It's nice to see an organist who understands they are not only playing the organ, but the entire building. His timing as the sound decays across the auditorium is impeccable.
We were working in Rochester Cathedral during the renovation of their organ, and on completion of the renovation, I asked the head organist to play me a request. We don’t play roll over Beethoven in the cathedral he said. But when I said wanted Bachs Toccata and Fugue in D minor he looked a bit shocked. (I’m a 6’3” long haired biker). The following day we were up on the scaffold working away when that very distinct intro started and I quickly told the lads to stop what they were doing and listen. It was definitely a hair on the back of the neck and arms raising moment. Sounded brilliant and even the lads working with me had to agree that it was pretty good. A wonderful memory of what is one of my favourite tunes of all time.
Very lucky you and them are one of lucky few to hear...feel and even the air of this being played and likewise scooter tramp and enjoyed playing rock but as child I learned classical music I wish I could have mastered this
I was lucky enough to go to The King's School in Gloucester as a boy, and lucky enough to hear this played on the organ in Gloucester cathedral. I swear you can't hear the low notes, only feel them.
Let us take a moment to recognize that this beast of an organist not only played the whole thing flawlessly but he did so, without sheet music in front of him. Press 'X' to pay respects.
Church organ is a fatanstic instrument i've had the pleasure to try out once in my life. Such an instrument the size of a house controlled by one human is a marvellous invention. When you sit there and control it, it feels like you can control the entire universe with the soundwaves the massive pipes emits. I am not a man of god, but i attend church occasionally just to hear the organist play.
God made those composers, the inventors and craftsmen who made the intruments the trees and minerals the instruments are made of the generations who paid for the building and intrments and supported the whole cosmic dance so we can sit with the ears He gave us in grateful awe and occasionally a tear in the eye at the shear beauty of it all. God loves us.
the same for me. i'm not religious at all but i do go to church for the organ. i wish i could play. the sound of an organ is divine and soul touching wether it's in a church or a stadium. i do not think my love for the organ will ever die
@@nolenm3819 When you say you're not religious at all, and in the same sentence you say this music is divine and soul touching, you slip a truth that we all are religiuos, one way or another. It's just wired into our brains.
@@ReaperChild79 💕 Yet, I dare say that sitting/standing next to the speakers (while at a concert at an outdoor venue...) is the next, best thing... Being up close to the stage (at an indoor concert...) or sitting/standing at ANY PLACE in a cathedral, brings You the ULTIMATE ear and body experience... The people that built the European cathedrals (and organs...) all those centuries ago, certainly knew their craft... (...and I feel truly Blessed to have had the ultimate experience on so many occasions...) 💙💛🌹💜🍎🇺🇸
You dont even clap after hearing something like this in person. You just sit and thank god that your alive to hear and feel something so grand and majestic
I'm a little more cultured now from that comment. I would have stood up and applauded and yelled YEAHH WHOOO! But now that I've read this little thread an feel humble.
Oh yeah, Bach was centuries ahead of his time. In this piece alone, you can hear elements of just about every style of modern music composed and played today, including hard rock and metal. But that is because nearly all modern music takes elements from Bach’s compositions, especially this one.
@Aeryn Sun also, the notes before and after transitions would have gotten muddled, if he hadn't. This organist obviously knows the acoustics of the cathedral of Berlin well.
The reverb is absolutely SUPERB...!!! My mom and my favorite instrument. Nothing like a large pipe organ opened up fully like this. We sung in many chamber choirs together in various cathedrals. And it just gives you goosebumps folks.
This is probably the most fascinating musical instrument of all time. The amount of keys, buttons, pipes… The sounds that come from it are beautiful, and the reverb from it in the buildings the organs are in… Absolutely brilliant invention. Lovely.
I agree there are too many key pounders that don't grasp the concept that the entire building is the instrument. When one does the true potential of the instrument is realised.
@@MALANGAENHANCED I refer to DELAY as merely the distinguishing perceptible return of the combination of a multitude of reflections from a single source to a point of listening (PRE-DELAY) resulting in what we overall call reverberation when it is a combination of many attributes. The acoustic sound perceived would possibly appear to differ within a few metres of a particular standing location. Either way, the phenomenon attributed to the sound source and the acoustics in question works pretty well, would you not agree? Also the performance is pretty good too.... :-). Good call to the sound engineer (s).
There is no greater instrument ever conceived and built than the pipe organ. Hundreds of pipes, some over 60 feet in length, it's an entire orchestra in one instrument. There is also no greater music than classical music. The complexities and sheer magnificence.
They should do the same thing... with clarion bells. The BIG ones. Combine a few dozen of those with japanese drums and a pipe organ to play an entire *city*.
This exactly I’m down a rabbit hole wanting to listen to this song but all others play it to fast, it’s the stuff in between, it’s the drama,it’s the feeling.
For the second time in my life. Finally I have found a precise, beautiful and ( to my ear ) technically correct playing of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. Outstanding presentation. The hours of learning and practice he must have gone through are staggering. To play such an intricate piece by memory is awe inspiring as there was no sheet music in sight. A performance worthy of Bach himself.
@dejuren yes, this. never understood "basic" instrument pieces that people stare the entire time at the sheet... after practicing a song 50, 100 , 200 times, even if its something very hard or very fast with a lot of in between notes, the first 50 times you need the sheet or tab, after that you just know what comes next, what the hands should do next without thinking it...
If it's too hard to sightread (and most complex keyboard music is for most musicians), the music won't do you much good anyways. Imagine reading out loud while speaking faster than you can read.
A little bit into the piece I was thinking he did some things too slow and had excessive pauses. And then I started to figure out what he was doing considering the acoustics he was dealing with.
@@sibtainhaider2411 Yes. That's what I figured out at some point. I have been in a large venue with a pipe organ and have never heard a recording really capture the experience. Combine that with tiny tinny little speakers in a computer monitor and the sound is worse yet. Somehow, I think our brains make up for some of the shortcomings of the actual sound from crummy speakers because we know what things are supposed to sound like from experience. And our brain improves upon the limitations of a very limited "sound" system.
This man knows and has the smoothness and the understanding of how an organ works - that it’s not just the sound from the pipes but the whole reverberation, reflection of the church itself needs to be respected!
he is a craftsman, not an artist has instructions and follows these instructions, without going beyond what was written his expression does not show any feelings - he knows his profession and does it the only thing he is good at is acting - but there is no spark in him... I have seen and heard many toccata and fugue performances - this one is correct according to the notation, the sound is good - but it lacks one, most important thing - the feeling... organs are very sensitive to feelings, if you don't show them to them - they will only be a tool, not an instrument
I really don't like this piece not staying in minor the whole way through, or at least a minor sound, and I really don't like this piece in general, it's all over the place, and doesn't have a reocurring melody that you can remember and sing afterwards.
@@Ale55andr082 Did I hurt someone's feelings? and since when do feelings become corporeal and bleed? If your feelings are bleeding, see a psychiatrist because you have serious mental problems I said what I thought - and I don't give a damn about your political correctness - I'm telling the truth as it is - not sweet words: ""how beautiful it is, what a great game"" he doesn't play great, he's an asshole and not a musician, my 15-year-old son can do better and now take me to court - but your political correctness doesn't work in my country...
I am an organist, and this is the only performance of this piece that made me cry. He plays the music as it asks, without any personal ego or flashiness. Amazing.
Very true, but worth considering the performance and the type of instrument. I learnt to play this on a one hundred and fifty-odd year old organ that originally had hand bellows. As my teacher put it, your bellows boys would have rioted had you tried to play that fast and with that many stops out at once. Slow down and enjoy the music and nuance. Seeing as you could hear the mechanical/electrical bellows working hard if you tried to go flat out, I can only imagine how impossible it would have been to keep up with. I still believe you should let the majesty of the music and the organ tell the story, not your technical skill ;)
Best performance of this Bach piece I’ve heard in my long life. What pushes it over the top is Xavier’s awareness of the acoustical environment of the church and allowing the reverberations to play out before continuing. Totally brilliant!
Yes! Im really curious what mics and what placements they used. It really captures the low end well. I love that you can hear the building too! You get a bit of an idea about how it sounds, from the echoes and reverb and whatnot! I find lots of youtube clips dont give you that
This masterpiece is meant to be played like that, taking in account the reverberation and acoustics of the place, every pause meant to make the notes be "felt" by the audience, rather than only listening to it, the tempo was superb, and indeed as someone else said, a masterpiece of this caliber, you just don't applaud like a fool at the end, you let the music fill you, shake you to the core, you experience it, and be be glad to the God Almighty who put Bach in this terrenal place to giving us a glimpse of the greatness that humanity can achieve
Let it breathe, let it breathe. This organist respects the instrument in its acoustic environment, which has always been an integral part of the instrument, as it is supposed to be. And most importantly, let the Master J.S. Bach breathe. Wonderful ! Wonderful !
