S_L
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Posts posted by S_L
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Perhaps an email to Francois Menissier, the titulaire at St. Nicolas des Champs in Paris. The photograph appears on his website so he, presumably, can tell you where it came from. There is a Contact page on the website.
Francois also has a facebook page François Ménissier | Facebook
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1 hour ago, DariusB said:
NPOR Ref:
2004 - Church to be taken over by Romanian Orthodox congregation
2004 - Organ no longer required - will be removed in due course
I wonder where it went!
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1 hour ago, Keitha said:
This is clearly a 'Marmite thing' - I applaud the Cathedral architects - who were involved in the case design. I think that it's imaginative, striking ..................
I agree. The French seem to have a fondness for introducing something modern, edgy, perhaps outrageous and controversial into a traditional scene. Chinese architect (I. M. Pei), I know, but look at the Louvre - two huge glass pyramids in the middle of an essentially 17th/18th century building facade! And I remember the heated discussion on this board about the latest console at Notre Dame de Paris - another 'Marmite thing'!
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23 hours ago, innate said:
I have never heard of a connection between the Bm P&F and Palm Sunday.
Me neither! - ............ but I've emailed my friend and asked him to tell me the connection!
Meanwhile another five more works in B minor - there isn't much more!
Tchaikovsky - Symphony 6
Berg - Piano Sonata Op. 1 (a single movement nominally in B min. - although Berg uses extensive chromaticism, whole tone scales etc.)
Paganini - La Campanella
Brahms - Clarinet Quintet
Sibelius - Tapiola
Beethoven called an idea of his in one of his sketch-books- 'a black key'!
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1 hour ago, Martin Cooke said:
I haven't time to check now but what key was the Ride of the Valkyries in? I have an organ transcription somewhere and I'm pretty sure it's in B minor but that doesn't mean that the original is/ Oh, and I hve a transcription of the Bach Badinerie which is in A minor, but the original is definitely in B minor.
Correct on both counts Martin!
................. but that connection between B min. and Palm Sunday anyone?
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I have been having a discussion with a friend over what he plans to play over Easter. He said that he would rather like to play the Bach B minor Prelude and Fugue because of the associations of the key of B minor with Palm Sunday. I have never heard of this!
Irrespective of our different traditions and whether our tradition has it that the organ is used or is not used on Palm Sunday I wonder if any other forumites have heard of the association of the key of B minor with Palm Sunday - and where the association/tradition/custom comes from.
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As an aside, B minor is an interesting key. Not that many standard repertoire works have been written in that key. Apart from the obvious Bach/Shostakovitch/Chopin Preludes (and Fugues!) I wonder how many works forumites can name in B minor. I'll start off with:
Dvorak - 'cello Concerto
Elgar - Violin Concerto
Borodin - Symphony 2 (a most tedious work in my opinion!!)
Schubert - Unfinished
Fingals Cave
Blair/Noble Canticles in B minor
I could go on - but I'll give others a chance first!!!
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Thank you for that!
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Thank you Choir Man for posting that.
As those who know me will testify, I have a certain affection for the Chapel at King's College Cambridge. Except for when I was away, or stuck in a practice room, I attended Evensong and Mass there, almost daily, for, I suspect, nearly five years. In my day Ian Hare followed by James Lancelot were Organ Scholars.
I thoroughly enjoyed the film - but I think there must be more to come? And, if there is, does anyone know where it is to be found?
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23 hours ago, Martin Cooke said:
Hi Damian - a couple of things I've read recently suggest that Dame Ethel probably intended an 8ft reed in the pedal. See here, for example. And I agree re those stretches!!
Martin. Thanks for the link to the Doctorate thesis. I read it, entirely, this morning. I thought it a bit 'lightweight' to be honest but it was a jolly good read!
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Some fascinating videos which I found most interesting on a number of levels! Thank you Rwolff
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2 hours ago, Dafydd y Garreg Wen said:
This is the sort of folk mass I prefer ....
Beautiful - and it brings back memories!!! Thank you!
