heva
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Posts posted by heva
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Not quite 'news', but for being complete: St. Pauls
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Why have instrument makers started to make viols and harsichords again? Surely the modern violin in infinitely superior to the viol and the pianoforte to the harpsichord? Shouldn't they simply be concentrating on making ever better violins and pianos?
And if a church like the Grote Kerk, Dordrecht, wants to have a "Bach" organ in the north aisle in addition to the romantic slush bucket at the west end, why shouldn't they?
For the record - it's not so much the 'church' wanting this 2nd organ, it were more or less 'outsiders' who eventually found the new (current) organist at there side.
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Well, on a linux (Ubuntu?) PC you might try wavbreaker.
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The nature of 20th century organ building is completely different to pre-20th century organ building precisely because industrialisation and modernisation meant that many skills were lost, as was the concept of the apprentice, as Schnitger's apprentices would have understood the idea.
Greetings
Bazuin
The whole world has changed more in the 20th century than in a couple of pre-dating ones, organbuilding somewhat followed. I don't see how this evolution will be changed, doing what already has been done, for me, simply won't do. Even if we can imitate a style exactly, what have we learned from it? I don't believe we can think like Schnitger, Silbermann (Treutmann, Wagner, Trost, Wender et.al), or Cavaille-Coll (Mutin, Puget, et.al) because, as you say, our 'world' is different, and for me, our perception and anticipation is/will be different.
Do you really believe named firm would build the same organ as ACC did in St.Ouen-Rouen, should they get the job today?
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To clarify, do you mean by they the style copies rather than those designed and constructed de novo in a builder's own style? If so, I am inclined to agree with you. IMHO A 'work of art' is that much more true when it is not simply a copy of something else.
I meant the organbuilders hailed for copying instruments and/or presenting variations on historical entities as 'their own', while not really defining their own style.
Lookup the organ in the Catharinakerk in Eindhoven, that's an organ by named builder in a style recognised as of this builders firm, even though it dates from around 1930/50. And yes, I know time has passed on, the firm may have progressed, and have new/younger leadership .....
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Hello everyone
I haven't yet been to play the new Dordrecht organ, although I have played the big Kam organ on the west wall. The restoration of the Kam organ (Reil) and the new organ (Verschueren) are/were paid for by completely different foundations incidentally. The tag of 'Bach organ' was simply a useful tool in sourcing funding I think. Still, it is the only organ of its kind in The Netherlands, even if the 'Mariakoor' in the Grote Kerk in Dordrecht is a far-from-typical acoustical situation for a Thuringian style organ....
"has anybody counted the number of 'Bach-organs' built over the last 50 years?"
Another new member of the Bach organ family (!) is the Reil reconstruction of the 1739 Wiegleb organ in Ansbach. If I remember correctly all bar around 400 pipes are new. The organ is large, more than 40 stops. According to sources who have been and played it, Reil have succeeded spectacularly in what was clearly a challenging assignment. There is no surviving Wiegleb of any size, and the style is very specific, many string stops for instance, (even a 2' 'Sallicinettgen!) and a very primitive swell box housing a stop entitled 'Echo' which is in fact a 5 rank cornet. This organ has received no coverage whatever in the English language organ press I'm aware of, perhaps interesting therefore to look once at the website of Reil:
http://www.reil.nl/doc/orgeloverzicht/2007-ansbach.html
On disc it sounds wonderful.....
This seems also a good moment to point out the extraordinary flexibility of Verschueren. Their next big organ will be the 3 manual Cavaillé-Coll copy for the Orgelpark in Amsterdam. This is already their second big essay in this style, following the 3/40 Cavaillé-Coll for Gothenburg University, which I have played. It is very fine, one of the first results of the (necessarily expensive) multi-disciplinary approach to research-based organ building in Gothenburg. At the same time a large new organ in their developing 'house style' (which borrows heavily from König) is being built for the Abbey of Wilten (Austria). There are VERY few organ builders in the world who can so impressively produce such widely differing style copies and develop a house style with its roots in yet another sound world....