@@mogwai2884 An Organ Pipe does take to speak much longer than a piano string and also as it bigger it get's with the base pipes (up to 9 Meters), the longer they will take to speak. So for that an organ should be always played with much slower tempi than a piano and a great Organ Master (like Varnus) takes use of it and also respects it acustically.
Bach has died 273 years ago, but he was such an amazing genius that the music he composed is still remembered and revered to this day. And Xaver is such an incredible organ player. His interpretation of Toccata & Fugue is absolutely beautiful and awe inspiring. I love classic music!
Funnily enough, the only reason that J.S. Bach is even known is because of one of his fans who went around Europe, finding every Bach piece he could find... ... and he still didn't find all of them.
If it hadn't of been for Felix Mendelssohn, Bach's masterpieces would likely have languished ina dusty conservatory cabinet. He single handedly started the Bach Revival in 1829 with a masterful performance of Bach's Passion According To St. Matthew. It received such critical claim, that it started a movement which has continued to this day. Thank you Lord for Maestro's Bach and Mendelssohn.
As a classical pianist I have the greatest admiration for someone who can play 4-part counterpoint a la JS Bach with both hands and both feet simultaneously.
@Andy MacKay Clearly Xaver has a great natural talent, but I'm sure he would agree that greater still was the phenomenal mind that composed this masterwork.
What is even more amazing to me about Bach’s music is how it’s not just a melody on top of some chords: I can see two or more melodies running independently and weaving in and out of each other yet complementing each other so well! It’s like the chords just *happen* out of those concurrent melodies. I can almost always tell new Bach music I have never heard before, by seeing all those independent melodies working together. I never see it to THAT degree with Handel or other composers of his time. I have synesthesia, which makes it VERY difficult for me to master sheet music. Is what I am seeing the counterpoint I always hear so much about with Bach?
This performance undoes the damage that pop culture has inflicted upon this piece. This work is pure poetry and this organist speaks Bach's poetry like a master poet. This is how the piece is supposed to sound. I've been listening to this over and over again. It's so well played.
He is exceptional. The pauses are almost playful. They fully let the listener savour each stanza. An absolutely masterful rendition of a great piece. The composer and the organ builder would be deeply pleased with the way he has brought both to life
This is the most perfect tempo for this piece. Superior pauses and sustained chords to drive the emotion to its fullest. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Mr. Varnus!
I love the way he makes the notes finish in the pipes before moving on to another part. A LOT of pipe organists don't do this. When so, it sounds so garbled up. Lower notes take longer to go through pipes than higher notes do. Notice when he went through the high notes, he breezed right through them. But the lower notes, he recognized he had to slow down, and Bach knew this, as this was meant for a pipe organ back in the 1600's, and still make the illusion that this was still an adagio fugue
Hi James. I think you are referring to the Decay Rate of the room the organ is in. The decay rate of cathedrals is why music written for them is so slow. Not only does the organ sound great, the voices sound amplified by the reverberation. Enjoy. This is my favourite Bach piece.
Because he's a master of his instrument and has been doing it and doing it for years. I am sure that Bach is smiling from the Heavens in the way that this man plays His majestic tune ✨️ ❤️. 🙏
You speak something very true. The lower notes should always be spoken a little more slowly and just a little more softly to make the song sound a little better.
All serious pipe organists should be required to watch this video several, many times. There are "mechanics" and there are "artists" sitting at the keyboards, and 99% of them play this piece as though they are "mechanics." They follow the notes, but they just play one note after the other. Xaver Varnus is a Grade A artist. He interjects pauses at strategic intervals. He allows the venue's acoustics to participate in the presentation. He individualizes Bach as I've never heard anyone do it before.
I believe that that's called adding character to the piece. Actually, I recall that there's another orchestral term for it, but I can't quite recall it.
"He had no notes to read, I have no words to say." (No, I don't mean I'm impressed that he had no sheets, I'm just expressing my awe of his performance!)
I love this kind of performance and there is no way anyone can understand what it is like without actually being there for the live performance! The entire building is the body of the instrument! You become part of the art as you are part of the structure.
@@bigunone Every single key is a SPST switch which is WIRED to a coil of WIRE which pulls a light steel reed valve, which opens allowing air to flow into a small bellows, which pulls a much larger valve mechanism that allows pressurized are to flow into a specific pipe. The wiring harnesses are huge just for a single pike rank. This organ had two-dozen+?
THANK YOU,! For finally stating the obvious. I'm amazed that thru the years, everyone rushes this incredible piece of music and there's no outcry but only from a few. I feel like this performance IS the way it's meant to be played
Да,вы правы! Я посмотрела до этого несколько исполнителей и по первым тактам понимала,это не моё! Как печатная машинка! Звук обрывается сразу же без продолжения! А здесь ноты ЗВУЧАТ и уходят в бесконечность! BRAVO , MAESTRO!!!
The melody around 1:40 always sounded off to me in other renditions. To hear it slowed down has further made me appreciate the rest of the piece as it was intended
The pauses and patience in this mans rendition are absolutely stunning and praise worthy. This is quite possibly the best version I've ever heard. My hats off to this fine musician.
Thank the gods someone understands the importance of slowing down this piece. It should extend beyond the length of the human voice to sing it. That gives it an otherworldly feeling. Huge. Terrifying. Awesome!
It's also so much different on an organ on a piano (or keyboard where j often see it does up) the note doesn't last and fill the room. With the organ every not fills the room completely and stays in the air for a moment, giving a reason to mind the pauses in the playing to let the sound really resonate.
@@annexton3795 it's not his fault everyone was brainwashed and under the thumb of the church back then, as a species we were still very childlike. Now we're in an era of adolescence, because we have learned much, but we act like we think we know everything, and our greatest existential threat right now is that we'll destroy ourselves either accidentally or on purpose. So it'd be pretty silly for us to still believe in fairy tales, especially ones thay encourage us to shirk off all responsibility for this mess we've made because some magic sky grandpa santa claus for adults is gonna come clean it up for us. It's so deranged and twisted how so many people actually want WWIII to happen because they think everyone that disagrees with them will be MURDERED by their jerk of a deity.
Every now and then, I come back to this video to just marvel at its beauty. This song is nothing without the proper organist playing it. Absolutely marvelous. I cannot say enough good things about this performance. It was transformative.
in new orleans of coarse, because we all know the REALL vamps are in the bourbon street area, which is why you DONT go down those corridors between bars in the quarter
Finally a performance that's appropriately measured in its tempo. Almost all of them on UA-cam are so fast. This can't be played fast, it has to echo itself down. Breathe.
You can hear that Xaver waits until the echo has exactly stopped, before continuing. That would mean the piece will be played at different speeds depending on the building it's played in.
I have wondered at this - because doesn't Bach specify the tempo, and if so, why aren't the pros following it? I can understand why *I* don't follow the tempo - it's because I can't play super fast and flawlessly at the same time. Also, I am not a pro, just a fan who can play.
I agree. This piece is often played way too fast without allowing the notes to fade naturally. This gives the piece some real gravitas without being too slow (because it's possible to play it too slowly, too). This is one of the few performances I've heard where there is space between the notes just enough to actually hear each note from each pipe.
@@jimnichols1066 Soviets! Even a whole nation of people can transcend a satanically inspired mass psychosis. The russian soul is fundamentally and in diametric opposition to your limited impression.
The pipe organ is the best music instrument ever made. Listen to it live is an amazing experience, music surrounds you from everywhere. The bass frequencies make your stomach vibrating. Awesome.
The pipe organ produces a sound like the very centre of the earth in motion. The galaxies form to this sound,and the human psyche responds beyond understanding to the resonating vibration of creation.
stomach vibrating is the word ! but i have that feeling also, when i hear a hammond B3 with leslie :-) (i mean, the real beast, not its digital opponents)
That's actually what got me into this in the first place visiting as a tourest Winchester cathedral one day .....it just happens to have a guy playing I dont think it was really a recital but he played Widors docata in Dm and it just blew me away there sheer majesty and resonance of those notes going through my body was out of this world experience! !!
Bach must be saying"At last someone playing the piece as I intended it to be performed. Update treated myself to expensive headphones oriented to classical music, went to musical nirvana having heard notes not picked up by my old phones. So glad I saved for these new cans. This piece sounds so sharp and fresh I felt like one of the audience.
Of course Bach had no idea how the organ would be developed in the future but if he could hear this I'm certain he would be overwhelmed by his own work!
Without exception the best rendition of this piece I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. Finally, a player unafraid to linger and let the beauty of the flourishes wash over the hall like an autumn breeze.
I remember this score being played in the Koln cathedral in the early 70's.. as a young man, I was truly taken by the sound and the physical experience of these large pipe organs. I imagine how the early worshipers could have easily been overwhelmed as well, the sound emitting from this huge gothic structure, almost a religious experience in itself!
