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sjf1967

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Posts posted by sjf1967

    Edinburgh

    in General discussion

    Posted

    If you only get to see/hear one instrument in the city, for my money it would be the Rieger, which is absolutely glorious. (And if you have not yet been convinced of it on recordings, look out for the Kenneth Leighton recording to be released on Resonus in Spring next year - the Missa de Gloria, Martyrs, the Hymn Tune Fantasias, and the Improvisation).

    Christchurch Oxford and one or two other queries

    in The Organ

    Posted

    Not quite. I think Rieger refused to add playing aids in 1979, but there were 6 generals, and 4 divisionals to each department, when I knew it in the early 1990s; one memory level only. Legend was the system was designed by a physics fellow and ran off a car battery. Whether that was true or not, the mechanism would give up at crucial moments (most memorably halfway through a live Evensong broadcast of some very difficult Sebastian Forbes - the longest 3 seconds of my life) and big pieces would entail resetting pistons in silent bars with inevitable results for rehearsals with the choir. It was a hard instrument hard to manage, and hard to play, but learning to do so was a fantastic discipline. There's a now a full complement of generals (16 I think) and divisionals (8 per manual, I think - possibly 6) , stepper, etc. I have a feeling Rieger did the work, but am not certain. Trinity has not been rebuilt since 1975 and is currently looked after by Bill Johnson; New College has had some revoicing done since its installation and its temperament has changed (currently Thomas Young, I think) but there's been no other substantial mechanical work or major rebuild. NCO is getting a bit tired; Trinity is marvellous in every possible way and is strating to be used a lot more for commercial recording (Robery Quinney and I have both used it for Bach discs this year).

    Nautical Organ Pieces

    in The Organ

    Posted

    Vox, There are a couple of sea-related movements in the Eugene Reuchsel Huit Images de Provence. Assauts de vagues aux rochers de l’Ile de Port-Cros, and Balancements des barcasses colorées au Vieux Port de Saint-Tropez.

    Alain's Litanies- A query

    in The Organ

    Posted

    Helga Schauerte's monograph on Alain (p.17 - 18) says that Alain's exceptionally flexible wrist enabled him to master staccato technique at the piano without difficulty. As for the 'Litanies' score, the 'cluster' idea is an urban myth, definitely - there is no known score or sketch with this type of 'free' notation. On the subject of critical reports, the best source for variant readings in all the works is the Critical Notes issued by Leduc to accompany the last reprint edited by MCA in 2001-2003. While the new Barenreiter edition includes some works not available in Leduc (the version of the Intermezzo written for Dupre's house organ, for example) the critical commentary sometimes fails to list all the variant readings, and to get the complete picture you really need to consult both Leduc and Barenreiter. As a bonus Leduc includes numerous facsimiles, from which it's quite possible to play direct.

    Youtube

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Having heard a piece by Judith Weir this afternoon (what was all that about??) and the start of Brian's big noise this evening, I couldn't take any more and one wonders why they can't do something like this at the Proms, wonderful stuff.

    Sorry if you didn't enjoy it, but just for the record you've got the wrong Judith. Judith Bingham wrote the piece (The Everlasting Crown) I played on Sunday 17th: Judith Weir wrote the opening piece in the First Night. You'll have to ask Roger Wright about programming issues.

    Good Quote...

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Can he cite an occasion on which the audience were physically laughing at his conclusion of Beethoven's sonata op 31 no 1? Incidentally, in the same article he states his lack of sympathy with the music of Rachmaninov as relating to the latter's lack of invention: this coming from a man whose performing career consisted in a large part of the piano music of Beethoven, and nothing (or very little) contemporary.

     

    Well, I don't know about Op 31 but there is certainly a film (on youtube last time I looked) of Brendel making an audience laugh out loud in a Haydn Sonata movement - and anyway, I suspect his remark about organists was made tongue in cheek (he's an amusing as well as a profoundly intellectual man, as those who have read his poetry will know). And although he is now mainly associated with the Viennese classics, as a younger pianist Brendel was in command of a vast repertoire - including the then rarely played Schoenberg Concerto. Stravinsky Petrushka and much else (even some Rachmaninov I think, so at least he tried!). The series of recordings he made on the Vox label in the 1960s and 1970s bears this out. I don't have a problem with any performer deciding they have a particular affinity with a small area of repertoire if they play it as well as Brendel does.

    Of Interest On R3 Perhaps

    in General discussion

    Posted

    As if Stevie's super performance of Mendelssohn 6 wasn't enough last night, I came across this on radio 3 this morning. I had to double check the radio wasn't malfunctioning as I thought it unthinkable the BBC would allow more organ music on its airwaves within 24 hours of a live broadcast:

     

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00knsyb

     

    Simon Lole doing an excellent job introducing Bach's Clavierubung III on the unsuspecting Radio 3 audience.

