James Goldrick
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Posts posted by James Goldrick
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By the way: the name of the piece is 'Tu es Petra'
Got my chants and toccatas mixed up!
Actually, I've never understood why it is Petra and not Petrus. Is it not the Tu es Petrus verse he is paraphrasing?
"Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam. Et portae inferi non praevalebunt ad versus eam: et tibi dabo claves regni caelorum."
Incidentally, has anyone ever heard Grunenwald's setting of this text for choir and 'deux orgues'?
Absolutely spectacular.
JG
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I recently bought a CD of Herbert Tachezi playing Bach on the Silbermann organ of the Dresden Hofkirche.
It was a rather uninspiring recording of the Bach greatest hits (T&F in Dm, T,A&F in C, Passacaglia etc.), but I'm assuming it was recorded before the most recent restoration.
What is the state of this organ nowadays, and how does it compare to the examples in Freiberg[edited] etc.?
JG
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I don't recall David Hill recording the Vierne with the Westminster Cathedral choir. Are you thinking of his Langlais Messe Solennelle recording?
I'm unable to find it but a few years back I downloaded a recording of the Vierne MS apparently by Westminster Cathedral but recorded with brass and organ in the Gloria etc.
I assumed it was David Hill as James O'Donnell's uses the organ only.
The Sacre-Coeur recording was the first complete recording I heard after hearing the Briggs/Gloucester Kyrie.
The 32' Bombarde at the end of the first four movements is just phenomenal and Naji Hakim's solo playing wonderful too. I was initially skeptical of the tempo of the Mulet 'Tu es Petrus' but it is now my benchmark recording. Needless to say, the Embrace of Fire is jaw-dropping: The 32's at the start nearly destroyed my speakers! The Grande-Orgue entries in the second movement is some of the most exciting organ playing recorded and the third movement is just a heaven of quiet solo colours.
It's a pity recordings of this organ are so hard to come by. Are there any particular recommendations?
JG
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I think there is only one notable moment of the Cochereau/Notre-Dame recording where the synchronisation suffers. It's those massive off-beat chords at 'Tu solus altissimus' at the end of the Gloria.
Cochereau's entries in the Kyrie are spot-on and it's the most spine-tingling recording of all.
It's interesting that Westminster Cathedral recorded it twice: Once by Hill (With brass) and by O'Donnell.
I think the organ only is more effective actually. Though the organ is not nearly prominent enough at the return of the Kyrie in the O' Donnell recording. I actually think the Dupre Quatre Motets are the highlight of this disc.
Despite the variable quality of the choir, the recording at Sacre-Coeur is probably the most authentic recording around in terms of the original Cavaille-Coll sound. Plus the added bonus of Naji Hakim playing the Embrace of Fire.
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I can only think of one time I have ever been involved with use of a crescendo pedal and I wasn't even performing at the time!
I was acting as registrant for a friend playing a choral concert on the 4M Hill/Letourneau in Sydney's Anglican Cathedral and when asked to hit the tutti stud on the final chord as soon as the choir cut off, I suggested he give the GC a decent kick instead.
I think the advent of the sequencer has rendered the modern crescendo pedal obsolete for modern recital performance. I think most spend enough time registering works to incorporate a smoothly registered crescendo without having to watch the little red light go up and down.
As for Sundays, doesn't anyone else find it the most satisfying thing to hand-register a big crescendo oneself?
Playing an 1887 Bevington and a 1910 Hill, one really hasn't much choice in the matter.
Cheers
James Goldrick
P.S. Does anyone else think that rollschweller GCs look like missing teeth?
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I wouldn't be surprised if a similar 'Desert Island Discs' sort of topic is buried somewhere in the Mander Discussion archives, but why not start a fresh one?
Two of my choices are organ with ensemble, so it's definitely not restricted to solo works.
I'm specifying single recordings rather than entire CD's or LP's, unless of course it is a major work like Durufle's Requiem or Messiaen's Nativite.
So here's my Top Five:
(1) Karl Richter
Bach - Dorian Toccata and Fugue in Dm Bwv 538
Freiburger Dom - Silbermann Hauptorgel
(2) Michael Dudman
Langlais - Concerto No.3 'Reaction' for organ, strings and timpani.
