Jump to content
Mander Organ Builders Forum

Youtube


Justadad

Recommended Posts

I read somewhere about how any rank could be reassigned anywhere and at any pitch via the hardware installed at the last work - does anyone know the point of this - repertoire or improvisation related?

 

A

 

As far as I know this is correct. I am not sure of the point of it either - the instrument is already versatile - although initially the ideas were somewhat in advance of the technology. Now that the main computers have been replaced and upgraded it is fairly reliable, but personally, I should prefer to have a more 'standard' connection between keys and pipes - as opposed to something which has a history of freezing up at high profile moments.

 

As I wrote, it is more reliable now, but if it has happened before (on more than one occasion), it can presumably happen again.

 

At the last rebuild (1990-92), the Chamades added by Boisseau were re-distributed and I have a vague recollection that these stops, whilst playable from the Récit, cannot be coupled to any other clavier. I hope that I am incorrect in this - if anyone can confirm or deny this, I would be grateful.

 

There is, interestingly, a Pédale au G.O. (8p) coupler, too....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 1.7k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

In particular, I can see no point in removing both chorus mixtures on the Récit - particularly in view of the fact that Vierne asked for them to be added during his long tenure and Cochereau retained them during his also extended time as Titulaire. Now there are a couple of blamk drawstops on the Récit jamb (and presumably two empty slides). One could always have chosen not to draw the stops. Now there are no chorus mixtures on this department at all.

 

I would agree - I have just been reading the Rollin Smith book on Vierne (a rather nice Christmas present), and Vierne in his souvenirs refers a couple of times to the addition of, firstly the fourniture and then the cymbal. He clearly thought the Recit was deficient without them. I'm amazed that they have been removed.

JJK

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would agree - I have just been reading the Rollin Smith book on Vierne (a rather nice Christmas present), and Vierne in his souvenirs refers a couple of times to the addition of, firstly the fourniture and then the cymbal. He clearly thought the Recit was deficient without them. I'm amazed that they have been removed.

JJK

 

Indeed - and they are a clearly noticed omission from the present very reed-dominatied tutti.

 

Incidentally, the Rollin Smith book is excellent - I hope that you enjoy it. Take a look at plate 95 on p. 258. Personally, I think that this is one of the most frightening photographs which I have ever seen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Indeed - and they are a clearly noticed omission from the present very reed-dominatied tutti.

 

Take a look at plate 95 on p. 258. Personally, I think that this is one of the most frightening photographs which I have ever seen.

 

Hmmm - a blind man with a gun :blink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, but where? If he was in the middle of Paris I'd be worried, but there's nothing to suggest he's not in the middle of nowhere. The French, like many other Mediterranean nationalities are very relaxed about blasting anything that moves out of the skies. In any case, who is to say that this wasn't just a carefully arranged pose with the gun as a prop?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Indeed - and they are a clearly noticed omission from the present very reed-dominatied tutti.

 

Incidentally, the Rollin Smith book is excellent - I hope that you enjoy it. Take a look at plate 95 on p. 258. Personally, I think that this is one of the most frightening photographs which I have ever seen.

 

I heard some concertists or organists who use to play in Notre-Dame complaining about this omission at the Récit.

One should ask Philippe Lefebvre who was a member of the official Commission of the "orgues historiques" which gave its opinion about the restauration. :blink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I heard some concertists or organists who use to play in Notre-Dame complaining about this omission at the Récit.

One should ask Philippe Lefebvre who was a member of the official Commission of the "orgues historiques" which gave its opinion about the restauration. :blink:

 

I did ask him - a few years ago, and he simply replied "On an organ of this size, they were not really necessary."

 

Apparently.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, but where? If he was in the middle of Paris I'd be worried, but there's nothing to suggest he's not in the middle of nowhere. The French, like many other Mediterranean nationalities are very relaxed about blasting anything that moves out of the skies. In any case, who is to say that this wasn't just a carefully arranged pose with the gun as a prop?

 

Possibly - but do not forget the poor photographer.