A brief comment about the clavichord. I was fortunate to study the clavichord as a 'bijvak' (secondary subject) in Amsterdam. The greatest benefit to the modern organist from the pedal clavichord seems to me to be the 'window' it affords you to your own technique. This is especially beneficial for learning to play on historic organs where the relationship between posture and sound production is so important. The (pedal) clavichord is merciless in showing up your shortcomings!
"less surprising for the "neobarrokies"(1).
(1) Zegt men dat in beschaafd nederlands?"
ben ik nog nooit tegen gekomen, maar mijn Nederlands is niet zo beschaafd......
Greetings
Bazuin
With all respect for named organbuilder, I can't really sympathize with there work: copying a certain style may seem interesting, but realize that there are just as much persons who denounce the success of the copies as those who hail them (why build a Bach organ with a pedal to d' - to name a vast point of criticism).
For me, their copying is not so interesting: we have REAL Silbermanns (and Thuringian 'Bach'-organs) and Cavaille-Colls readily available and they might be considered 'better' anyday, no matter the workmanship of the copy. If we then look at an instrument that (only) present the firms 'style' (like we know an 'Aubertin-organ', or our hosts organ in NewYork ie.), to me they fall short, as many Dutch organ builders.
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Ah, the Dordrecht Bach organ. Based on principles by Silbermann, but not a straight copy/reconstruction, and what do we know about Bach and Silbermann? And what do we know about Thuringian/Saxonian organ building since the IronCurtain went down?
Haven't heard it yet, no doubt it will be a good instrument by Verschueren, but if it's really THE organ for Bach?
BTW. has anybody counted the number of 'Bach-organs' built over the last 50 years?
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For near completeness, some more portables
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"OK, but what about the old 'Hill' organ?"
(Quote)
Ask Robert: wherever he may be, he should have the telephone.
Pierre
His number is 0800 1859 1914
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For me most important when listening to music, is wether the performer is convinced of the work of art and expresses/communicates this to me/any.listener.
If he/she uses more/less rubato or anything is than secondary and possibly academic (using 'newer' techniques not know at the time of the composition etc.)
PS. I played Vierne Final from symf.I after (saturday) Midnight Mass last Easter. As 'we' reached the re-entrance of the main theme in the pedals (the last part) the fire-alarm went off with a 'slow-whoop' as it is called, slightly below D-major.
Beats any chamade
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Do we know if there are any photographs of the Willis console in its original position?
There's one here.
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I've visited a recital by Colin Walsh in "Koelner Dom" last summer, and after shopping and dinner we arrived about half an hour before the concert would start. To find the cathedral almost filled up to the last seat. Fortunately we found seats at the choirstage at the side (Domplatz side). A friendly woman who was already there greeted us (as she heard we came from Holland) and we asked here if it happened more often having such a crowd. She told us that it was quite 'normal' for the cathedral to be filled up on an organ recital, also, many under-50-aged were there. And indeed people brought there own folding chairs.
There was an easy-going introduction, the spokesman highlighted the fact of an English organist playing French music in a German Cathedral - which was interesting indeed. General atmosphere was friendly and quite relaxed, as if people came to have an evening out enjoying music.
The Klais organs are superb - prepare for something very big an very (bottom) heavy (64'), though never painfull to the ears.
AFAIK the programmes are listed on the website beforehand, so check again later.
Also, you might try visit the CD store at Saturn Hansaring - there you can get bankrupt easily ....
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So: I ordered this on Wednesday at midday, and the postman brought it 24 hours later, so it's 10 out of 10 for service to Carus, at least.
Obviously, I haven't really had the opportunity to go through it all carefully. First impressions: the print is large and clear, the volumes are bound not stapled; the critical commentary is detailed and seems excellent.
What does this mean? It means: that the volumes don't stay open very well, until you break the bindings; and that there are many more page turns (for example, the third symphony now has 45 pages of musical text as opposed to 35 in the Durand edition.
