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New Year's Resolutions


Contrabombarde

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One of mine is to take the time to learn more organ music now that I have finished building my home (four manual Hauptwerk) organ complete with a broad representation of organ genres from across the centuries.

 

What should be in my list of "must learn" pieces - especially things that would make good voluntaries or occasional recital works, and pitched at my level (somewhere around organ grade VIII, before anyone suggests tackling Ad nos or the 94th Psalm!). For starters, I'm a bit lacking in 20th century French repertoire (any votes for Dupre or Duruffle?) and German and British organ music of the late 19th or early 20th century.

 

What are other people's aspirations for learning new music this next year?

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I will try and play at least something from the Orgelbuchlein every day, get the Langlais Suite Medievale sorted and not buy any more organ music till I've learned more of what I already posess.

 

A

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My list of things to work on is

 

Messiaen - Apparition de l'Eglise Eternelle (will be interesting to see how that will go down on a Sunday morning!)

Vierne - Trois Improvisations

Perhaps one of these would fulfil your desire for something 20th Century French. I couldn't be exact on gradings, but other than the Durufle Soissons Fugue and Dupre's Choral Preludes I doubt there's much thats around Grade VIII level from either of them). Both of the above should be perfectly doable providing you have an organ with decent resources.

 

Others that I'm planning on looking at

Ernest MacMillan - Cortege Academique - see

- I heard this played at Southwell last term by Simon Hogan and rather liked it so have ordered the score - don't know exactly what it looks like yet - only £7 from Musicroom though

Mendelssohn 3 - just need to work through the middle bit of the first movement

Might have a look at Franck's 3rd Choral as well, just for a laugh (not the music, obviously!)

 

I'm also planning to purchase http://ukcatalogue.o...do#.UN81NHfDWSo when it is released in the New Year - I have Ceremonial Music and the Christmas Album both of which are very useful so I'm anticipating this should be as good...Christopher Tambling's 'Shine Jesus Shine' piece should be interesting!

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I made my New Year's resolution just before Christmas when I handed in my notice. No more church work for me, ever again, after the end of January. This might sound sour, but in fact I feel the opposite. It is as if an unbearable weight has been lifted from my shoulders. As things stand, I have absolutely no desire to attend another church service until they carry me to one in my coffin. I wonder whether I'll be able to stick to my resolve... Yes, no problem!

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One of mine is to take the time to learn more organ music now that I have finished building my home (four manual Hauptwerk) organ complete with a broad representation of organ genres from across the centuries.

 

What should be in my list of "must learn" pieces - especially things that would make good voluntaries or occasional recital works, and pitched at my level (somewhere around organ grade VIII, before anyone suggests tackling Ad nos or the 94th Psalm!). For starters, I'm a bit lacking in 20th century French repertoire (any votes for Dupre or Duruffle?) and German and British organ music of the late 19th or early 20th century. ...

 

How about the first movement (Allegro) from Vierne's Second Symphony? Or the second movement (Choral )? Both are superb pieces. Come to that, you could look at the other movements of the First Symphony - in addition to the really well-known Final, of course.

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I made my New Year's resolution just before Christmas when I handed in my notice. No more church work for me, ever again, after the end of January. This might sound sour, but in fact I feel the opposite. It is as if an unbearable weight has been lifted from my shoulders. As things stand, I have absolutely no desire to attend another church service until they carry me to one in my coffin. I wonder whether I'll be able to stick to my resolve... Yes, no problem!

 

That is certainly a big decision, Vox. I hope that you are happier without the stress of this - and that you enjoy playing your home organ. Best wishes for 2013.

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Come to that, you could look at the other movements of the First Symphony - in addition to the really well-known Final, of course.

 

Personally I wouldn't bother with the first Symphonie. The Final is wonderful, of course, but I've always felt that the other movements are no more than "worthy" - and that is a serious criticism, for I consider Vierne a true symphonist who, if he had not been so indelibly tied to the organ console, might have had far more impact on the history of French music than has been the case. In other words, I seriously think he might have been a mainstream composer: he was that good.

 

That is certainly a big decision, Vox. I hope that you are happier without the stress of this - and that you enjoy playing your home organ. Best wishes for 2013.

 

Thank you, monsieur. It's not really that big a decision, since I actually gave up the battle 30 years ago when my (then) church was made redundant and I and my eminently competent 30-strong choir were "dispossessed". Shortly afterwards I gave up playing the organ for 20 years and I shall probably give up playing it now (for the third time!) When all's said and done it's no loss to music - thought it always hurts a bit to realise that one can't play as well as when one was 18 years old!

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I made my New Year's resolution just before Christmas when I handed in my notice. No more church work for me, ever again, after the end of January. This might sound sour, but in fact I feel the opposite. It is as if an unbearable weight has been lifted from my shoulders. As things stand, I have absolutely no desire to attend another church service until they carry me to one in my coffin. I wonder whether I'll be able to stick to my resolve... Yes, no problem!

