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Ian Ball

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Everything posted by Ian Ball

  1. intro for (French) kids. Some very effective jazz Aubertinique at 2'27"! Cool model at 5'. And a visit chez Aubertin at 7'30", continued in 2nd . Even a brief blast from the Vertus 32' reed - well worth watching. Back to Paris in the for a tour of St Louis' colours. "Le plein jeu...c'est la signature de l'orgue" I like her!! A brief plug for St John's College, Oxford too, towards the end of clip 3. Enjoy! Can't help thinking that by the middle of the 2nd clip, makers of programmes for British youth would be worried they'd have lost concentration. Such a shame: this is a brilliant lesson in physics and engineering. Nice not to have distracting pop music in the background too. We even get that in 'serious' science/nature progammes for grown-ups in the UK...
  2. Sweet. Much more interesting, logical and versatile. Well laboured
  3. It's infinitely better than on those 40-year old recordings. There's an excellent maitrise and a very good group of professional adults.
  4. So good, you replied twice! I'm intrigued, and await the "real answer". Do I hear the words "preoccupied with colour at the expense of..." marching inexorably towards this debate?
  5. Well, one can't effectively render Isolde's Liebestod without a Swell and/or Solo sub-octave (or at least some very luscious 16s)... and of course much French symphonic repertoire had Octaves graves in mind for big tutti passages played at the top end of the keyboard (to answer another subscriber, no they do not effect the weight of the keys as they function through the Barker machine). Liturgically, the most useful application of both sub and super is to make string soup (which I find most toothsome on occasions), and also to brighten the Tuba when used for solos against a full congregation (at Hereford Cathedral the Tuba is rarely used without super octave as it simply cuts no ice in the nave). The most useful mini-full swell for psalm accompaniment can often be achieved by adding Sw Octave to the 16' reed plus 4 (and 2?) flues.
  6. Goodness I'm flattered. Where was that then? And yes, I think we're pretty much on the same hymn sheet. Interesting theory about inept pedalling. I take your point about collisions, and of course there are exceptions to the usual 3-stop Thuringian pedal dept. , for example. Here, a 2-man scheme has a 10-stop pedal dept and no pedal coupler. Cracking 32' reed too! Wonder how Die Meistersinger overture might sound on it... But I digress...we were discussing Buxtehude. This set has been a revelation to me. Fresh, free, 'no rules' playing, without the excessive speed and quirkiness of Koopman. I particularly love Spang-Hanssen's accelerando trills in the coloratura preludes, which begin by markedly overlapping the two notes, as if the interloper is trying to knock the main note off its perch. Fabulous and well worth a listen. Can be picked up cheaply if you dig around. Wonderful choice of instruments. Great colour. PS actually I've just found his (actually pretty fast!) YouTube doesn't say but it's on the 1696 Schnitger organ of Noordbroek Reformed Church, Netherlands. PPS Of course this is the best Buxtehude playing you're ever likely to hear. Such an innocuous, 'manualiter' piece, too.
  7. Well, playing devil's advocate for a moment, could it be fashion that has dictated that all but one Open Diapason be the foundation of an English organ's chorus? For instruments of a certain vintage, dulcianas, salicionals, gambas and flutes (not just at 8' pitch) would have been included in the builder's original composition pedal or piston settings for the plenum, and I see no reason to exclude them if that is the case. One notable exception might be a late-vintage Harrison, where the Large Open was designed to supplant lesser foundations (shame so many LOD's have been removed, or put down into the Pedal as a makeshift 8', but that's another beef). But I see no reason to leave such stops out of a bigger chorus 'to sound clearer' if the whole instrument wasn't designed to play Buxtehude in the first place (obviously as long as the wind doesn't suffer). "...thicken" is a subjective and dangerous word! A melange of foundations, even at 4 and 2' pitches, can produce wonderfully attractive and clear overtones, in addition to sumptuous gravitas so beloved of organists throughout history (not just since, say, Wolstenholme). Indeed the more I research and hear original Baroque instruments, the more I'm convinced that the generous provision of foundations on some instruments was intended to be combined in as many ways as possible, including in the tutti. Play in a way that is also doing credit to an instrument's integrity, I'd say, otherwise you risk weakening the music you play on it. Put it another way (to paraphrase David Bednall's gloriously revolutionary utterances): do an orchestra's flutes stop playing just because the brass have joined in? No. And will someone PLEASE explain why there is still this obsession in certain folk for an "independent pedal", as if it's the nadir of an anti-romantic's dreams; something to which all organs should aspire when they grow up? Sure, the larger Hanseatic instruments had such, but Sachsen/Thuringen and all stations south rarely did. I've seen too many decent English organs utterly ruined by the removal of space-hogging Open Woods in favour of nasty upperwork, usually late-speaking and too quiet, and of course the ubiquitous Rohr Schalmei... As long as you can still hear the tenor part, I see no reason not to use Gt to Pedal - often it's the only way to get the pedals to speak with everything else. Ultimately, I would say "aural effect" is the final arbiter. It may well be that Great 8' flute, plus principals at 4 and 2 might be more 'appropriate' for PF&C (adding/subtracting the 2 at will) I apologise, Vox, for using your post to have a wee rant! Best wishes Ian
  8. Very true, and I adore the Liverpool sound (as long as Grand Chorus to Great is given a rest once in a while!), but there have been significant changes since it was built: e.g. suppression of the Pedal mutations, the u/e Choir division, and tierce in the pedal mixture
  9. Interesting promo Less successful in repertoire, perhaps, although a poor recording. I could live with strings though.