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11 hours ago, Vox Humana said:
A terraced property? I wonder what the neighbours think! The house is advertised for £500k, but the blurb doesn't say what condition the organ is in.
I'm reminded of one of my American jaunts. The chap I was lodging with was an amateur organ enthusiast. In the main reception room of his house was a 56-stop/29-rank three manual organ that he had cobbled up from second-hand pipework obtained from the Organ Clearing House, a sort of Exchange and Mart for pipe organs. He was also a dab hand with electronics, so his console boasted such delicacies as a Gt to Sw 2 2/3 and a Gt to Sw 1 3/5 (intended for use with single stops). The spec included a Ludwigtone 8'. It's the only one I have ever encountered and, TBH, I can quite see why this stop never really caught on. Taming a schizophrenic krait might be easier. Still, the instrument was nothing if not versatile and could cope with any repertoire and surely gave its owner hours of pleasure.I love the Ludwigtone at 8' but the description is even better 'taming a schizophrenic krait' - wonderful - it doesn't bare thinking about!!!
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March 8th - Monday - is International Women's Day
LOL - my initial reaction was 'shame on you Martin' having to avoid the Alto Clef - then I looked at the score of the Ethel Smyth O schones Weltgebaude - and I would have too - but, if you look on IMSLP you will see it transcribed for you! (As an aside, my friend, Harold Truscott introduced me to Ethel Smyth's 'cello Sonata which I gave a number of performances of!)
There is some thought that Maria von Paradis was, indeed, a man although most sources name her as the daughter of Joseph von Paradis, the Court Counsellor to Maria Theresa after whom she was named!
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A Response to a number of posts. I'm sorry if I have caused too much controversy or any offence - it wasn't intentional!
Contraviolone: I did, indeed mean 'transfer', 'come across' or whatever (susseeded?). I most certainly did not mean 'succeed' as in 'success'. I'm sorry if my spelling let me down, and, and I apologise if I am wrong, but I did smell a little sectarianism in your post!!!
Damian: I'm afraid I know dozens of 'Guitar Swinging Nuns' and, as I said, often they had the very best of intentions. They did irreparable harm in parishes, schools and colleges up and down this country and the Catholic church in England is, in some places, still reeling from them! If you didn't experience this then you are indeed fortunate. I did!
John: I know a number of organists who play Sunday by Sunday who are not in the least religious! And, of course there are hundreds of others with a deep faith!!
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7 hours ago, Dafydd y Garreg Wen said:
It’s amazing/amusing how often one is told that something (like the almost total disuse of Latin or chant) is “because of Vatican II” when it’s not in the decrees, and quite often directly contrary to them. (Of course, “because of Vatican II” isn’t quite the same as “in accordance with the decrees of Vatican II”, but that’s generally the implication.)
Not that this is a peculiarly Roman Catholic thing. How many Anglicans know that the canon law of the Church of England expects them to go to church every Sunday?
But I digress ....
I wasn't a Roman Catholic at the time of Vatican II but, from what I learnt from my late wife, who was, there was a lot of misunderstanding especially concerning music!
'Guitar swinging Nuns', a technical musical term, were often to blame - but often with the best intentions though! I also remember conducting in St. Peter's in Rome and a past organist of Lichfield Cathedral writing the most amusing letter of warning. He warned me of a Nun, complete with guitar, who was liable to interrupt the proceedings! (that wasn't, I don't think, with the best of intentions!!)
I think there still is a lot of misunderstanding - and it will take years to undo the damage that has been done - if ever!!!
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In the 1980's I conducted a lot in the Metropolitan Cathedral in Liverpool. Friends who knew the building warned me about the acoustic and how difficult it was. I didn't find it so but, my background, as a 'cellist, playing concerti in concert halls all over Europe helped me considerably!