I remember the first time visiting Koln... and marvelling at the how the cathedral dominated the surrounding space.... one of the most evocative physical spaces I've visited. Would love to hear the organ there, or in Berlin. Those religious architects knew how to build!
Can we just take a minute here and recognize the fact that he is playing this from memory!! There is no sheet music in front if him!! What an amazing genius!!
It's not possible to play this from sheet music unless it is learned in memory. It's to fast for reading notes, must really be practiced hundred times or so.
In a great Cathedral and a powerful organ as this, the sound comes alive and fills and resonates the air and a great artist like him respectfully and beautifully gave the sound it's space.
I'm not saying you're Batman, but I've never seen the two of you in the same room together. I guess you needed this organist more than his audience needed another song?
Not only did he have perfect, entire control of this amazing instrument, he controlled the entire room. From perfect timing to allow it to echo at full effect around the room, to taking his time instead of rushing it. Extremely jealous of every person who got to witness this performance live!!
That last high sustained D, waiting for the crushing D minor chord to enter below and put an end to the composition, always gives me the shivers. Bach died 271 yrs ago and his music still communicates. Bravo to him and the virtuoso performer.
I'm not an accomplished musician but if you are talking about at the very end where it sort of sounds like it will end on an upbeat happy chord and then the minor chord comes in I totally agree. Gives me chills. Perfection.
Bach's masterpiece, performed by an absolute master of his craft, on a beautiful instrument in an equally beautiful building! For a change an all too rare example of how humanity is capable of absolute brilliance.
60 years I’ve waited to hear the D Minor rendered like this. Utterly brilliant allowing the work to speak for itself without any of the usual show-off ‘lets see how fast we can belt this out’ approach too common these days.
Well considering that a large part of baroque music was based on virtuosity and “showing off”, I’d say those kinds of performances technically capture more of the compositional intent of the piece. That being said, there’s definitely a limit, and I do enjoy this particular rendition a lot myself.
I agree. Sometimes, I find myself wondering, "does he have somewhere to be?" when they just knuckle these things out as quickly as possible. If you're interested in that, maybe play some Van Halen on your own time.
I agree Luke, its an excellent version but also have a listen to the version from the 1975 movie "Rollerball" with James Caan! I think its even a bit better.
IDK about that... The orchestral version in the "Fantasia" soundtrack ( ua-cam.com/video/Q6u-2NDsEgA/v-deo.html ) and the obvious original "Rollerball" soundtrack ( ua-cam.com/video/_wFTkYm0i6g/v-deo.html ) are both amazing and (IMO) at least as equally as good. Adagio (not Bach) in "Rollerball" is also nice but my favorite version is on the "Gallipoli" soundtrack and this one ( ua-cam.com/video/PEzuXJ0rOJM/v-deo.html ) Enjoy
I'm fascinated by the organ. As the notes above say: Today, the organ in the Cathedral of Berlin is the largest late-Romantic pneumatic action organ in the world that has survived in its original condition. For those who aren't familiar with the mechanics of pipe organs, let me just say that statement is astonishing. Pneumatic action is probably the most complex kind of organ action. So much can get out of adjustment, or be damaged, and at its best, it is a fairly slow way to get the organist's intentions from the keys to the pipes. For that reason, I was fascinated with Varnus' playing. Not only does he masterfully use the room's reverberation time, he also plays with even more than his normal clarity to minimize the sluggish action. I'm sure that this organ is very well cared for and regulated, and so its action is probably absolutely as good as a pneumatic action can be, but even so, it won't have the crispness of a good tracker action or the speed of an electro-pneumatic action. To those few people who complain that he played too slowly, I'd suggest that if he had played the fast passages much faster, they would have turned to mush between the room acoustics and the pneumatic delay.
To hear this performed on this magnificent instrument, filling the air, bouncing from the walls, you can finally understand Bach's vision. Wonderful performance.
@@MarcassCarcass Disciplined audience. Even if asked to remain quiet after, I'm not sure my emotions, hearing this piece played like this, would cooperate.
The surpassing intelligence of those who designed and built this building, combined with the amazing skills and depth of knowledge of those who designed and built the organ, combined with the nearly super human musical abilities of Bach, who created this masterpiece from a blank sheet of paper, combined with the incredible talents of Mr. Varnus - exhilarating and almost unbelievable!
This is not just a performance of the greatest work by the greatest composer. These sounds convey a true understanding of Bach's music with all its meanings. Indeed, it is true that this performance is one of the most authentic and correct in meaning. BRAVO, Maestro!
Por mais que possam aparecer instrumentos com tecnologia moderna, esta harmonia de acordes é algo *insuperável* . MÚSICA, é DEUS falando através de *dedos* obedientes ao seu comando. MÚSICA, é uma verdadeira *VIAGEM* a um *MUNDO ANGELICAL*. Quem duvidar, feche os olhos e se deixe conduzir pelos *ANJOS DE DEUS* a esse *PLANO SUPERIOR*.
What does this even mean? It’s not truly authentic to play a baroque piece on an organ that is build in the in the early 20th century. Neither the intonation of the pipes nor the temperament is anything that Bach had in his time. Even the video description says that it’s edited by Mendelssohn.
I always imagined doing that but building a castle in some remote part of Alaska. Play it during a snow storm with the windows open. FILL THE STORM WITH THE MUSIC!
Aye playing this song in such a large space with such a large organ you need to pause to allow the sound to bleed out. Most people play the song far to fast and sounds overlap each other. This is probably the best rendition of this song ive heard.
I think he phrased it this way because the building has reverb. He is a very great talent. Check out this other vid, a crisper performance: ua-cam.com/video/Nnuq9PXbywA/v-deo.html
Even in our age of technology, we are awed by this instrument and the sounds that come from it. Now imagine that it is the early 1700's. You are a poor, illiterate subject of an Austrian monarch. You attend a mass at a cathedral that has an organ capable of doing this piece justice. You leave, believing you have literally just witnessed the sounds of God.
its muscle memory lol, once you play it alot and you feel a lot of interest in playing it, you will instantly play it even without looking at the notes.
Half of the pipe organ technique is reverb, which many artists simply miss, but not Mr. Xaver! Perfect tempo and reverb! Imagine what was in JS Bach's genius mind to compose this grandiose masterpiece some 400 years ago when human kind was living at the candles light!!!
I think its rather like the 2 hands having a conversation or a row with each other one speaks and the the other ansas or shouts back. Brilliant work by js so ahead of his time.
wait isn't this tocatta de fugue dm origins unknown tho. ..its bach who history has first credited for performing but im sure he was covering it by the origins unknown implication....if im missing something please educate
Perfection. I'm sick of everybody playing this as quick as possible, it sounds awful. Thanks to Mr Varnus i can enjoy this masterpiece as i am sure in the way that Mr Bach intended.
At last, an organist that knows how to play into the acoustics of the room. It is a magnificent performance, probably the best I've heard. Most organists play this piece too fast to show off. Bravo Xaver
In my opinion, he played this perfectly. He understands that it's a ombination of organist, organ and SPACE. This organ was designed for this space. RT60 measurements may be 8sec+ and he knows how to get the best out of it. It's a real pleasure to hear this. Anything faster will be gooey mud. Excellent performance!!
The pure brilliance of this performance can not be understated. This is one of those rare performances that comes together in such perfect harmony, from the musician himself, to the building acoustics, to all of those who maintain this brilliant instrument, etc. Such a performance will never be repeated again.
Hundreds of years ago when I had forced piano lessons I struggled, futilely, to play with both hands. This man is playing with his FEET as well! I'm glad I gave up, I'm happy to listen.
It's nice to see an organist who understands they are not only playing the organ, but the entire building. His timing as the sound decays across the auditorium is impeccable.
oh how true. thats what these buildings were built for...resonance and frequency control. The church stole these buildings and repurposed them.
underrated observation. kudos for noticing
His timing is perfect.
Which adds amazing value to the piece of music and volumes to the audience listening 🎶 in TOTAL, ahh!!! Thank you,
Very well stated !
We were working in Rochester Cathedral during the renovation of their organ, and on completion of the renovation, I asked the head organist to play me a request. We don’t play roll over Beethoven in the cathedral he said. But when I said wanted Bachs Toccata and Fugue in D minor he looked a bit shocked. (I’m a 6’3” long haired biker). The following day we were up on the scaffold working away when that very distinct intro started and I quickly told the lads to stop what they were doing and listen. It was definitely a hair on the back of the neck and arms raising moment. Sounded brilliant and even the lads working with me had to agree that it was pretty good. A wonderful memory of what is one of my favourite tunes of all time.
