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So pleased to have discovered...


Martin Cooke

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  • Buxtehude chorale preludes;
  • The 'Tallis to Wesley' edition of the Stanley Voluntaries - been slogging away with those tedious OUP facsimile volumes for 30+ years - why didn't I invest in the TtoW version right from the start?

So... do folk have a favourite Stanley voluntary?... or Buxtehude chorale prelude? 

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I don’t find the “facsimiles” of the Stanley voluntaries tedious; I like imagining I’m back in the 18th century! I wish they hadn’t reengraved the C-clef parts though. Buxtehude—I’m really glad I don’t have to learn German organ tablature in order to play his music 🙂

In terms of favourites: whichever I’m playing at the time. I like the Stanley one in F with the horn parts a lot.

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I'm with Innate on the facsimiles - there is nothing to beat playing from the originals and these, like most 18C printed editions, are beautifully clear. Nothing against T to W in general though. (But does anyone else think 'Tallis to Wesley' sounds like part of a cricket commentary?)

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Hi

I bought the Stanley facsimiles many years ago, and have no great problem playing from them.  No great favourites amongst them.  I've not come across the T to W edition of them, but I do have a couple of other volumes from that series that get an occasional outing.

I've recently purchased some of Fitzjohn Music's editions of early English organ music.  I worked through a volume of John Marsh voluntaries before Christmas, and will be looking at various other composer's works this year.  Very pleased to have re-discovered this publisher.

Every Blessing

Tony

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Useful tip about the Fitzjohn editions, Tony. Thanks.

Tallis to Wesley sounds like the Oratorios that my Dad used to refer to as Railway Announcements. Olivet to Calvary, calling at Gethsemene, Herod’s Palace … and all stations to … you get the idea.

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On 13/01/2020 at 11:59, innate said:

 

Tallis to Wesley sounds like the Oratorios that my Dad used to refer to as Railway Announcements. Olivet to Calvary, calling at Gethsemene, Herod’s Palace … and all stations to … you get the idea.

This is an important announcement for passengers travelling on the 14.00 Seven Virgins service from Olivet to Calvary. This train is delayed at Kings Cross due to a points Caesar.

MM

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BuxWV 188 - Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ

It don’t look as if Buxtehude has many fans, at the mo. I fear I may be straying from the ‘prelude’ stipulation. Nonetheless, and moving boldly forward, this unprepossessing melody, in mainly stepwise steps, inspired Dietrich to compose this superb and lengthy Fantasia. I often find his music more ‘interesting’ than Johann Sebastian’s and there are many pieces of that description in his chorale preludes.

This work contains two bars in the Pedal part worthy of, and as tricky as, some of the most difficult Dupré - remembering only ‘historically informed’ toes should be employed. These are from around 7m10s in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMde0Q9C2F8], where the score is viewable. Considerable bodily torsion is necessary to cover these two octaves in this short passage. I believe this gives a significant pointer towards ‘correct’ (i.e. quite free and loose) articulation in Baroque pedalling. It is also instructive to watch/listen to how ‘period’ ’cellists and bassists perform similar phrases.

Another performance is on this fabulous organ in Gdańsk (not that the Schnitger isn’t rather good, too !): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wo8EHVpAyw

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  • 2 weeks later...

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