The Organ, Master of them all - general organ thread

Started by Harry, January 08, 2008, 01:08:57 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Que

Repost from the Christmas music thread:




Recently got this cute little Christmas CD with organ music.

René Saorgin plays the organ of the Sainte Chapelle du Château Ducal de Chambéry for the first four tracks, and the remainder of the disc - works by Claude Beningne Balbastre ( 1727- 1799) - on the Serassi organ (1807) of the Cathédrale de Tendre (pictured)

The pieces by Balbastre, 12 parts from Recueil de noëls formant quatre suittes, avec des variations pour le clavecin et le piano-forte, cleverly written for organ, as well as harpsichord and piano, take pride of place. Together with another "noël" - a short organ piece on a traditional Christmas theme - by Louis Claude Daquin (1694-1772). Virtuosic and stylish variations on familiar and unfamiliar (at least to me) Christmas themes, which seem just Saorgin's cup of tea. That combined with the historical organs make, as I said, a cute disc - very enjoyable. :)

Q


Que

Came accross this, any comments on the composer and the music? :)

Samples sounded pretty impressive.




http://www.youtube.com/v/y9TJohwbSIc&hl

Q

Marc

He's been mentioned in the JS Bach organ thread:

Quote from: premont on May 15, 2010, 06:34:34 AM
Walter Kraft recorded in the late 1950es the organ works of Vincent Lübeck for Vox. Unfortunately it was released (recorded?) only in mono and never - to my knowledge - made its way to CD. An interpretation in the same vein as his Buxtehude set.

Quote from: Antoine Marchand on May 15, 2010, 06:58:01 AM
... oh, that Lübeck: a man not a city or an organ in that city. I didn't even know his existence until now. Another name to explore. :)

Quote from: Marc on May 15, 2010, 10:26:56 PM
Yep!
Vincent Lübeck (ca. 1654-1740).
Unfortunately, only a small amount of Lübeck's works has survived. His best known composition is a large organ Fantasia on Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ.
He was a.o. organist at the Nikolaikirche in Hamburg, where they had a large Schnitger organ. Here's a quote from Johann Mattheson: This extraordinary organ ... also has an extraordinary organist. But how to praise someone who is already greatly renowned? I only need to give his name, Vincent Lübeck, to complete the whole eulogy.
One of his sons, Vincent jr., also became a well-known musician and composer.
(And the third more or less well-known Vincent Lübeck was this son's grandfather. Are you still with me? ;))

premont

Quote from: Que on March 26, 2011, 11:57:52 PM
Came accross this, any comments on the composer and the music? :)


Lübeck is one of the most interesting North German baroque organ composers between 1650 - 1700 , along with Buxtehude and Bruhns. His music is however not quite as innovative or inventive as the best music of these two. His complete surviving organ music fills only one CD and consists in one great chorale phantasy (Ich ruf zu dir) and a number of "preludes and fugues" formally in the Buxtehude pattern (freestyle sections alternating with fugal sections). Because of the archaic and sometimes formulaic texture of Lübeck´s works it is obviously difficult for performers to strike a fruitful balance between formal grandeur and improvisatory feeling. The available recordings are not that different. I could live with Berben, but marginally I prefer Bernard Coudurier on BNL.

γνῶθι σεαυτόν

Marc

There's also some Lübeck organ stuff on this very nice (but difficult to get) 2-cd:



Information on these recordings (in German):

http://www.landschaftsverband-stade.de/arp-schnitger-orgel-cd1.html

Unfortunately, most of these issues are (very) limited editions.
Probably there are still some German, Dutch, eBay or MarketPlace related sites that have this one in catalogue (?).

For Dutchmen (and women!) there's always this site:
http://www.groningenorgelland.nl/cd.htm

But who knows: if an interested foreigner writes them a friendly e-mail (info@groningenorgelland.nl), there might be something possible to arrange. But I can't promise anything.

Que

Thank you both for the comments! :) :)

Premont, I was about to ask after the organ Coudurier uses (another name I need to explore), but this was self-explanatory:



But while we're on the topic: what would you guys get for Bruhns?  :) (Though I do vaguely remember we've touched that topic before)

Q

Marc

Quote from: Que on March 27, 2011, 01:03:36 AM
[....]
But while we're on the topic: what would you guys get for Bruhns?  :) (Though I do vaguely remember we've touched that topic before)

This is a nice one IMO:



http://www.amazon.de/Complete-Organ-Works-Bruhns/dp/B000BK539M/

And on this interesting set, Helmut Winter plays (almost) all Bruhns organ works:



http://www.amazon.de/Orgues-Historiques-Chapelet/dp/B000HXDS0Y/

premont

Quote from: Que on March 27, 2011, 01:03:36 AM

But while we're on the topic: what would you guys get for Bruhns?  :) (Though I do vaguely remember we've touched that topic before)

About a year ago you asked a similar question, and I did some comparative listening to the Bruhns sets I own (and acquired some more sets), and ended up preferring Helmut Winter´s recording on HM. He plays the old Altenbruch organ and plays in an unfussy, fresh style. No. two was Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen playing on small neo-baroque organs in Northern Germany. If you want, I can redo the test, but it will take some time (about 12 different versions).
γνῶθι σεαυτόν

premont

Quote from: Marc on March 27, 2011, 12:44:09 AM
There's also some Lübeck organ stuff on this very nice (but difficult to get) 2-cd:




Almost all the organs are well represented in my library, and the organists are as well as unknown to me - this may of course be my fault. And the problems of getting hold of the CD set seems to be very great, so I shall let this one pass.
γνῶθι σεαυτόν

Que

Marc, Premont, thank you both again! :)


Quote from: premont on March 27, 2011, 02:40:46 AM
If you want, I can redo the test, but it will take some time (about 12 different versions).