Was eine tolle Geschichte
Great Job. Thx
Very lucky you and them are one of lucky few to hear...feel and even the air of this being played and likewise scooter tramp and enjoyed playing rock but as child I learned classical music I wish I could have mastered this
There's an interesting version done by a group on electric guitar. ua-cam.com/video/wqgQ7IYhvRg/v-deo.html
I was lucky enough to go to The King's School in Gloucester as a boy, and lucky enough to hear this played on the organ in Gloucester cathedral. I swear you can't hear the low notes, only feel them.
Let us take a moment to recognize that this beast of an organist not only played the whole thing flawlessly but he did so, without sheet music in front of him. Press 'X' to pay respects.
yeah most musicians memorize solo pieces, this isn't really uncommon. great organ playing though.
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MAN I wish I could've been there. How amazing that must've sounded in person.
Church organ is a fatanstic instrument i've had the pleasure to try out once in my life. Such an instrument the size of a house controlled by one human is a marvellous invention. When you sit there and control it, it feels like you can control the entire universe with the soundwaves the massive pipes emits. I am not a man of god, but i attend church occasionally just to hear the organist play.
There is absolutely nothing like a church organ. I got to play one for a brief period of time. I miss it so much.
God made those composers, the inventors and craftsmen who made the intruments the trees and minerals the instruments are made of the generations who paid for the building and intrments and supported the whole cosmic dance so we can sit with the ears He gave us in grateful awe and occasionally a tear in the eye at the shear beauty of it all. God loves us.
the same for me. i'm not religious at all but i do go to church for the organ. i wish i could play. the sound of an organ is divine and soul touching wether it's in a church or a stadium. i do not think my love for the organ will ever die
@@nolenm3819 When you say you're not religious at all, and in the same sentence you say this music is divine and soul touching, you slip a truth that we all are religiuos, one way or another. It's just wired into our brains.
You know a piece is played so good when:
- Goosebumps
- Wet eyes
- Big smile
Well said! My reactions exactly.
And the foundations of the Earth resonate to the core.
🎼🎵🎶🎹🔊🔊🔊🌐
@@timeno1763and maybe even the planet stops rotating for a few minutes to catch its breath and pay its respect.
...and silence...
Seconded with Interest!! 🎶✨️🎵
Can't imagine how wonderful it must have been to sit in that Cathedral and literally "FEEL" the music wash over you!
It doesn't only "wash over You", it pulsates right THROUGH You, too... and THAT is a most amazing and incredible experience...
💙💛🌹💜🍎🇺🇸
That's the reason I sit by speakers at concerts. If my pulse isn't the song, it's too quiet.
@@ReaperChild79
💕
Yet, I dare say that sitting/standing next to the speakers (while at a concert at an outdoor venue...) is the next, best thing...
Being up close to the stage (at an indoor concert...) or sitting/standing at ANY PLACE in a cathedral, brings You the ULTIMATE ear and body experience... The people that built the European cathedrals (and organs...) all those centuries ago, certainly knew their craft...
(...and I feel truly Blessed to have had the ultimate experience on so many occasions...)
💙💛🌹💜🍎🇺🇸
You should try wearable bass like Subpack M2
You will be converted.
He knows the music intimately. It is in his blood. Brilliant performance. Flawless.
On the order of Virgil Fox!!!
You dont even clap after hearing something like this in person. You just sit and thank god that your alive to hear and feel something so grand and majestic
Well J.S. Bach dedicated every song he wrote to the glory of God.
Superb comment 👋
I'm a little more cultured now from that comment.
I would have stood up and applauded and yelled YEAHH WHOOO!
But now that I've read this little thread an feel humble.
Ce frumos!
Amazing the performence with hand and feet and a lot more
300 year old Heavy Metal. Bach was way ahead of the time.
Prog rock at it's best.
Oh yeah, Bach was centuries ahead of his time. In this piece alone, you can hear elements of just about every style of modern music composed and played today, including hard rock and metal. But that is because nearly all modern music takes elements from Bach’s compositions, especially this one.
Trevor Jameson yea when I hear mumble rap I’m like “ooh he borrowed from Toccata & Fugue right there”
WorstPianist , you would be incredibly surprised by how classically melodic some metal really is.
@@worstpianist3985 , check out Fleshgod Apocalypse's album Agony.
The silence of his pauses are made as important as each note. Truly a masterful rendition
Indeed sir.
silence is in this case awesome dome-reverb, so yeah definitely
Indeed Sir, you are right. Perfect tempo and pauses !
-Chopin
@Aeryn Sun also, the notes before and after transitions would have gotten muddled, if he hadn't. This organist obviously knows the acoustics of the cathedral of Berlin well.
The reverb is absolutely SUPERB...!!! My mom and my favorite instrument. Nothing like a large pipe organ opened up fully like this. We sung in many chamber choirs together in various cathedrals. And it just gives you goosebumps folks.
Bach would have been so happy that we, 400 years later, appreciate his magnificent creations. Thank you, Herr Bach.
Dude deserves it tho
The scary thing is most people don't even know its Bach. They probably think some Hollywood composer created it for the movies. Haunting and powerful.
Yes, exactly. And what about the future, after 400 years into the future, around year 2400, shall they listen to this or ”Oops, I did it again”?
Many great musicians came from Austria and germany. and bach is one that will be in history books for as long as humanity exists
How much of 21st-century music will be around in 400-years? "0."
This is probably the most fascinating musical instrument of all time. The amount of keys, buttons, pipes… The sounds that come from it are beautiful, and the reverb from it in the buildings the organs are in… Absolutely brilliant invention. Lovely.
Just today I had this thought. You wrote what I thought 👍
Now try building them 😄
At one time they were the most complex machines in existence.
The buildings are part of the Organ. There are literally pipes everywhere.
@@dgphi yep, until the Space Shuttle and LHC came into place
The first organist i have heard that listens to the acoustic delay of the hall in order to continue keys... well done Xaver
Fascinating! Didn't notice, so cool
I agree there are too many key pounders that don't grasp the concept that the entire building is the instrument. When one does the true potential of the instrument is realised.
Reverb
@@MALANGAENHANCED I refer to DELAY as merely the distinguishing perceptible return of the combination of a multitude of reflections from a single source to a point of listening (PRE-DELAY) resulting in what we overall call reverberation when it is a combination of many attributes. The acoustic sound perceived would possibly appear to differ within a few metres of a particular standing location. Either way, the phenomenon attributed to the sound source and the acoustics in question works pretty well, would you not agree? Also the performance is pretty good too.... :-). Good call to the sound engineer (s).
There is no greater instrument ever conceived and built than the pipe organ. Hundreds of pipes, some over 60 feet in length, it's an entire orchestra in one instrument. There is also no greater music than classical music. The complexities and sheer magnificence.
Also brought us the phrase "pull out all the stops."
There truly is no more glorious experience than a proper organ going full tutti.
But do you know Boogie Woogie?
The mighty pneumatic synthesizer. First record I ever bought. E.Power Biggs.
Agreed.
They should do the same thing... with clarion bells. The BIG ones. Combine a few dozen of those with japanese drums and a pipe organ to play an entire *city*.
Can we just take a minute to appreciate how cool the name "Xaver Varnus" sounds.
Gigout toccata
ua-cam.com/video/EFsNwRIt5cg/v-deo.html
Prof. X. Xaver Varnus... alias Dr. Octavus.
Lol yeah, and the music couldn’t be a better fit. It’s almost too perfect
He looks like Boris John'son
Very star warsy name
The natural echo in this cathedral is insane, and masterfully played.
natural?
Музыка мира и добра и счастья.Пусть закончится война Пусть люди приходят на чужую землю только с подарками.а не с оружием и на танках.Мир в вашей душе
@@pepsisinalco yes, natural. this cathedral in berlin is massive.
@littletweeter1327
I don't think he understood what was really meant by that.
@@pepsisinalcoEcho can be altered as per se, though this eco only basses off of the walls in the Cathedral which is the default.
The organist plays in a way that fully utilizes the resonance in the room. This includes the long pauses which still are filled with sound.
Exactly. I loved that too! This shows his understanding of the instrument and the sound it's capable of producing.
Now do Inna Gadda Da Vida....... ;)
Joking aside, this performance is excellent. :)
Underrated comment. Absolutely overlooked.
So true. The organ and chamber is the whole instrument.
Absolutely! I love the pauses. The ressonance is so beautiful, and you can hear every note.
The silence between notes is so much more important than people think and this guy nailed that
Truly a master who understands that sound comes from the silence between notes.
Not the sound, but the music!
This exactly I’m down a rabbit hole wanting to listen to this song but all others play it to fast, it’s the stuff in between, it’s the drama,it’s the feeling.
I heard once a musician saying that silence is also part of music. So true
I was in that church during midnight mass on Christmas eve. That organ hits you right in the chest. What an experience
Adam Smith awesome !!
That's why it's called an organ, it's healing your organs.
16hz of organ power!!!!!!!