  10. at Liverpool in 1927! Wonderful poise, colour and virtuosity
  11. That is just outrageous! There's more here (in HQ). I think the chap on the top right is feeling sea sick...
  12. Many thanks Chris for your helpful response. I can certainly testify to the welcoming, inclusive and 'missionary' attitude of Worcester Cathedral's music department, and for the frequent opportunities given to all ages to play and hear the wonderful new organ. It's good to know kids concessions are still very much in mind for the 'big' recital series. Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday!
  13. I'm sorry but for a family of four, it is not insignificant! I don't quibble about the cost for an adult - when you can't reserve a seat, for an artist of DJB's callibre, a blanket £15 is fine, but one can't be expected to encourage young people to experience such an event without concessions. If there are concessions, then they should be shouted from the rooftops, in my view.
  14. I agree entirely re concessions (if there was a good bar and comfy seats, I might concede ). However, there have been generous concessions for children at recent recitals. Perhaps Chris/Adrian might confirm if this is the case?
  15. I'm tempted to say "because I'm not a 17th century Dutch dwarf"... but I'll resist. Perhaps it's more to do with the fact they couldn't easily do 3 hours+ organ practice in one session, without buying a blower many beers. So I guess back ache seldom set in!
  16. Hear hear! Although I do think the Kynaston recording of the WT Best arrangement is more moving/exciting, much as I adore the Latry disc (OMG that Mozart Fugue in C minor performance....electric. One of the hardest pieces in the repertoire, not to mention the Prokofiev Toccata...)
  17. Excellent - although not a free score it sounds right up my alley. No organ in mind; just wanna learn it.
  18. Interestingly (and slightly off topic - apologies), a number of albeit smaller English organs are steadily finding their way abroad. Orgelbau Oppel, for example, is just one firm which snaps up suitable Romantic English organs when they become available, to restore and sell on as viable alternatives to digital organs. Stephan Oppel has just bought and collected my little house organ and was on his way to collect another Victorian instrument from a church in Flixton. Stephan and his colleagues drooled and gasped when I showed them the 3-manual 1907 Hill organ currently rotting, unused, in St Mark's Kingsholm, Gloucester and would have paid good money to take it away. If the RAM want a quality instrument, with real pedigree, that actually supports a substantial chunk of the repertoire, perhaps they might consider refurbishing one of the scores of redundant 19th and early 20th century British organs crying out to be loved. I've yet to hear a new Open Diapason by any current British builder that equals a good, stringy Victorian/Edwardian example. They all sound too close to neo-classical models to my ears (with sincere apologies to our hosts). I'll get my coat...
  19. Thanks but the only arrangement I can find there is the harpsichord one mentioned above.
  20. not really what I was after - a full-blooded romantic re-working - but useful to have. Thank you.
  21. Does anyone know of a website from where I can download free of charge the WT Best (or any other decent) arrangement of the Bach Chaconne for solo vln in d minor? As both composers are in the public domain I do object to paying for a copy! Likewise Best's excellent transcription of Mendelssohn's E minor Prelude & Fugue for piano. The usual places (IMSLP, WIMA and Sibley collection) don't seem to offer it. Many thanks Ian
  22. Yes Antiphonies is a very fine piece. Well worth learning. I recall a thrilling broadcast of John Scott playing it in Chester Cathedral, back in the 80s. Cymbelstern 'n'all.
  23. Glad you liked it! It's quite an earworm, as they say :angry:
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