Sydney Town Hall - Hill and Son Grand Organ
(Sydney Symphony, Patrick Thomas cond.)
(3) Pierre Cochereau
Chant - Te Deum (in alternatim)
Notre-Dame-de-Paris - Grand Orgue Cavaillé-Coll
(Choir of NDdP, Jehan Revert dir.)
(4) Charles Tournemire
Improvisation on 'Victimae Paschali Laudes'
Sainte Clotilde, Paris - Grand Orgue Cavaillé-Coll
(5) Piet Kee
Walther - Partita on 'Jesu Meine Freude'
Weingarten Basilica - Gabler Hauptorgel
Looking forward to further contributions
Cheers
James Goldrick
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Found my photos so here's the Rawtenstall gallery:
The whole gallery can be found here: James Goldrick's 'Flickr' page
Hope you anjoy the pics of this marvellous instrument and join the cause for its restoration
Thanks
James Goldrick
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I played the Rawtenstall organ in January and took a load of pictures which I cannot find at the moment. Here's one I took of the case though. I've never really seen anything like the blue decoration on another Hill before. But then again, I haven't seen ventils or French ordering of the manuals either.
It really is a travesty that this organ is in the state it is, when it is one of the most notable Hill's around. Despite the condition it is in, the stops all seemed to work with the exception of the Choir Basset Horn and the pedal Ophicleide (I didn't realise that the pipes were in fact missing.) Even the Barker Lever coupling was functioning throughout the compass.
The most disappointing aspect of the whole situation is that about 18 months ago the organ was awarded a Heritage Lottery Grant for its restoration. However the church's minister refused the grant on the grounds of the money being 'tainted' by the sin of gambling. The same minister reputedly favoured the instrument's removal in favour of more space on the chancel.
(A relative living in Burnley sent the article from a local newspaper)
Thanks
James
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The ranks vs. stop no. argument seems to be the same stalemate surrounding the Wanamaker/Atlantic City comparison.
I heard the SOH organ in the Saint-Saens 3rd a few weeks ago - The first time I've ever managed to hear the Sharp competing with the Sydney Symphony. During the final movement, of course I was wishing they would do it at the Town Hall, however it was during the second movement that the SOH organ really came into its own - a really spell-binding performance. I could barely believe how quiet the 2000+ audience was as everyone listened in on the pianissimo strings over that wonderful 32'.
Just a couple of pics to remind just how big this tracker organ is.
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A.P.F. Boëly's Fantaisie in B flat could merit mention here...
as too might Lemmens' Fanfare
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Just to throw another list into the works:
1 - Sydney Town Hall
2 - Notre Dame de Paris
3 - Westminster Cathedral
4 - Petrikirche, Freiburg
5 - Wanamaker Organ , Philadelphia
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Sweelinck?
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I would argue that RVW belongs in a fourth category : "composers with an international reputation who have produced one reasonably well known piece of organ music" - that certainly fits RVW and also Nielsen, Britten and Michael Tippet.
BAC
Not to mention some others listed here already
...Edward Elgar and Charles Ives among them
...also, does Poulenc count?
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One names springs to mind right after Reubke and Boellmann
...a certain Ralph Vaughan Williams.
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I know it's not exactly a 'lesser-known' Town Hall, but on the subject - Have there been any serious proposals for dealing with the Manchester Town Hall Cavaille-Coll in recent years?
Having visited it for the first time in January (currently resident in Sydney) I was struck by how magnificent the case is within the Hall (The NPOR photo really does it no justice) - How much of the Cavaille-Coll pipework has survived in amongst the Lewis and Jardine?
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Incidentally, with regard to Town Halls around the colonies, (I can think of one not-exactly-obscure example nearby) The former organ in Adelaide Town Hall (W.Hill 1875 3/37) is undergoing a thorough restoration in a new home after its disfiguration in the 70's and removal in the 90's.
http://www.ohta.org.au/other/hillappeal.html
If the tonal and mechanical restoration is anything like the cosmetic restoration already evident, it will be an exciting new addition (or should I say new edition) to Australia's already impressive stable of civic organs.
I believe similar movements are getting underway in New Zealand.
