sbarber49

I also play quite a lot of Bédard - the Toccata from the Suite is exciting. A lot of his music is, to my mind, fairly harmless. I have twice done the "Duet Suite" for piano and organ which is very well written, works very well for the instruments and is enjoyed by an audience. No great depth to any of it, admittedly. Stephen Barber

I'm gobsmacked! I would love to hear the Reubke on it - Great: three 8s and two 4s; Swell four 8s and a 4! Has anyone got a copy of this? Stephen Barber

We must be talking about a different Croyland Abbey (although I'm not aware of another one) - or else your friend is having a laugh. Croyland Abbey, near me in Crowland, is a 12-stop Binns and only has 8s and 4s (it now has a 2-rank mixture as well). I would love to hear the Reubke on it! The acoustic in Croyland Abbey in Lincolnshire is nothing to write home about. Stephen Barber

It could hardly be spectacular if you mean Croyland Abbey in Crowland, Lincs. http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=N14443 Stephen Barber

Dover published an 18th Century edition of Overtures by Handel arranged for keyboard which I've used from time to time. I think it's virtually impossible to destroy Bach's music if you play the notes he wrote, whatever instrument you play it on, but Handel, for me, doesn't work if it's played too slowly and heavily. It took me a long time to appreciate Messiah - in my youth the performances I heard were usually slow and turgid. So, not too many transcriptions for me, please, although Fireworks and Water Music work well. Stephen Barber

Thanks for the information. The 32' gets an outing at the end of the St Anne Fugue. The Dorian Fugue took a long time to grow on me too - I wonder if it's because Schneider didn't play it (just the Toccata) on his LP. It is certainly a wonderful fugue, though. [speaking of Bach Fugues: can anyone tell me how to play bar 59 of the "Wedge"? (The bar with the first semiquavers in it.) My fingers get in a tangle. unless I play the LH semiquavers on another manual.] Stephen Barber

Sei Gegrusset is on the Amphion Centenary Tribute CD (taken from Festival Hall and Oratory recordings). I wish they'd put the Toccata in F on as well. Of course, I'd probably be very disappointed if I heard it again. Stephen Barber

Gosh - what memories have come flooding back! Bach (and Widor Toccata!) played by Ralph Downes at the Festival Hall (Pye Golden Guinea) - I remember listening to the Toccata in F for the first time and being completely overwhelmed. And playing it again and again. Bach played by Michael Schneider in Schleswig Cathedral on the Marble Arch label. (In fact I've just brought it down from the loft and am listening to it again - wonderful (to my ears) gimmick-free playing, without mannered rubati. Does anyone know anything about the organ? I wish this was on CD - my LP (well used) sounds dreadful on my cheap turntable! The James Dalton recording from Queen's College, as already mentioned. Arthur Wills playing Vierne 3 in Ely Cathedral on Saga. "French Organ Music of the Late Romantic Period" played by Saorgin, Raynaud and Darasse at St Sernin (on the Turnabout label). My first experience of the French organ sound. Hymns and Organ voluntaries from the Temple Church - absolutely wonderful hymn accompanying by Thalben-Ball plus some of the hymn variations (published as, I think, 113 Hymn Variations). I love the Temple Church hymns - no-one now phrases hymns so musically. Stephen Barber

Yes they have a website. It's an odd URL: http://66.70.247.75/index.shtml I'm certainly tempted by the Homage a Franck piece, but I'm not sure I have the stamina for the "Dupré". Did he write any other organ music worth playing - that is not too difficult (ie. somewhere between Kevin Mayhew and Hakim.) Come to that is there anything else worth trying in the World-wide Catalog(ue)? Stephen Barber

Dear Paul, Thank you so much - I look forward to playing the pieces, which I am currently printing. I fear I have no music that you could possibly be interested in but if inspiration comes to me I will send you something. I'll have a look for Franck's Chorale No 4 in F sharp minor. Sorry to use the public board but I get logged out whenever I try to send a PM. Stephen Barber

Thanks for those who told me how to send a message, but it isn't working. I just get "logged out" and told that I don't have permission to send messages. Any advice. Stephen Barber

Dear Paul, I would be very grateful if you could send me the Mulet scores. I have tried to use the PM system, but have totally failed. I'm just told I don't have permission. So sorry that my request is a bit late and also for using the message board. I can't resist the thought of a piece which is as heart-rending as a Franck Chorale! My email address is: sbarber49@ntlworld.com Thank you, Stephen Barber How do you send a PM?

