit it, to be able to find pedal notes by sight because of (1) and (2) above) I was sitting too far back, causing me to slump forward and leading to back muscle tension. All of this shouldn't have been a surprise, but it was certainly an eye-opener. Essentially, I enjoy playing and I'd like to think I have the musical ability to play well, but physically I'm a disaster area because of my height. The question is, are there any other tall organists who've found/solved this problem? I know that raising the bench must help to an extent, but how far can I raise it before I start creating problems with my physical approach to the manuals instead? Should I be aiming for the soles of my shoes to brush across the tops of the pedal keys when relaxed, or is some sort of raising of the legs needed by everyone to play the pedals properly? (Apologies to those who weren't expecting a post mentioning 'legs' this many times. I'll try not to do it again... ) NH
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