 

I was once in the sitting room of a neighbour I barely knew, who decided to show me his handgun (shiny silver, very heavy and looked 'the business' - whatever that may mean). He then discharged the weapon in the room (somewhat fortuitously it was loaded with blank shells). Aside from the extremely loud noise, I must admit that this did make me feel ever so sightly uneasy. I decided that this was a suitable moment to leave - not least because this was not the first time I had been confronted with a loaded weapon.

 

Still, in the case of Vierne, I know of no recorded felonious incidednt involving him and a firearm - so it may, as you say, have been a carefully posed photograph.

 

Even so - was it not a little like asking Jack the Ripper to run an escort agency...?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

An other video showing Pierre Cochereau playing the 3rd mvt of Evocation of Dupré in NDP.

Sorry for the bad quality due to the old VHS tape.

 

Ah yes - is this the recording, the original soundtrack of which was re-used (and re-mastered?) to provide the fourth track of the first CD of the box set Pierre Cochereau: l'Organiste de Nôtre-Dame (SOCD 94/96) ?

 

I really like this performance, it is so full of energy and fire. The section with the chromatic thirds is played stunningly well - and very quickly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is a rarity:

 

recorded at S. Roch barely a year before his election as Titulaire at Nôtre-Dame, Paris.

 

And these:

 

. The first link leads on to the other movements.

 

Cochereau was friendly with Gerre Hancock (Organist at Saint Thomas' Church until his retirement, when he was succeeded by our own John Scott.) Hancock had the large 'Skinner' organ rebuilt so that, on paper, it possessed many similarities to Cochereau's own instrument at Nôtre-Dame.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Something off-the-wall:

 

 

Erland Hilden has been organist of Orgryte since the big meantone organ was built (completed 2000). Here he mixes Reich-like minimalism with symphonic rock (alla Idenstam) and 1/4 comma meantone. This and other pieces (including 'Dance of Joy' which my teacher in Holland used to play a lot) are on a new CD dedicated to his compositions and recorded on the Orgryte organs (the Schnitger-copy featured here and the ex-St Stephen's Hampstead 1880 Father Willis).

 

Bazuin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Something off-the-wall:

 

 

Erland Hilden has been organist of Orgryte since the big meantone organ was built (completed 2000). Here he mixes Reich-like minimalism with symphonic rock (alla Idenstam) and 1/4 comma meantone. This and other pieces (including 'Dance of Joy' which my teacher in Holland used to play a lot) are on a new CD dedicated to his compositions and recorded on the Orgryte organs (the Schnitger-copy featured here and the ex-St Stephen's Hampstead 1880 Father Willis).

 

Bazuin

 

 

I like the way a certain famous rock fragment crops up a considerable ammount in this.

 

A

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pierre Pincemaille improvises in concert (Saint Martin de Dudelange-Luxembourg, 78 stops neo-classic)

 

 

Theme and variations

 

Final variations

 

The rest on youtube: total of six uploaded videos of the same concert.

 

Not neo-classic, but Post-romantic Stahlhuth organ, restored by Jann. Heavy wind stops

included (several flue stops plus the Tuba).

 

Pierre

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is an interesting video featuring one of the few Von Beckerath

organs in France (Montélimar, Département of the Drôme):

 

 

This is a vision of Bach that is typical of the 20th century, not at all an historic one.

But this is without doubt an instrument that would deserve protection immediately

as an historic organ, and a proof there are excellent organs from that period.

 

Pierre

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is an interesting video featuring one of the few Von Beckerath

organs in France (Montélimar, Département of the Drôme):

 

 

This is a vision of Bach that is typical of the 20th century, not at all an historic one.

But this is without doubt an instrument that would deserve protection immediately

as an historic organ, and a proof there are excellent organs from that period.

 

Pierre

 

This was one reason why I transferred the Summer Organ Conservatoire to Saint-Antoine as we had use of this in Montèlimar for our Bach sessions with Ewald Kooiman. The church is not so over-large but has a glorious acoustic and an excellently balanced instrument - both architecturally and tonally. I am more than happy that you have winkled out this video. Such a happy work is this and deliciously shows the von Beckerath sheen.

Best wishes,

Nigel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...