heva

Hmm, Gaston Litaize in Haarlem: showing the other jurymembers how one improvises on the organ, John Scott with Messiaen's Nativité in St.Paul's (2004&2005): unforgettable. Arie Keijzer in Dordrecht Grote Kerk many times.

Thank the English - they built it. And sold it

Got one in my own church now for two years: it was build for here, then moved here and now it's here. Superb musical and technical quality (sample). As far as I'm (biased) concerned the finest choirorgan in the land (and nice acoustics we have too) ...

Seifert build one recently in Essen-Holsterhausen.

Mostly organrecordings for tv are crap, so why should this differ? and it proves the point that this instrument is in bad shape. But we've seen worse in Holland. BTW, the french are used to organs out of tune (remember Messiaen's own 1950 recordings?).

You might try this one (Demessieux), or this one (Robillard).

Look here.

I've always wondered what the Buxtehude organ works would sound like on a vast instrument like he had in St.Marien. Most recordings nowadays are on (much) smaller instruments in even (much) smaller churches. Maybe Stralsund comes somewhat close?

After having analyzed the composition and writing the fingering and hand layout in the score, I tend to work from end to begin in the piece (and difficult things first), studying hands and feet separately and very fast (say about 150% to 200% of needed speed). Slowing down is much easier to me than speeding up - always hitting a brick wall in the latter case. If things go well separate, only then I'll join hands/feet, on a somewhat slower speed (somehow it seems not possible to play a fragment with hands together on the same speed as you can hands separate). I study fragments in (circular) repeatable frases, in order to have continuous motion, constantly switching between left to right hand (avoid stress in the hands). After many many repeats, I work out the fragment extremely slow ('cool down' on the muscles). When the piece is good playable, I keep studying it very very slow; taking the shortest notevalue as the pace. This helps me concentrate and almost locks out fingermemory.

Howard Goodall? RC. Cardinal Mgr. A. Simonis (dutch archcardinal)?

Any idea how long altar boys can wait at H.comm. while I'm playing the choirorgan? They just don't go away ...

Another pretty one, and how about this beauty?

Hmmm, a bit early for Transport de Joie, n'est-ce pas?

Got a score of these two ?? wonder if my bishop likes 'm

Here is a sample of a 1905 Hill Oboe 8, which has left England for some years ...

On a German forum a question was raised on the death of Jehan Alain. Besides the known version of dying while in combat, there should exist a different version, stating that JA was suffering a mental breakdown and while shooting around wildly was shot by his fellow soldiers. Alain family has fought against such stories in court (succesfull), but it's bewildering me (not interested in gossip, but I consider the breakdown part not an impossibility for such a delicate personality). Anybody here to tell something about this?

Yep, superb playing (sound is not so good though) - anybody else thinks he can improvise a sortie?

Hmm, difficult ... - Pierre Cochereau L'Organiste de NotreDame anyway (though disc3 fwith PC going through the roof in the final on Haec Dies would suffice alone) - Andre Isoir's playing of Grigny/Marchand in St.Maximin - Louis Thiry playing Messiaen (definitely Banquette Celeste) But there will be more music than just organmusic in my suitecase ..

Maybe this all explains the webservers downtime for today?

What's a D.O.A.? In my dayjob it means "dead on arrival" .....

Great, We're back! Any news on Worcester?

FRCO as in "Fellow of the Royal Cats of Organists"?

Funny: the french travel to Holland, the dutch travel to England and the english travel to France. What is it, with the grass on the other side of the fence ??

About the coupling: St.Sulpice is 'different' with regard to manual layout: V=solo IV= recit III=positif II=grandorgue I=grandchoeur (mutations for grandorgue) So, playing a tutti GPR as written by Vierne cs. means coupling IV-I playing on I (rythmic accompaniment by DJ Barker). Note: Notre-Dame had a similar layout, changed by Louis Vierne. I gues the 'ventil controls' you mention are the levers above the pedals - these are for adding/removing mutations+reeds to the manuals/pedals and to work the couplers. Also: did you notice the swell pedal?

Any progress there then?