Somehow the print looks a little clinical, one has got so used to the look of French organ music!
It seems to me that this is a very valuable edition - but I don't know whether I might not end up correcting my old copies from it, rather than transferring my fingerings to the new ones!
Cheers
Barry
So much for the much-needed "Neueinstudierung"!::::::::::, nah?
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I once heard it on a 1950s Marcussen in Denmark played flat out full flue plenum and Pedal reeds from start to finish - the player was convinced that this was the way to do it. Many of the audience (including myself) were not so sure - does anyone still do this?
AJJ
Many in the 1950s knew exactly what 'the way to do it' was; some in our time still do, unfortunately.
Anyway, Ton Koopman also used to play the Passacaglia&Fuge flat out, I think there's a recording of it in Maassluis.
Just wondering, what could one do with this piece on a large organ like Waltershausen or Grauhof?
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Have had flyer on this edition. What's the use? Vierne's work are (or at least have been) on the internet, publish a book with corrections and we're done..
No need to get used to a new layout or changing/copying all fingermarks etc.. to the new scores or working with stubborn paper etc..
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I have just listened to the first and fourth movements again. I note that the toccata ends with the inevitable French march....
Now compare this to just one example of a similar type by Cochereau. For example, the Sortie (Messe de 11h30) 1er décembre 1968. Taken from the second disc of the three-disc set Pierre Cochereau l'organiste de Notre-Dame. FY Solstice: SOCD94-96.
The harmonic language is considerably richer, there is more excitement - with a well graded climax - and another march.... It is also somewhat more technically complex.
Oh yes - quite an expensive piece too when driving on the motorway (flashed again ...)
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I too put Cochereau above Dupre.
Tournemire too.
My favourite Dupre improv is the Symphonie in D-minor from Cologne Cathedral (1957).
The fantastic fourth movement toccata has the closest I've heard of Dupre displaying 'reckless abandon' thanks in part to the splendidly simple theme.
Incidentally, does anyone know the publisher of 'Zephyrs' a Dupre improv reconstructed by Rollin Smith from an organ-roll?
H.W. Gray Publications
A division of Belwin-Mills Publishing Corp.
Melville, NY. 11746
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I remember when I went to Cologne after the nave organ has been completed and opened. I was walking around the cathedral and, for a few seconds, stood right under that nave organ. Whilst I was standing there, someone started playing it. I don't know who the organist at the console was, but the sound was so loud I jumped! I am looking forward to going back to Cologne later in the year and hearing the organs in the cathedral is high on my priority list: I haven't been to Cologne in nearly 10 years.
Don't miss the (acoustic) 64' then ...
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In our galleryorgan by Maarschalkerweerd there is ao. cardboard trunking to the front pipes. These are over 100 years old now, so given the way things work here, they're historic, they're 'artisan', they should be kept/restored/copied, and above all should be admired to as better then anything 'modern'.
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Agreed on the Hill consoles, even the small one 'chez nous' is wonderful - everything is there were you need it
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If this were true, I should be very surprised. Daniel Roth has always maintained in public the need to preserve the instrument without making any alterations.
What is supposed to have happened to it?
Read here (at about 1/3 of the page)
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Come and play some old organs in Holland; then 'judge' again.
Try ie. playing a organ by Smits, where you can't move the bench backwards (because of the fake rugwerk) at my 1.92m length ...
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Likewise in the case of the organ of S. Sulpice - which has been jealously guarded by at least the last four titulaires. In its present state, it certainly gives a clear guide to the types of combinations and sonority which Widor would have desired.
According to Olivier Glandaz (who serviced the organ for years) this should no longer be true since the recent restoration.
Feike Asma As A Composer
in General discussion
Posted
Asma a composer? he for one didn't think so, and right he was.
Interested in a living Dutch composer who writes substantial works for organ (among many other instruments/settings)?
Try my former teacher Arie J. Keijzer, 1964 winner of "Haarlem", pupil of Siegfried Reda (amongst others).
More info by PM.