This really doesnt give off a very churchy Christmas vibe if I'm honest
@@LargeMuscularTitties he really meant he was in his hilltop castle on halloween and he got a wooden stake in the chest
For the second time in my life. Finally I have found a precise, beautiful and ( to my ear ) technically correct playing of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. Outstanding presentation. The hours of learning and practice he must have gone through are staggering. To play such an intricate piece by memory is awe inspiring as there was no sheet music in sight. A performance worthy of Bach himself.
I also noticed the no sheet music and marveled.
Then you must be talking about E. Power Biggs
Plays Bach in the Thomaskirche, Columbia Masterworks M30648 (1971)
@dejuren yes, this. never understood "basic" instrument pieces that people stare the entire time at the sheet... after practicing a song 50, 100 , 200 times, even if its something very hard or very fast with a lot of in between notes, the first 50 times you need the sheet or tab, after that you just know what comes next, what the hands should do next without thinking it...
If it's too hard to sightread (and most complex keyboard music is for most musicians), the music won't do you much good anyways. Imagine reading out loud while speaking faster than you can read.
How did this marvelous building survive the War?
The “Fugue” is the greatest piece of organ music ever written. Varnus plays it exceptionally well. Thanks to whomever recorded this.
Thank you for taking your time to let the organ breath. So many artists just rush through this piece.
A little bit into the piece I was thinking he did some things too slow and had excessive pauses. And then I started to figure out what he was doing considering the acoustics he was dealing with.
@@trainliker100The pause seem longer in recording. But when you are in that hall, the continuous flow is Mind Blowing.
@@sibtainhaider2411 Yes. That's what I figured out at some point. I have been in a large venue with a pipe organ and have never heard a recording really capture the experience. Combine that with tiny tinny little speakers in a computer monitor and the sound is worse yet. Somehow, I think our brains make up for some of the shortcomings of the actual sound from crummy speakers because we know what things are supposed to sound like from experience. And our brain improves upon the limitations of a very limited "sound" system.
I like it.
Super performance
This man knows and has the smoothness and the understanding of how an organ works - that it’s not just the sound from the pipes but the whole reverberation, reflection of the church itself needs to be respected!
James Bond knew how an organ worked.
he is a craftsman, not an artist
has instructions and follows these instructions, without going beyond what was written
his expression does not show any feelings - he knows his profession and does it
the only thing he is good at is acting - but there is no spark in him...
I have seen and heard many toccata and fugue performances - this one is correct according to the notation, the sound is good - but it lacks one, most important thing - the feeling...
organs are very sensitive to feelings, if you don't show them to them - they will only be a tool, not an instrument
I really don't like this piece not staying in minor the whole way through, or at least a minor sound, and I really don't like this piece in general, it's all over the place, and doesn't have a reocurring melody that you can remember and sing afterwards.
@@tjguzik it lacks one, most important thing - the feeling...
speak on your behalf, thanks.
@@Ale55andr082 Did I hurt someone's feelings?
and since when do feelings become corporeal and bleed?
If your feelings are bleeding, see a psychiatrist because you have serious mental problems
I said what I thought - and I don't give a damn about your political correctness - I'm telling the truth as it is - not sweet words: ""how beautiful it is, what a great game""
he doesn't play great, he's an asshole and not a musician, my 15-year-old son can do better
and now take me to court - but your political correctness doesn't work in my country...
I am an organist, and this is the only performance of this piece that made me cry. He plays the music as it asks, without any personal ego or flashiness. Amazing.
You have 1 more version of 19 year old prodigy...which was imho even better
Have you ever heard disc? ua-cam.com/video/fmZMR97cIPY/v-deo.html
He played it like a masterpiece should be... In Strenght
agree 1000x1000 ... it's a gift to bach (and to us) and not to himself
As the piece needs, just music for the beauty of it.
Best rendition of this masterpiece I've heard. He's not just playing the pipe organ. He's playing the sound the of the entire building!
Cathedral acoustics play a big part. It wouldn't be the same outside.
Unusually clean and intelligible performance, not the usual "see how rapidly I can play".
TheMrFarkle the difference between showing off and caring about the beauty of the music
I completely agree. Slow and majestically gothic, laden with foreboding, works best for this piece, especially with the long revert times.
Yes! I really appreciate the calm, deliberate phrasing.
As God intended.
Very true, but worth considering the performance and the type of instrument. I learnt to play this on a one hundred and fifty-odd year old organ that originally had hand bellows. As my teacher put it, your bellows boys would have rioted had you tried to play that fast and with that many stops out at once. Slow down and enjoy the music and nuance. Seeing as you could hear the mechanical/electrical bellows working hard if you tried to go flat out, I can only imagine how impossible it would have been to keep up with. I still believe you should let the majesty of the music and the organ tell the story, not your technical skill ;)
I Agree, most "versions" are just over 10 minutes..
Best performance of this Bach piece I’ve heard in my long life. What pushes it over the top is Xavier’s awareness of the acoustical environment of the church and allowing the reverberations to play out before continuing. Totally brilliant!
I 100 percent agree.... I couldn't work out why it sounded so good! Totally brilliant!
spot on he reads the room literally
Sounds absolutely brilliant
Right! But his name is XAVER, not 'Xavier'.
And this work is not by Bach. See Wikipedia
In case nobody else mentions it, I'd like to commend the outstanding work of the recording crew.
Yes! Im really curious what mics and what placements they used. It really captures the low end well. I love that you can hear the building too! You get a bit of an idea about how it sounds, from the echoes and reverb and whatnot! I find lots of youtube clips dont give you that
The whole editing of the vídeo is remarkably well done !
Thanks, it really does sound great, and pipe organs are hard to do right.
This masterpiece is meant to be played like that, taking in account the reverberation and acoustics of the place, every pause meant to make the notes be "felt" by the audience, rather than only listening to it, the tempo was superb, and indeed as someone else said, a masterpiece of this caliber, you just don't applaud like a fool at the end, you let the music fill you, shake you to the core, you experience it, and be be glad to the God Almighty who put Bach in this terrenal place to giving us a glimpse of the greatness that humanity can achieve
Beautiful post, you said it all. Thank you❤
Excellently put
A horrid, boring piece of cacophony by Bach... played well, but so what.
Let it breathe, let it breathe. This organist respects the instrument in its acoustic environment, which has always been an integral part of the instrument, as it is supposed to be.
And most importantly, let the Master J.S. Bach breathe. Wonderful ! Wonderful !
Excelente interpretacion...
Imponente templo.
I have no understanding of pipe music, but some how understand that you have to let tubes breathe. i.e escaspe of air and new input of air. Amazing.
@@mogwai2884 An Organ Pipe does take to speak much longer than a piano string and also as it bigger it get's with the base pipes (up to 9 Meters), the longer they will take to speak. So for that an organ should be always played with much slower tempi than a piano and a great Organ Master (like Varnus) takes use of it and also respects it acustically.
Создать такой инструмент!!!!и создать такую музыку!!!!!!
Well said. As a professional organist I agree with every word.
You have to work w i t h the acoustics -, not a g a i n s t it !
Bach has died 273 years ago, but he was such an amazing genius that the music he composed is still remembered and revered to this day. And Xaver is such an incredible organ player. His interpretation of Toccata & Fugue is absolutely beautiful and awe inspiring. I love classic music!
Funnily enough, the only reason that J.S. Bach is even known is because of one of his fans who went around Europe, finding every Bach piece he could find...
... and he still didn't find all of them.
If it hadn't of been for Felix Mendelssohn, Bach's masterpieces would likely have languished ina dusty conservatory cabinet. He single handedly started the Bach Revival in 1829 with a masterful performance of Bach's Passion According To St. Matthew. It received such critical claim, that it started a movement which has continued to this day.
Thank you Lord for Maestro's Bach and Mendelssohn.
@@ClarenceCochran-ne7duLet's face it , they are both genius
i thought tocatta de fugue Dm was older than bach tho?
@@DjMicr0dot Nope! It's actually one of Bach's most famous pieces.
As a classical pianist I have the greatest admiration for someone who can play 4-part counterpoint a la JS Bach with both hands and both feet simultaneously.
And no music sheet apparently
As a drummer, we call that “limb independence”. When you fall into an independent syncopation it makes it sound like you have eight arms.
Also note he is playing it without SHEET MUSIC!
@Andy MacKay Clearly Xaver has a great natural talent, but I'm sure he would agree that greater still was the phenomenal mind that composed this masterwork.
What is even more amazing to me about Bach’s music is how it’s not just a melody on top of some chords: I can see two or more melodies running independently and weaving in and out of each other yet complementing each other so well! It’s like the chords just *happen* out of those concurrent melodies.
I can almost always tell new Bach music I have never heard before, by seeing all those independent melodies working together. I never see it to THAT degree with Handel or other composers of his time.