 

'Just trying to find the 'like' button....... before remembering that this is the wrong forum for that!

 

A

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My resolution is to pass the AB gr 8 satisfactorily, preferably in the first half of the year so I can get on with something else, some sort of diploma although there are several boards to choose from and it will be difficult to decide which one to go for. May need to join the RCO to gain access to the resources there.

 

Father Christmas brought me a Zoom H1 recorder and initial experiments with recording my organ playing suggests I have some work to do!

 

My other resolution is to locate my book of Italian organ music which has vanished from the the face of the earth, and was a particular favourite.

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My resolution is to pass the AB gr 8 satisfactorily, preferably in the first half of the year so I can get on with something else, some sort of diploma although there are several boards to choose from and it will be difficult to decide which one to go for. May need to join the RCO to gain access to the resources there. ...

 

Or you could look at the Trinity-Guildhall diplomas - or the ARCM, or something like that. Then there is the board's own LRSM - which I believe was intended to replace the LRAM.

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Or you could look at the Trinity-Guildhall diplomas - or the ARCM, or something like that. Then there is the board's own LRSM - which I believe was intended to replace the LRAM.

 

I think it will depend on the repertoire; the AB list has a few nice things but other boards' lists are a little more tempting. I'm trying to decide if I'm up to the written component of the Cert RCO or even the ARCO. :)

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........or the ARCM, or something like that. Then there is the board's own LRSM - which I believe was intended to replace the LRAM.

 

The LRAM is now only available to students at the Academy and the ARCM is no longer available - we are a dying breed!!!

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The LRAM is now only available to students at the Academy and the ARCM is no longer available - we are a dying breed!!!

 

 

=======================

 

 

I don't think Bach had letters behind his name....drawing a veil over B.A.C.H. of course.

 

Best,

 

MM

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I don't think Bach had letters behind his name....drawing a veil over B.A.C.H. of course.

 

[boxing gloves]

 

To be sure, but then, how good an organist was Bach really? It is pretty clear that many forum members - perhaps most - would have found his playing very boring indeed. No change of manuals in the fugues, for example.

 

No doubt I will now be inundated with a host of replies claiming that we don't know how Bach played. but the fact is that the available evidence does lead in particular directions, including the one I cited, and the onus on those who don't like it is to prove the contrary. Over to you! :)

 

[/boxing gloves]

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Thank you, monsieur. It's not really that big a decision, since I actually gave up the battle 30 years ago when my (then) church was made redundant and I and my eminently competent 30-strong choir were "dispossessed". Shortly afterwards I gave up playing the organ for 20 years and I shall probably give up playing it now (for the third time!) When all's said and done it's no loss to music - thought it always hurts a bit to realise that one can't play as well as when one was 18 years old!

 

=========================

 

 

Music is rather like sport. You need to be practising every day to be on top. I can absolutely sympathise with 'Vox' because much as I would like to play each and every day and re-learn some of the monsters of the past, earning a living takes precedence, and that particular decision was made decades ago. I think that retaining an interest and doing as much as time permits is quite a healthy mental occupation, whether or not we present music in the public domain.

 

I know that when I was in London, work really consumed every moment of my time, and that is a horrible situation to be in when you have church duties of which to attend. Apart from dabbling on the home electronic for an hour or two every week, I probably gave up playing for the better part of 10 years, but not entirely.

 

The great thing is, that when you find more time or opportunity, re-learning everything is child's play, and within only a matter of weeks, most of the old skills come flooding back, so nothing is truly lost other than the pleasure of doing something well.

 

As for 2013, I think it has to be at least one of the big Reger works, having resurrected the Reubke a few years back, but whether I will have the time or not....well....there's always 2014.

 

Best,

 

MM

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[boxing gloves]

 

To be sure, but then, how good an organist was Bach really? It is pretty clear that many forum members - perhaps most - would have found his playing very boring indeed. No change of manuals in the fugues, for example.

 

No doubt I will now be inundated with a host of replies claiming that we don't know how Bach played. but the fact is that the available evidence does lead in particular directions, including the one I cited, and the onus on those who don't like it is to prove the contrary. Over to you! :)

 

[/boxing gloves]

 

 

==========================

 

 

I am not rising to the bait.....Koopman is your man!

 

On the other hand, I think Bach would have been able to struggle through the RCO written work, and assuming that he could play his own works, he would probably have gained the FRCO eventually. God knows what he would make of Liszt or Reger taking his name in vain.

 

Best,

MM

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I am not rising to the bait.....Koopman is your man!

 

Don't give me that! :P I distinctly remember deconstructing his performance of some early English voluntary to demonstrate that (however musical his performance might be in the abstract) he hadn't the foggiest clue about how it would originally have been performed - for which I have also posted ample evidence on this forum.

