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heva

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Posts posted by heva

  1. He certainly knew and played other instruments - notably that at the Trocadéro.

     

    However, there is evidence (sometimes from Franck's own statements) that there was a particular osmosis between himself and his instrument at Ste. Clothilde.

     

    I for one would like to be able to hear how his Récit actually sounded, particularly with regard to the reed stops.

     

    Me too, but we're different people in different times; our perception of that sound will not (and cannot) be Franck's (or as in Franck's era).

    The CC's in north Spain should come very close, like the one in St.Maria-del-Coro - San Sebastian (as recorded on Susan Landale's complete Franck)

  2. What a shame. If ever an organ should be restored as closely as possible to that state in which it was first constructed, it is that at Ste. Clothilde.

     

    Tournemire was greatly disappointed with certain aspects of the rebuild and enlargelment which he designed in the 1930s. I cannot imagine why anyone should wish to make this instrument even larger.

     

    I should have liked to have seen a true and faithful restoration of this instrument as near as possible to its conception - if only that we might have a better understanding of performance practice regarding the works of César Franck.

     

    I'm not convinced the Ste.Clotilde is the definitive source of inspiration for Franck's organworks; he certainly new other (larger) CC's and that may well have influenced his 'thinking'.

  3. ================================

    Many thanks for that post, which confirms what I had long suspected. At least I am not alone with the idea.

     

    The huge instrument at Breslau, in reduced form, became the basis for the organ which is now in the Cathedral of St.Jan, Wroclaw (Breslau). I haven't checked, but I seem to recall that it was put in there by Keminsky (sp?).

     

    It's a bit strange really, because the ground-breaking hall, with the huge concrete dome (then the largest such dome in the world) is still there according to a young Polish migrant who comes from there, so why they "stole" the organ, I do not know.

     

    I seem to recall that this was the first German organ with electric-action, and the Sauer was really the product of ex-Walcker men. (It had some very big tierce sounds in the mixtures as I recall, and I think Pierre once posted the link to a recording of it made when the organ was then new).

     

    Regarding Armley, I'm quite certain Friederich is correct, (and Pierre also), and it demonstrates what a remarkable transformation the German organ went through in a relatively short time. I don't suppose that is a lot different to what happened here in England, because the time-gap between Fr.Henry Willis/William Hill and even something as extreme as Hope-Jones, was only about 40 or 50 years.

     

    I was just mentally running through the Reubke as it might sound at Armley, and THAT sonata would work very well, I suspect; thus adding weight to Pierre's observation about the stylistic link between Schulze and the organs built by Reubke.

     

    The strange thing is, if I were to choose an ideal organ for Reger's music in England, it would have to be either the Forster & Andrews/Compton/Rishworth organ of Hull City Hall, or the Compton at St.Bride's (the latter on which I played the "H,G, zu L" once again). Both have a certain homogenous quality and an ability to get louder or softer virtually seamlessly, with a bit of care.

     

    MM

     

    The Hall still stands: here

  4. Thanks Pierre.

     

    A quote from it (about (leathered) diapasons): "The object of the leathered lip was, as Hope-Jones stated, to reintroduce the "full, rolling effect of the old diapason work of Father Smith and Renatus Harris." The "full, rolling effect" was reintroduced in conjunction with greatly increased power. That was the claim, and the claim was substantiated.

     

    Robert "the neo-baroque" Hope-Jones? :angry:

  5. You may smirk, Hennie - but I actually found the record last Saturday (the Mendelssohn, I mean) and I have already given it to my colleague to burn a copy onto a CD for you. Of course, if you are simply going to make snide remarks....

     

    :lol:

     

    (I know that you have waited patiently for several months - it is on the way.)

     

    :lol:

     

    Of course; just couldn't resist posting this (it's just one of those days ...)

  6. The Op 18/2 sonata & Op 8 Partitas are nice pieces - but they require 2 manuals. If you like his style there are others who wrote in similar vein such as Micheelsen (Holstein Orgelbuchlein), Drischner, Raasted and Reda. Copies of their stuff turn up regularly on Roger Molyneaux's s/h lists.

    Oh yes: Micheelsen's 2nd concerto 'Es sungen drei Engel' is great (and seldom heard).

  7. While trying to find new repertoire to play on the 1 man. and pedal that I regularly use I came acros the 30 Pieces for Small Organ by Distler along with his smaller scale hymn tune based pieces. They are quite attractive in a simple and quirky sort of way - dating from the 1930s and in a vaguely 'Hindemithian' style. Distler (1908 - 1942) was for a time organist at St. Jacobi in Lűbeck and also Professor of Music in Stuttgart. He committed suicide at the age of 34 after pressure of work, depression following the death of friends and the fear of conscription into the Nazi forces. Do any of you play any of his larger scale pieces? I've not heard anything by him played though an article in Organists' Review sometime ago did mention him in passing.

     

    AJJ

     

    Well yes, one of the most famous pieces (here in Holland) is the Nun komm der Heiden Heiland Fantasie.

    Recently Bas de Vroome released a disc combined with vocal works.

    Personally I like the vocal works, especially the "Totentanz" is interesting.

  8. As for the Sortie I imagine that it will be a piece that M Cocherau would have been proud off !!

     

    Hmmm, If you mean that it's a 'Cochereau style' thing, I doubt it, bearing in mind what PC said about his (PC's) improvisations...

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