No need to bother again, this is plenty to go on! Thanks.  :)

Q

Coopmv

Quote from: Que on July 28, 2010, 10:05:00 AM
Interesting, Premont! :)
I guess you are less impressed by Krebs' transitional quality in style. But I do understand what you are saying and do not necessarily disagree. Still, but my impression was that I would enjoy a nice chunk of his music, provided tht it is played by the right organist (expressive, articulated) and on the right organ.

Q

I have 6 volumes of Krebs' Complete Organ Works by John Kitchen on the Priory label ...

listener

Wanamaker Organ to double in size !

http://www.gothic-catalog.com/v/vspfiles/photos/G-49240-2.jpg
Wanamaker organist Peter Richard Conte today confirmed plans to double the size of the Wanamaker Grand Court Organ, now located in Macy's flagship department store in Philadelphia.  Already the world's largest musical instrument, the new additions will substantially increase the tonal resources available to the talented Wanamaker organist.

John Bishop confirmed that Macy's had purchased The Organ Clearinghouse's entire collection of used organs and pipework to enable the expansion. In the future, the organist can not only select not a wide range of stops, but also a wide range of organ builders.  "You could play an entire piece on just Austin, Moller or Skinner pipes," quipped Conte.

Macy's reportedly made the acquisition on reports that Nordstrom's was getting a pipe organ for its Seattle store.


"Keep your hand on the throttle and your eye on the rail as you walk through life's pathway."

Marc

Quote from: listener on April 01, 2011, 12:40:15 AM
Wanamaker Organ to double in size !

http://www.gothic-catalog.com/v/vspfiles/photos/G-49240-2.jpg

[....]

Seeing a pic like that makes me wanna listen to Viva Las Vegas! by 'The Pelvis' .... (or by the Dead Kennedys ....)  ;)

J.Z. Herrenberg

I love Messis by that great Danish original, Rued Langgaard. It's full of fantasy, atmosphere and majesty.





Read more about it here:


http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2001/Apr01/messis.htm
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

Marc

Quote from: J. Z. Herrenberg on April 01, 2011, 04:13:27 AM
I love Messis by that great Danish original, Rued Langgaard. It's full of fantasy, atmosphere and majesty.
[....]

OK. Ordered it at ze library.

J.Z. Herrenberg

Quote from: Marc on April 01, 2011, 11:27:40 AM
OK. Ordered it at ze library.


You won't regret it. It comes coupled with a closely-related piece, like a sort of curtain-raiser, In ténebras exteriores. (I seem to remember you're Dutch, too. Which library? In Rotterdam?)
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

listener

#157
more news from Gothic today  01-04-11
Washington National Cathedral announces new plans for the Great Organ

The Washington National Cathedral announced yesterday that it has cancelled its plans to replace the aging Aeolian-Skinner organ with a large new instrument by Casavant.  "We have decided, instead, to purchase an electronic organ from Japan," said Michael McCarthy, Director of Music for the Gothic-style cathedral.  "The people of Japan are suffering from a great earthquake and tsunami, and we felt that it would be best for us to provide them with the work of creating a truly global instrument for our great Cathedral."

Plans for the new organ include an impressively-sized console, which most people believe is the actual instrument, according to Cathedral organist, Scott Dettra. "There are some who still look for pipes, and for them, we will leave a pipe fence in front of the speakers to satisfy traditional needs."  The new organ will have six manuals and 543 stops. A unique feature allows it to be played from anywhere in the room with an Apple iPad.  Cathedral staff also were quick to point out that the new instrument will not use any Japanese auto parts.

See Scott Dettra's new recording of the
Washington National Cathedral Great Organ here

___________________________
"Keep your hand on the throttle and your eye on the rail as you walk through life's pathway."

The new erato

Strangely enough it's the 2nd of April where I live!

Marc

Quote from: J. Z. Herrenberg on April 01, 2011, 11:48:19 AM
You won't regret it. It comes coupled with a closely-related piece, like a sort of curtain-raiser, In ténebras exteriores. (I seem to remember you're Dutch, too. Which library? In Rotterdam?)

Rotterdam, yes.  The central catalogue. I'm a heavy user. :)

Just curious about this one, you know.

I'm mainly a baroque bloke. So it could be a good, could be a bad experience. Let's wait and hear.

Right now it's Pachelbel I'm listening to, played by Gerd Wachowski.
Probably something completely different. ;)