I have synesthesia, which makes it VERY difficult for me to master sheet music. Is what I am seeing the counterpoint I always hear so much about with Bach?
This performance undoes the damage that pop culture has inflicted upon this piece. This work is pure poetry and this organist speaks Bach's poetry like a master poet. This is how the piece is supposed to sound. I've been listening to this over and over again. It's so well played.
The way he pauses and lets the decay of the sound resonate through the space is sublime. I could listen to this all night...
It gives a powerful flow, thats why I liked this guy.
@@cjmartinez8318 Yes, an amazing performance and unequaled in my limited experience...
He is exceptional. The pauses are almost playful. They fully let the listener savour each stanza. An absolutely masterful rendition of a great piece. The composer and the organ builder would be deeply pleased with the way he has brought both to life
This is the most perfect tempo for this piece. Superior pauses and sustained chords to drive the emotion to its fullest. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Mr. Varnus!
I thought the same. Many others don't have the feeling for the right pauses. Never listened to a better interpretation that this of Varnus.
@Emily Evans it’s insane how big the Berliner dom is.
The long pauses are to let the echoes die down, but I agree it works for this piece.
Its all about the sound decay and his pauses take into account the decay. Best interpretation I've heard
Yes yes yes!!! So many contemporary performances and recordings are rushed for no good reason.
I love the way he makes the notes finish in the pipes before moving on to another part. A LOT of pipe organists don't do this. When so, it sounds so garbled up. Lower notes take longer to go through pipes than higher notes do. Notice when he went through the high notes, he breezed right through them. But the lower notes, he recognized he had to slow down, and Bach knew this, as this was meant for a pipe organ back in the 1600's, and still make the illusion that this was still an adagio fugue
Hi James. I think you are referring to the Decay Rate of the room the organ is in. The decay rate of cathedrals is why music written for them is so slow. Not only does the organ sound great, the voices sound amplified by the reverberation.
Enjoy.
This is my favourite Bach piece.
@@AndrewBlucher Hey, thank you! I couldn't remember the name of the process!
Because he's a master of his instrument and has been doing it and doing it for years. I am sure that Bach is smiling from the Heavens in the way that this man plays His majestic tune ✨️ ❤️. 🙏
Great
You speak something very true. The lower notes should always be spoken a little more slowly and just a little more softly to make the song sound a little better.
i marvel at the brain that composed this and the brain that memorised it to play with such beautiful texture. humanity is capable of divinity.
This was by far the slowest Toccata and Fugue in D that I have ever heard. Just the way it is supposed to be in a huge hall like this. Bravo.
Have to listen everyday to bach will never be another genius as great as him
All serious pipe organists should be required to watch this video several, many times. There are "mechanics" and there are "artists" sitting at the keyboards, and 99% of them play this piece as though they are "mechanics." They follow the notes, but they just play one note after the other. Xaver Varnus is a Grade A artist. He interjects pauses at strategic intervals. He allows the venue's acoustics to participate in the presentation. He individualizes Bach as I've never heard anyone do it before.
De acuerdo,ese sonido entre celestial y tenebroso
I believe that that's called adding character to the piece. Actually, I recall that there's another orchestral term for it, but I can't quite recall it.
@@Crogon Voicing.
Phrasing is everything
Valley of the Wolves ua-cam.com/video/hQ6Xneni4nk/v-deo.html
"He had no notes to read, I have no words to say." (No, I don't mean I'm impressed that he had no sheets, I'm just expressing my awe of his performance!)
I was in awe also...
Thats right
Memory..
Zyx I’d like to spill an open box of matches on the ground next to him
I mean i wouldn't say it's the amazing that he knows a piece of music by heart
I love this kind of performance and there is no way anyone can understand what it is like without actually being there for the live performance! The entire building is the body of the instrument! You become part of the art as you are part of the structure.
the engineers who designed fashioned wired and constructed this instrument deserve as much credit as this amazing musician.
Since it is a pipe organ I'm not sure how much wiring would be involved
@@bigunone its been "fully resored" according to wikipedia. It may well be completely digitized except for the actual wind.
The thread notes say it’s a pneumatic action organ.
You are right. Yeah the driver won the race, but he did it with the crew who built him a car to do so.
@@bigunone Every single key is a SPST switch which is WIRED to a coil of WIRE which pulls a light steel reed valve, which opens allowing air to flow into a small bellows, which pulls a much larger valve mechanism that allows pressurized are to flow into a specific pipe. The wiring harnesses are huge just for a single pike rank. This organ had two-dozen+?
so wonderful to hear someone playing this extraordinary music without hurrying through it
Yeah, but maybe a bit too slow ...
THANK YOU,! For finally stating the obvious. I'm amazed that thru the years, everyone rushes this incredible piece of music and there's no outcry but only from a few. I feel like this performance IS the way it's meant to be played
I hope that´s just subtle irony. Fuga means "escape" :-D
I know! I really hate it when people play it fast like a speed run. 9 minutes is short, 11 is perfect, 7 is not even worth listening to.
@@marcodaz1173 I like how you said "maybe"... :)
He lets the notes play out before beginning again. I love this, while many others play this way too fast.
Yes, it is played far too quickly by so many.
Yes. That way he presents the dignity of this music and therefore, in result, he deserves our respect and our appreciation.
Да,вы правы! Я посмотрела до этого несколько исполнителей и по первым тактам понимала,это не моё! Как печатная машинка! Звук обрывается сразу же без продолжения! А здесь ноты ЗВУЧАТ и уходят в бесконечность! BRAVO , MAESTRO!!!
The melody around 1:40 always sounded off to me in other renditions.
To hear it slowed down has further made me appreciate the rest of the piece as it was intended
Perfectly agree.
The pauses and patience in this mans rendition are absolutely stunning and praise worthy. This is quite possibly the best version I've ever heard. My hats off to this fine musician.
Thank the gods someone understands the importance of slowing down this piece. It should extend beyond the length of the human voice to sing it. That gives it an otherworldly feeling. Huge. Terrifying. Awesome!
Good observation
It's also so much different on an organ on a piano (or keyboard where j often see it does up) the note doesn't last and fill the room. With the organ every not fills the room completely and stays in the air for a moment, giving a reason to mind the pauses in the playing to let the sound really resonate.
@regalia I will thank all the gods I pray to and respect Bachs choice in higher power
@regalia Absolutely! 'Soli Deo gloria' was Bach's motto at the end of all his music.
@@annexton3795 it's not his fault everyone was brainwashed and under the thumb of the church back then, as a species we were still very childlike. Now we're in an era of adolescence, because we have learned much, but we act like we think we know everything, and our greatest existential threat right now is that we'll destroy ourselves either accidentally or on purpose. So it'd be pretty silly for us to still believe in fairy tales, especially ones thay encourage us to shirk off all responsibility for this mess we've made because some magic sky grandpa santa claus for adults is gonna come clean it up for us.
It's so deranged and twisted how so many people actually want WWIII to happen because they think everyone that disagrees with them will be MURDERED by their jerk of a deity.
Every now and then, I come back to this video to just marvel at its beauty. This song is nothing without the proper organist playing it. Absolutely marvelous. I cannot say enough good things about this performance. It was transformative.
but 🙇🙇♀️🙇♂️alien has each hand with 20 fingers🤣
Thank Heaven for the organ builder and those who have preserved it over the centuries for us today!
We are all blessed that this magnificent instrument survived two wars. It is a beautiful thing. May it always play in peace.
I don't think Berlin suffered badly during WW1.
I thought about that too.
What instrument do you play?
- A church
the pope probably
At 11:25 he's playing a Sig Sauer. ;) They also make high quality guns.
Actually, yes. The way he plays is considering all the echoes and acoustics of the church itself.
Great performance! Simply amazing.
Ok. That’s funny. Where do you guys dream up these funny comments?
@@alexpearson8481 just out of mind :-)
Varnus is a master. He's been playing for 300 years, hidding in the shadows, feeding on virgins blood.
Thank you!!! I thought I was the only one that noticed this!!! Good eye!
Outstanding comment.
in new orleans of coarse, because we all know the REALL vamps are in the bourbon street area, which is why you DONT go down those corridors between bars in the quarter
I get an Edward Scissorhands vibe! Joking apart his playing is stunning. Just beautiful. 💗
Probably tutored by The Master himself….🤓
Finally a performance that's appropriately measured in its tempo. Almost all of them on UA-cam are so fast. This can't be played fast, it has to echo itself down. Breathe.
I agree that most recordings are way too fast but I do think this one is ever so slightly slow. Impressive nevertheless.
You can hear that Xaver waits until the echo has exactly stopped, before continuing. That would mean the piece will be played at different speeds depending on the building it's played in.
@@blatherskite9601 I thought exactly the same thing!