     

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00knsyb

     

    I think Simon does an excellent job pitching this successfully to newcomers to Clavierubung III and those that know it well alike. Good to hear Piet Kee's recording of the E flat Prelude and Fugue at the Martinikerk, Gronigen - one of the best currently available IMNSHO.

     

    And really good to see the Beeb giving this much air time to the organ!!

     

    Colin - very kind remarks and much appreciated. Next Saturday's CD review, by the way, will also feature a hefty chunk of organ music.

    Best to all

    SF

    Of Interest On R3 Perhaps

    in General discussion

    Posted

    A flying visit to let board members know that the BBC Singers' Performance on 3 concert from St Paul's Knightsbridge this Friday May 29th, 7pm, of music by Bach and Mendelssohn, will include the Mendelssohn 6th Sonata and (very) early Fantasia and Fugue in g - and that it's worth keeping an eye on Saturday morning CD review in the next couple of weeks as something of interest may be featured therein. I confess to a hand in both enterprises, but at least it's organ music on Radio 3. Best wishes

    SF

    Appointments

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Nice to see the departing Guildford organist played a recital at the new Guildford organist's current church back in August... :)
    sorry to spoil a good conspriacy theory, but I was invited by KD last year to play in Warwick - long before I had even thought about leaving Guildford this summer - and for the record, I was nothing to do with the selection process for my successor...

    Appointments

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Thanks for that Barry.

     

    I knew Katherine in her days at Norwich as assistant, where she was both a superb player and nice lady to boot. Isn't the first job she has been offered, but all the best to her, and of course Mr. Gray.

     

    Interesting though that Guildford hasn't gone down the route of appointing a Choral Specalist...

    Simple reason, David - we really need two very capable players on the full time staff at Guildford, as the no1 accompanies the girls (who are directed by the no2) and there are numerous specials etc which (especially at Christmas) are too much for one person to do alone. Which is not to say that Katherine won't also do a really superb job with the choir here, as she has done with her singers at Warwick.

    Vox Humana 8'

    in General discussion

    Posted

    I agree it isn't all it could be: however, I would argue that, as a functional website, it works just as well, if not better, as the examples you have cited above. I don't like their visual style, which is (in Stepehn Farr's case) avantgarde, corporate and anonymous. I certainly don't like the pop-up windows on Paul Spicer's website.

    Glad you like it.

    Items For Sale - Moving House

    in General discussion

    Posted

    I hope everyone has had a good summer... I'm here to see if I can interest anyone in two boxes of music, CDs, periodicals, books etc which I need to dispose of soonish. Music - about 30 scores, maybe one or two review copies, but most are my own and unlikely ever to be useful again. About half the copies have never been used. There is some Heiller, Eben Langlais, Dupre, etc in there, and though some scores are a bit battered they are all usable. Cds - about 40, acquired over a long period because I had space for them, mostly organ, some choral, and a few cassettes too, whose condition I have no idea about - I no longer have a cassete player. Periodicals - back issues of OR, C and O, and a few others. Books - some general history, some composer specific, one or two small books about eg St Jakobi Lubeck and one or two scholarly tomes in German (relic of postgrad days). All in good condition, and all offered to a good home, for a reasonable offer (compromise figure between the buyer doing me a favour, and there being about £800 of material all told). Only conditions - buyer to collect, and I would really like to dispose of the whole lot in one go, which is why I don't want to resort to ebay. PMs or contact via the cathedral office welcome. SF

    Stephen Cleobury

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Maybe something to do with his wife's singing career being London based?

    Hello everyone. Long time etc. I have been tipped off by another 'lurker' that the subject of my move to London has come up. It's very simple - I want to do something different for a while, and after almost 20 years of turning out seven services a week the prospect of pursuing a wider range of activities really appeals to me; I had a sabbatical term earlier in the year which I spent doing more of the sort of thing I used to do, and I discovered just how much I missed my playing. Knightsbridge has a fine choir, excellent liturgy, and supportive clergy; I wasn't the only cathedral organist to apply....and there'll be no more scraping the ice off the car at 6.45am to drive across the rush hour to take chorister practices in the dark. Let me also say for the complete and utter avoidance of doubt that I am leaving Guildford on the best possible terms with all of my colleagues; I've been extremely happy here. Best wishes to all, S

    The Virgil Fox Phenomenon

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Actually, I can't see the relevance of his terminal illness in this.  Fox clearly felt he was up to playing, and should undoubtedly be admired for that.  But the notes he played were surely not affected by his illness; he chose to change what a particularly meticulous composer wrote, and Stephen feels this is beyond the pale.  I incline to agree; but none-the-less I enjoy the thoroughly inauthentic disk I have of Fox playing Bach.  I don't believe that "caring, sensitive Christianity" relates to an essentially intellectual disagreement of this kind.

     

    Paul

    I think at this point I had better withdraw from discussions here in the future, if it is going to cause such controversy and unpleasantness.
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