Yes, I've listened on different hi-fi systems and also on the computer and on headphones. I have another microphone that I used to use with my old minidisc (Sony ECM-MS907) but I haven't compared the sound yet. I would guess that it would not be so good, and would be bass-light rather than bass-heavy. Any suggestions for reasonably-priced stereo microphones to use with the Edirol R09? They have to be connected via a mini-jack plug. It's probably not worth it?? (I think the Zoom H4 is better for use with external mics.). I have a graphic Equalizer on my Total Recorder programme but I haven't yet played with it enough to achieve as good a result as just turning the bass down on my hi-fi. Thanks for your response, Stephen Barber

I made this point, but I was referring to the Edirol (it was quite a few posts back!). And I was talking about recordings burnt to CD and played back. It makes for a very impressive organ sound, but any particular notes which boom sound extremely "boomy". I use a computer programme to tame it (Total Recorder) with some success. Is there a free or cheap PC Graphic Equalizer out there somewhere that I could try? Stephen Barber

It's certainly a nice idea, but I don't think we need more organ recordings just for the sake of it. There are plenty out there! What I think might be interesting would be to build up a bank of recordings on interesting, or even ordinary instruments which have never been recorded. Perhaps a website with downloadable tracks, perhaps linked to NPOR? I play a wonderful 3-manual Harrison from 1917 which is nearing the end of its life - goodness only knows if we will be able to keep it going - which has never been recorded. (http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N03444). I also play another organ in Peterborough whichit would be good to have a record of: (http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N00845) Stephen Barber

If anyone is thinking of bying an Edirol R0-9, note that there is a new version coming out - worth waiting for: http://www.inquitaudio.co.uk/html/news.html Stephen Barber

I have one and it's very good except that I find that organ recordings are often very "bass-heavy", with particular low pedal notes sticking out. Has anyone else found that or am I doing something wrong? Has anyone used one with external microphones? Of course experimenting with microphone placement helps, but I bought it to make quick recordings with no fuss. Stephen Barber

Bach or Franck (but I decline to say why!). On St Bavo, Haarlem (Bach) or Amiens Cathedral (Franck) as it's the only biggish French organ I've played - I don't get out much. Stephen Barber

I reckon that No 3 is pretty good throughout. Stephen Barber

Yes, it's an effective piece. It's too much like improvising for me. Well I should have thought, any mature Bach fugue (purely as counterpoint - I'm not discussing the relative merits of the pieces as successful music). That's the Liszt who said that Franck's 6 pieces were worthy to stand beside the masterpieces of Bach? (Not the masterpieces of Bach and Reubke.) I asked about NON-ORGANISTS! Of course organists play and appreciate Reger. Pachelbel a "great" composer? A good one, of course, with some beautiful music (the F minor Ciacona is hard to beat). Brahms is certainly, in my view, a very great composer but his organ music is not among his geatest music, though I'd hate to be without the chorale preludes. I still say that Franck's music far surpasses the rest. His Piano Quintet, Violin Sonata & Symphony are in the mainstream classical repertoire and his best organ music is al least on the same level. What lifts it above Reger for me is that it has such satisfying structures - although he was famed as an improviser his music never sounds like improvising. In my view, too much organ music meanders and no amount of complex textures and huge numbers of notes makes up for that. Stephen Barber

By “great” I mean organ music which reaches the level of the best works of those regarded as “Great composers”, not just music which is great in terms of organ music. I wouldn’t, myself, put the Mozart clock pieces on a par with his best music (much as I love K608) and I wonder how highly non-organists rate Reger. Personally I’d trade all the organ music of Reger, Reubke and Liszt for the B minor and A minor Chorales of Franck. I’ve never heard of Slavicky, I must admit. Stephen Barber

There is an arrangement of the Vierne for one organ, though I've only ever used the 2 organ score and. The Widor is pretty straightforward to do on one organ. Stephen Barber

Yes, I was just being annoyingly provocative - "great" doesn't mean anything. However as far as I am concerned: Mozart - not organ music Brahms - have never played it. I'll have to, now. Mendelssohn: Much as I love the sonatas, not "great" music Not Rheinberger or even Reger, nor Karg-Elert (don't know the Sonatina, though) Not Hindemith (personally I don't think Hindemith's music has worn very well), definitely not Leighton, not Howells (although I think some of the choral music is very close - St Paul's Service, Coll Reg morning and evening, Requiem etc.). I did consider Buxtehude, and I'm surprised you rate Vierne less highly than Rheinberger. Stephen Barber

Yes, wonderful playing - what a bargain! I much enjoyed the improvisation, but I wonder what you mean by "Compositionally, it is a match for any of the movements in either of the symphonies!" Did you get a bit carried away in your enthusiasm or did you really mean that? Stephen Barber

He still managed to write the only truly "great" organ music other than Bach's. (I know no-one will disagree!) Stephen Barber