Thanks
JG
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Two features of Guillou's improvisations that budding improvisers could do well to adopt. He often keeps it short and he brings his improvisations to an end promptly. Too frequently we hear six or more concluding chords as the improviser struggles to put his/her conception out of our misery.
This is one of my personal favourite techniques employed by Cochereau improvisations, but I don't see how one can complain about it when some of the great masterworks of the school employ it to great effect: Carillon de Westminster and Dieu Parmi Nous instantly spring to mind.
I suppose it's a generic technique as much as the various styles of perpetuum mobile toccata figuration.
Also with regards to length of improvisation, three organ symphonies of Cochereau which I recently bought maintained my rapt attention throughout whereas another recent acquisition of mine, Jean Guillou's 'Improvisations for Christmas' despite following the exact promptness in their conclusions as described above, listening to them I always feel a bit short-changed - that's not to say I dislike Guillou's style - His Gregorian based improvs are some of my favourites.
But personally I much prefer the struggle to be put out of my own misery, than Guillou's abruptness often which seems to be a musical cry of "Abandon ship!'
Thanks
Jimmy
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I'm wondering if anyone who has access to Francois and Yvette Carbou's archive knows if Cochereau ever recorded the Reubke sonata in concert.
Julius Reubke
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Pierre Cochereau
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Le Grande Orgue de Notre-Dame de Paris
...seems a match made in Heaven (Or Hell depending on how much you like the ending)
Thanks
JG
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Adlington Hall springs to mind at first, but whereabouts in England are Father Smith organs to be found intact?
Thanks
James Goldrick
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The International Organ Foundation Catalogue seems to contain all the relevant information.
It certainly is an impressive set of specifications.
Apparently they are a pair of a 1783 Julián de la Orden organs.
Here's the link:
James Goldrick
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Are there any original Hope-Jones organs remaining in Britain?
If not where is the sound best preserved?
Thanks
James Goldrick
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Ask Rieger to install you a Rauschwerk and those sermons will just fly by!
The effect on any Offertoire improvisations may be just as entertaining.
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According to NPOR, it certainly does appear to be in a good state, however there is one passage which I cannot quite decipher:
"the stops of the Grande Orgue are all available, by turning the stopknob through 90 degrees on a free combination by pedal"
Can anyone please offer a more explanatory translation of this mechanism?
Much appreciated
James Goldrick
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I can only recall that from reading either Clutton/Niland The British Organ or more probably Thistlethwaite's Making of the Victorian Organ that it mentioned the Ulster Hall facade reeds being original Hill Tubas, but please do not hold me to that. I will look up the reference tomorrow at the library.
Thanks
James Goldrick
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Where in Britain is the Cavaillé-Coll sound best preserved?
I have seen some images of the case at Parr Hall, Warrington and that seems to be in some state of tonal originality.
I am particularly interested in the state of the Manchester Town Hall organ.
Thanks
James Goldrick
Vierne Scores Available
in The Organ
Posted
It's a MOTETTE recording.
Amazon has it here:
Vierne: Messe Solennelle
Grunenwald's was recently recorded at St Sulpice.
I cannot recommend this CD enough. The Tradition of St. Sulpice
Daniel Roth's improvisation on the Kyrie Orbis Factor is overwhelming. The whole CD really brings to light the French choral tradition which is rather neglected. The Grunenwald 'Tu es Petrus' has some glorious harmonies and the Grande Orgue entry at 'Et portae inferi' is fantastically 'horror film-esque'.
Les Offices du Dimanche a Notre-Dame de Paris is an incredible recording, the highlight being the Gloria de Angelis in alternatim with cantor and choir (plus PC). Cochereau's improvising over the Eucharistic Prayer is a fantastically ethereal effect too. The sortie on Kyrie Orbis Factor has more notes than I thought was possible.
I think those people who believe Cochereau gets very repetitive and constantly reuses the same formula of hair-raising scherzi on the Flutes Harmonique and big fugues dissolving into toccatas etc. really have to listen to more liturgical Cochereau as well as Cochereau in concert-mode.
These recordings in particular:
Cochereau: Un Testament Musical
Cochereau: The Liturgie
Sunday Offices in Notre-Dame de Paris
JG