 

On that showing, the man hasn't a clue. Emperor's new clothes!

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Koopman is your man!

 

I should add that I have never found Koopman's performances anything other than arresting, riveting and compelling - which is surely the mark to a true musician - but don't for a moment imagine that they have anything to do with what the composers would have expected.

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=======================

 

 

I don't think Bach had letters behind his name....drawing a veil over B.A.C.H. of course.

 

Best,

 

MM

 

A fellow poster suggested that another poster might attempt the ARCM as one of their New Years Resolutions. I merely pointed out that this Diploma is longer available and, jokingly, that those of us who do hold it, and there are quite a few on here, are a 'dying breed'. The first part was meant to be informative, to save 'whistlestop' from searching around to try and find the syllabus for this now defunct Diploma.

 

The second part, as I have said, was an attempt at humour!! (which for MM obviously fell flat!) .

 

What has that got to do with Bach having letters after his name or not?

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A fellow poster suggested that another poster might attempt the ARCM as one of their New Years Resolutions. I merely pointed out that this Diploma is longer available and, jokingly, that those of us who do hold it, and there are quite a few on here, are a 'dying breed'. The first part was meant to be informative, to save 'whistlestop' from searching around to try and find the syllabus for this now defunct Diploma.

 

The second part, as I have said, was an attempt at humour!! (which for MM obviously fell flat!) .

 

What has that got to do with Bach having letters after his name or not?

 

 

==========================

 

 

I am more readily bemused than amused.

 

When it comes to attempts at humour, I tend to prefer PDQ Bach.

 

Best,

 

MM

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....the ARCM is no longer available - we are a dying breed!!!

 

Maybe the demise of the ARCM is appropriate in view of the similar fate of that truly dreadful organ in Room 90 at the College we had to play to get it.

 

http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N17210

 

Does anyone else remember it?

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Maybe the demise of the ARCM is appropriate in view of the similar fate of that truly dreadful organ in Room 90 at the College we had to play to get it.

 

http://npor.emma.cam...ec_index=N17210

 

Does anyone else remember it?

 

It does not look particularly inviting, certainly.

 

However, I think that the instrument on which I had lessons at Trinity can beat that:

 

http://npor.emma.cam...ec_index=E01400

 

The voicing was undistinguished; I doubt that it would have come up to the standard of their best work from this, or an earlier period. Clearly there was no proper chorus of any stly anywhere on the instrument. The Viole d'Orchestre was thin and 'scratchy'. I did once try to concoct a mini-full Swell effect on the Choir Organ, with this stop, the orchestral reeds, the Flauto Traverso and the octave couplers. However, rather than being a restrained but intense full effect, it merely sounded unpleasant. By the time I was let loose on it, the action was both sluggish and over-sensitive (i.e., whilst the repetition was bad, one barely had to touch some keys in order to get the pipes to sound).

 

From the look of the G.O. (four stops, including a full-length 16ft. Double Dulciana), I half wonder if Lieut.-Col. George Dixon had a hand in its design.

 

Perhaps the best division was the Swell Organ. The foundation stops were reasonably pleasant. Here, the strings were somewhat more acceptable. However, the Horn tended to honk - there was no brigtness or good attack to its voice.

 

In 1984, it was replaced by this instrument:

 

http://npor.emma.cam...24#PhotoSection

 

Following the re-location of the college to part of the old Royal Naval College, in Greenwich, this organ was moved to the Church of Saint John the Evangelist, Goose Green, East Dulwich, on long-term loan. However, no tonal alterations were made at this time.

 

In its original home, whilst being a great improvement on its predecessor, the tone was too brittle and 'sharp' for the intimate surroundings of the Lecture Hall on the first floor. This was a surprisingly small room, with floor-to-ceiling wood panelling on at least one wall.

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[boxing gloves]

 

To be sure, but then, how good an organist was Bach really? It is pretty clear that many forum members - perhaps most - would have found his playing very boring indeed. No change of manuals in the fugues, for example.

 

No doubt I will now be inundated with a host of replies claiming that we don't know how Bach played. but the fact is that the available evidence does lead in particular directions, including the one I cited, and the onus on those who don't like it is to prove the contrary. Over to you! :)

 

[/boxing gloves]

 

 

============================

 

 

I often wonder what Bach might have achieved in the nature of true musical expression, if only he hadn't been constrained by fugues and tight contrapuntal textures. The fugal form and the contrapuntal textures may permit certain means of expression, but they are less favourable to others. They hinder freedom of expression, even though Bach used the most difficult contrapuntal techniques. I wonder if Bach wasn't really a clandenstine cultivator of programme music, but one restrained by the rules of the day.

 

Should we bring Ton Koopman in one this?

 

Best,

 

MM

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