He is waiting for the echo to fade away.
i was thinking that something was odd
I have wondered at this - because doesn't Bach specify the tempo, and if so, why aren't the pros following it? I can understand why *I* don't follow the tempo - it's because I can't play super fast and flawlessly at the same time. Also, I am not a pro, just a fan who can play.
A Masterpiece being played by a Master! Wow unbelievable! And let's not forget the Master builders of the organ and building! Beautiful!
This may be the best played version EVER, post BACH. He allows the space to play with the sound before moving on. Perfection.....
ua-cam.com/video/PEHGxpRoZQM/v-deo.html
I agree. This piece is often played way too fast without allowing the notes to fade naturally. This gives the piece some real gravitas without being too slow (because it's possible to play it too slowly, too). This is one of the few performances I've heard where there is space between the notes just enough to actually hear each note from each pipe.
hearing this organ echoing in berlin was life changing. you can hear it from outside and you feel the sound throughout your body when youre inside.
Blue Lobster
Just remember what the Russians did to this place in 1945.
Love to experience this ❤ 🇦🇺
@@jimnichols1066 Soviets!
Even a whole nation of people can transcend a satanically inspired mass psychosis. The russian soul is fundamentally and in diametric opposition to your limited impression.
@@jimnichols1066 take a look at how the Post Postmodern Russia has rebuilt, amongst many others - The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow.
The pipe organ is the best music instrument ever made.
Listen to it live is an amazing experience, music surrounds you from everywhere.
The bass frequencies make your stomach vibrating.
Awesome.
The pipe organ produces a sound like the very centre of the earth in motion. The galaxies form to this sound,and the human psyche responds beyond understanding to the resonating vibration of creation.
stomach vibrating is the word ! but i have that feeling also, when i hear a hammond B3 with leslie :-) (i mean, the real beast, not its digital opponents)
Agreed! I had the pleasure of hearing this played in a church in Florence years ago and I still think about that experience!
If you want to be an entire symphony orchestra, the pipe organ lets you be that orchestra.
That's actually what got me into this in the first place visiting as a tourest Winchester cathedral one day .....it just happens to have a guy playing I dont think it was really a recital but he played Widors docata in Dm and it just blew me away there sheer majesty and resonance of those notes going through my body was out of this world experience! !!
Beautiful Just beautiful, May God bless you. This is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard.🥹🥹🥹
Bach must be saying"At last someone playing the piece as I intended it to be performed. Update treated myself to expensive headphones oriented to classical music, went to musical nirvana having heard notes not picked up by my old phones. So glad I saved for these new cans. This piece sounds so sharp and fresh I felt like one of the audience.
I don't think Bach ever had any intention of his piece being performed this well.
Of course Bach had no idea how the organ would be developed in the future but if he could hear this I'm certain he would be overwhelmed by his own work!
@@paullewis2413 . I'm just glad he wrote it it fills me with awe that for all our human failings we can produce music like this.
Without exception the best rendition of this piece I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. Finally, a player unafraid to linger and let the beauty of the flourishes wash over the hall like an autumn breeze.
@@NathanaelDuke Totally agree with your sentiments.
I remember this score being played in the Koln cathedral in the early 70's.. as a young man, I was truly taken by the sound and the physical experience of these large pipe organs. I imagine how the early worshipers could have easily been overwhelmed as well, the sound emitting from this huge gothic structure, almost a religious experience in itself!
I remember the first time visiting Koln... and marvelling at the how the cathedral dominated the surrounding space.... one of the most evocative physical spaces I've visited. Would love to hear the organ there, or in Berlin. Those religious architects knew how to build!
Especially with none of the electronic equipment we now have
Can we just take a minute here and recognize the fact that he is playing this from memory!! There is no sheet music in front if him!! What an amazing genius!!
It's not possible to play this from sheet music unless it is learned in memory. It's to fast for reading notes, must really be practiced hundred times or so.
@@geertjalink To be fair, that's most particularly technical music. Especially of something of this nature on this sort of instrument.
@@farmerboy916 is Bach technical too? Sometimes I think it is.
@@geertjalink well his fugues are filled with technical passages
@@jeannebouwman1970 also I think it's some mathematics patterns in several Bach's songs.
From what I've read, this performance may well be as Bach intended it be played, with clarity of every note. Bach was a master performer.
How absolutely wonderful. This Organist knew enough "not" to throw away the ending of the piece and not go too fast. Bravo Maestro!
Musique3579, This is how Bach intended for his song to be played.
In a great Cathedral and a powerful organ as this, the sound comes alive and fills and resonates the air and a great artist like him respectfully and beautifully gave the sound it's space.
I appreciate his phrasing.
@@stammelblindarcher4477 that is Bach's original phrasing
To folks who say "too slow!", I say if it was an acoustically dead venue, fine. But I wanna hear that echo!
Some say after he finished playing his masterpiece in the grand hall, he burst into a swarm of bats and vanished, never to be seen again.
Bruce Wayne username checks out.
😂
😛
🦇🦇😁
I'm not saying you're Batman, but I've never seen the two of you in the same room together.
I guess you needed this organist more than his audience needed another song?
And this is why my dear dad loved the organ. I hope there's a Bach pipe organ wherever you are Dad. I miss you...
Who knows, he may even be listening to Bach himself play...
@@Bananaguy7 I really hope he is.
❤️💐
@@majestic-ui7qe The hardest part of missing dad is being Dad.
@@AgeofReason ❤
Not only did he have perfect, entire control of this amazing instrument, he controlled the entire room. From perfect timing to allow it to echo at full effect around the room, to taking his time instead of rushing it. Extremely jealous of every person who got to witness this performance live!!
That last high sustained D, waiting for the crushing D minor chord to enter below and put an end to the composition, always gives me the shivers. Bach died 271 yrs ago and his music still communicates. Bravo to him and the virtuoso performer.
I'm not an accomplished musician but if you are talking about at the very end where it sort of sounds like it will end on an upbeat happy chord and then the minor chord comes in I totally agree. Gives me chills. Perfection.
And the Baroque Era.
@@TKing-ph7bq o
@@TKing-ph7bq yeah it is a wonderfull way to end the coda, sadly very few do it and even fewer hold the note for so long like Xaver
It's brilliant. It's sounds like doom!
A pop organist this man isn't. The notes came when they were ready, not in a flashy rush. Brilliantly played.
Ok, Yoda.
I haven't heard it said that beautifully before! "The notes came when they were ready" . You just made me smile 😌
@@edmardisla8492 LOL Imma yoink that joke
I don't think his touch was great but his timing and patience was really good
He’s not doing this for himself. He’s honoring the instrument, the room, and the composer.
Bach's masterpiece, performed by an absolute master of his craft, on a beautiful instrument in an equally beautiful building! For a change an all too rare example of how humanity is capable of absolute brilliance.
Without sheets ！！！
He is a musical genius in my humblest opinion.
Both Bach and Varnus, for me!
The building is the instrument, just like the body of a guitar.
God's creation.
he manages to not only remember toccata but the entire fugue which is very long for a memory only play
60 years I’ve waited to hear the D Minor rendered like this. Utterly brilliant allowing the work to speak for itself without any of the usual show-off ‘lets see how fast we can belt this out’ approach too common these days.
Dissily Mordentroge dig. that,!
Well said that man!
Well considering that a large part of baroque music was based on virtuosity and “showing off”, I’d say those kinds of performances technically capture more of the compositional intent of the piece. That being said, there’s definitely a limit, and I do enjoy this particular rendition a lot myself.
I agree. Sometimes, I find myself wondering, "does he have somewhere to be?" when they just knuckle these things out as quickly as possible. If you're interested in that, maybe play some Van Halen on your own time.
Absolutely agreed! This rendition comes second only to the orchestral rock version for me...
This is simply the best version I have heard. The room, the organ, and organist!
I agree Luke, its an excellent version but also have a listen to the version from the 1975 movie "Rollerball" with James Caan! I think its even a bit better.
And the audio crew it took to correctly capture the sound.
Virgil Fox could have given him a run for his money. In fact, his interpretation of this piece is probably Virgil's.
IDK about that... The orchestral version in the "Fantasia" soundtrack ( ua-cam.com/video/Q6u-2NDsEgA/v-deo.html ) and the obvious original "Rollerball" soundtrack ( ua-cam.com/video/_wFTkYm0i6g/v-deo.html ) are both amazing and (IMO) at least as equally as good. Adagio (not Bach) in "Rollerball" is also nice but my favorite version is on the "Gallipoli" soundtrack and this one ( ua-cam.com/video/PEzuXJ0rOJM/v-deo.html )
Enjoy
I'm fascinated by the organ. As the notes above say: Today, the organ in the Cathedral of Berlin is the largest late-Romantic pneumatic action organ in the world that has survived in its original condition.