I remember Terence Duffy ringing me up and asking if, by chance, the Sunday after I would take a group up there to sing the morning High Mass as the Cathedral choir was making a recording that afternoon. Ten of us, eight singers, an organist and myself, went up and did the Monterverdi 1640 Mass. The organist had fun playing extravagant French music, I think he played the Langlais Te Deum and we sang some Plainsong and some other Italian Polyphony. It was a remarkably easy place to sing in for such a small group. With a big choir it was easy for the organ to drown out the singers - the sound went over the top of them into the great space! I seem to remember Philip Duffy telling my organist that hymns should be accompanied on 'no more than Great 4 coupled to Swell 4' (or something like that!).
I'm pleased that the organ is getting a 'service and MOT' I always found it a fine instrument for the building, ideal for the liturgy and architecturally fitting for the building. I think Gibberd drew the façade in his original plans - but I stand to be corrected on this.
(As an aside I remember being told that, in the music library, there were upwards of 1 million copies of music! - certainly, in the Duffy's day, the music was imaginative - the very best from an ancient tradition through to that which Vatican II promulgated)
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1 hour ago, Dafydd y Garreg Wen said:
On the other hand, Vatican II also decreed e.g. that Latin should remain the norm for worship (with the vernacular only being allowed as an exception where local conditions made it desirable) and that chant should be the musical norm.
I’m not sure quite how well these mandates are working out in practice ....
They're not!!! A few places have gone back to the 1962 Missal, some occasionally sing the Common of the Mass in Latin but, generally, it is, musically, a fairly dismal affair - and in France it is even worse!!!
10 hours ago, John Robinson said:That's the first time I have heard of that. Bearing in mind how many CofE churches are now going all 'happy clappy', I may decide to become a Roman Catholic!
I'm sure you are being funny John but, if you're not - I wouldn't bother - because you will be desperately disappointed - musically anyway! And I speak as one who did leave the Church of England and succeeded to Rome! It was a long time ago and, before anyone makes assumptions, it, most certainly, wasn't over the Ordination of women!!!!
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Update on the new Ruffatti organ at Pershore. It seems it is going in at the end of this year - 2021
Pershore Abbey- Pipe Dreams :: Pershore Times Online Today (pershoreonline.co.uk)
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4 hours ago, innate said:
I remember a recital in Westminster Cathedral c. 1975. I’m ashamed to say I can’t remember who the recitalist was—someone famous. The first two pieces were by Byrd; played on loud chorus reeds.
My late wife would talk of a recital in York Minster given by an eminent organist, still alive today, who made liberal use of the big Tuba which, and I may be wrong about this, she reckoned was sited at the front of the case. She was sitting on the front row and went home with ringing in her ears!!!
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Musing Muso was last here on February 23rd 2020!
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I went to the opening recital in Leeds Town Hall after the c 1970's rebuild. (17th of May 1972)
It was given by Flor Peeters. I'm sorry, and forumites might find this an heretical thing to say, but my only recollection about the recital was being bored to death!!
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I suppose it depends on what you have available to you.
Thinking of the old organ of St. Chad's Cathedral in Birmingham with its deafening en chamade (now in Monmouth Parish church - I'd be interested to know what it sounds like in there!) and John Pryer, the present Organiste Honoraire I can imagine a splendid improvisation.
But, I suppose that also depends on your improvisation skills - and you've got almost five weeks to think about it!!!
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The forum isn't dead at all.
But, like all fora is goes through quiet times!
Stick with it - there are some interesting people on here with a huge wealth of knowledge of their subject.
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There is quite an extensive wikipedia article about him. Richard Shephard - Wikipedia
He was quite prolific. I seem to remember that some of his music was published by RSCM. I remember a number of 'Services' - Addington, Wiltshire and Gloucester stand out and several 'Mag & Nunc' settings as well as a number of anthems.
What I didn't know was that there are Operas, Musicals and some orchestral and chamber music.
Requiem Aeternam
French Alternatim Organ Music
in Organ Music
Posted
Interesting reading.
There was much discussion on here of this in 2015 with reference to Couperin Masses. Both Vox and I made a quite substantial contribution to that discussion - in my case, probably muddying the waters!! As I said at the time, it's not my area of expertise!
Couperin Organ Masses - The Organ - Mander Organ Builders Forum (invisionzone.com)