For those who aren't familiar with the mechanics of pipe organs, let me just say that statement is astonishing. Pneumatic action is probably the most complex kind of organ action. So much can get out of adjustment, or be damaged, and at its best, it is a fairly slow way to get the organist's intentions from the keys to the pipes. For that reason, I was fascinated with Varnus' playing. Not only does he masterfully use the room's reverberation time, he also plays with even more than his normal clarity to minimize the sluggish action. I'm sure that this organ is very well cared for and regulated, and so its action is probably absolutely as good as a pneumatic action can be, but even so, it won't have the crispness of a good tracker action or the speed of an electro-pneumatic action. To those few people who complain that he played too slowly, I'd suggest that if he had played the fast passages much faster, they would have turned to mush between the room acoustics and the pneumatic delay.
Thank you for those insights.
Brilliant!
no suprise it's German everything German lasts forever apart from new cars lol
To a layman's ears, thank you.
i too am fascinated by the organ. it fills me with joy!
To hear this performed on this magnificent instrument, filling the air, bouncing from the walls, you can finally understand Bach's vision. Wonderful performance.
Oh how I wish I was in the audience to hear this incredible performance from a master organist on such a magnificent organ. WOW!!
5555!!!!
I love it...
I imagine that an organ of this size that you would feel the music as well. I too would love to be there.
i loved how nobody applauded at the end and the organ could just fade out
@@MarcassCarcass Disciplined audience. Even if asked to remain quiet after, I'm not sure my emotions, hearing this piece played like this, would cooperate.
Bach would indeed be proud to have heard this! Well done!
The surpassing intelligence of those who designed and built this building, combined with the amazing skills and depth of knowledge of those who designed and built the organ, combined with the nearly super human musical abilities of Bach, who created this masterpiece from a blank sheet of paper, combined with the incredible talents of Mr. Varnus - exhilarating and almost unbelievable!
This is not just a performance of the greatest work by the greatest composer. These sounds convey a true understanding of Bach's music with all its meanings. Indeed, it is true that this performance is one of the most authentic and correct in meaning. BRAVO, Maestro!
Por mais que possam aparecer instrumentos com tecnologia moderna, esta harmonia de acordes é algo *insuperável* . MÚSICA, é DEUS falando através de *dedos* obedientes ao seu comando. MÚSICA, é uma verdadeira *VIAGEM* a um *MUNDO ANGELICAL*. Quem duvidar, feche os olhos e se deixe conduzir pelos *ANJOS DE DEUS* a esse *PLANO SUPERIOR*.
What does this even mean? It’s not truly authentic to play a baroque piece on an organ that is build in the in the early 20th century. Neither the intonation of the pipes nor the temperament is anything that Bach had in his time. Even the video description says that it’s edited by Mendelssohn.
I wanna buy a castle in the middle of nowhere and play this tune while its thundering outside
Full on Addams family vibes bro.
I always imagined doing that but building a castle in some remote part of Alaska. Play it during a snow storm with the windows open. FILL THE STORM WITH THE MUSIC!
Straight up
Amen
While laughing maniacally.
I like his phrasing - he allows for the reverb to die away - the piece seems to breathe.
Aye playing this song in such a large space with such a large organ you need to pause to allow the sound to bleed out. Most people play the song far to fast and sounds overlap each other. This is probably the best rendition of this song ive heard.
Maybe you need to pause also to allow for the pressure to rebuild.
Anyway, I agree that this rendition is awesome, nevertheless.
I think he phrased it this way because the building has reverb. He is a very great talent. Check out this other vid, a crisper performance: ua-cam.com/video/Nnuq9PXbywA/v-deo.html
I noticed that too, he let the reverberation ring out and fade, beautiful.
Yes. Brilliant young man with God's gift.
"I play a guitar"
"I PLAY A BUILDING"
i play your mother
@@trkk7047 you played yourself.
That is easily the funniest comment I've ever seen on this thing! Thanks for the laugh.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
... biggest LOL this month ... !
He plays it better than anyone on UA-cam I found the tempo the intensity etc I now use his style standard to others no one comes close it’s awesome
Even in our age of technology, we are awed by this instrument and the sounds that come from it. Now imagine that it is the early 1700's. You are a poor, illiterate subject of an Austrian monarch. You attend a mass at a cathedral that has an organ capable of doing this piece justice. You leave, believing you have literally just witnessed the sounds of God.
What comes close is Gregorian Chants.
Better times
@@johnwiechelman4630 are you aware of how the organ was powered back then?
just sit back somewhere, alone... close your eyes.. and the world is a better place..
I cried a little when I imagined myself as that peasant)
NOTE: No sheet music this guy is playing this from memory. Impressive.
Agreed! The mark of a true professional.
its muscle memory lol, once you play it alot and you feel a lot of interest in playing it, you will instantly play it even without looking at the notes.
most musicians play from memory.
@@user-dk5kj5dv9x True, but there is much more than muscle memory...
@@theokleynhans5969 i agree.
Half of the pipe organ technique is reverb, which many artists simply miss, but not Mr. Xaver! Perfect tempo and reverb!
Imagine what was in JS Bach's genius mind to compose this grandiose masterpiece some 400 years ago when human kind was living at the candles light!!!
I think its rather like the 2 hands having a conversation or a row with each other one speaks and the the other ansas or shouts back. Brilliant work by js so ahead of his time.
he died 273 years ago, but the candle was actually still used.
wait isn't this tocatta de fugue dm origins unknown tho.
..its bach who history has first credited for performing but im sure he was covering it by the origins unknown implication....if im missing something please educate
This is the north Western European culture we should treasure, Bach, Berliner dom, all in all perfection in beautiness❤
Die beste Interpretation der Bachschen Toccata. Niemand spielt sie so gut. PERFEKT!!!
Love the tempo here. Too many players race through the pieces, like they're renting the organ by the minute.
Grande maestro 👍💪
Incidentally, that organ does go for $50 per minute.
Too slow! Very long pauses.
He smoked hashish?
@@Demiurg_D Nah. Just right.
@@Demiurg_D Toccata done right for that venue. Magnificent echo. He takes full advantage of it.
"12 minutes? Oh, I might just listen a bit in the beginning, and then move on."
*listens to the entire thing and getting goosebumps*
Doesn't feel like 12 minutes. :)
Same
@@lebarotnak it feels like a story a full movie of more than 3 hours...
Same. There was really no place where it would have felt right to just stop it.
He is draculaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!
Hahahhaha
A big BRAVO! from Germany! Wonderful performance!!!
Perfection. I'm sick of everybody playing this as quick as possible, it sounds awful.
Thanks to Mr Varnus i can enjoy this masterpiece as i am sure in the way that Mr Bach intended.
I agree with you 100%!!! I like the slower tempo, too. Glenn Gould liked to play piano pieces at the highest tempo, too...
Yes - totally agree. Hold those notes, let the instrument breathe, feel the power of the music.
I totally agree. The piece should be played at a measured pace that matches the organ.
Brilliant!!
Stupendous!
ua-cam.com/video/PEHGxpRoZQM/v-deo.html
At last, an organist that knows how to play into the acoustics of the room. It is a magnificent performance, probably the best I've heard. Most organists play this piece too fast to show off. Bravo Xaver
Tuba Maxima 100% agree with you.
In my opinion, he played this perfectly. He understands that it's a ombination of organist, organ and SPACE. This organ was designed for this space. RT60 measurements may be 8sec+ and he knows how to get the best out of it. It's a real pleasure to hear this. Anything faster will be gooey mud. Excellent performance!!
It should be a bit faster
I agree with u.The mojo is the song and note itself,not the speed
Flawless, best version on UA-cam by far
Apart from skills required to play that thing Im fascinated by the engineering that went into building it, fitting it and tuning it!
Me too! The organ was the most advanced piece of engineering in existence, a technological marvel.
Ю́юб
That machine is a beast. Must come with an awesome price tag. Lol
I'm satisfied just being able to listen to it. . .
It's so mind blowing to think the sound is just air going through a metal pipe.
I've often wondered if the wood used to produce such a marvel has an influence on the sound in some small way, just like with a guitar for example.
Even on this simple tablet device, absolutely the best version I heared so far,. Thanks
The pure brilliance of this performance can not be understated. This is one of those rare performances that comes together in such perfect harmony, from the musician himself, to the building acoustics, to all of those who maintain this brilliant instrument, etc. Such a performance will never be repeated again.
💯
But we have to try over and over again ❤️
Maybe this really brings the consciousness to a higher level
The slightly slower pace allows me to fully absorb and appreciate the beauty of Bach's creation.
this is a very quotable comment XD
Perhaps the most precise performance of this piece I've heard. And the silences are perfection. He knows that he has to respond to the building.
Hundreds of years ago when I had forced piano lessons I struggled, futilely, to play with both hands. This man is playing with his FEET as well! I'm glad I gave up, I'm happy to listen.