As Marie Claire Alain said many years ago, The Bach Toccata & Fugue in F is one of the most difficult works of Bach. She was not talking about the technical aspect of playing the correct notes, but the intricacy of articulation and nuance this work demands. Few understand or interpret what Bach has handed before us in this work. "Over their heads' I believe, is the expression used. This performance meets the challenge.
*J.S.Bach* 's Toccata in F An amazing achievement - we are less listening to Bach than the kind of sound his congregations would have heard as - spellbound - they tore themselves away to return home for dinner, before the next sermon.... The composer himself must have danced with joy when he heard this!
Großartig! Der Organist spielt ausdrucksstark,mit Bedacht,lässt dabei die Orgel sprechen und geht sensibel mit der Raumakustik um. Was will man mehr? *****
Bach's great 'ode to joy' - the Toccata in F - played brilliantly. The fugue sounds a bit muddy with the 16 ft stop on the manuals, but it's a bit of a stodgy fugue anyway, a complete contrast to the Toccata.
You start this work with full organ? I like your tempo. The room is wonderful. Take full advantage it. Have a ball... for the next 100 years. It's yours now. Congratulations.
A pipe organ never sounds in isolation: "the instrument" is both the organ and the building housing it. The organ and its venue become a single instrument. In this case, the tempo, registration, and playing are "correct."
This is a fabulous work and seems to invite so many different interpretations. I'm not a fan of the speedy delivery especially when the acoustic is heading towards 8 to 10 seconds of reverberation. My personal choice of speed, acoustic and registration is I suppose, a bit outdated, but remains with Peter Hurford and the thrilling Rieger in Ratzeburg cathedral, West Germany. Although this version was released in the 1980s, it is a performance that never fails to impress : flawless playing, thrilling registration and an organ, which roars, chiffs and bombardes its mighty sound with unmatched exuberance. Gillian Weir plays a little faster, but never loses control and clearly loves this piece. Cameron Carpenter is a brilliant performer and showman. . He can be guaranteed to add style, confidence and a personality to his playing and this work, but he's too wacky and arrogant for my boring and conventional taste and I'm happier with a less showy interpretation. Each to his/her own I suppose.
Period instruments were often tuned higher (~460 or even ~490) since the pipes were shorter and therefore cheaper to make. As for this organ I don't know.
This is a difficult instrument to play in that most of it is still mechanical action. The "clean" sound is hard to come by because of the distance of the organs from the console. This performer does a really good rendition under the circumstances. A better recording technique would have also helped.
The church has an over reverberant acoustics and a faster tempo would the sound fade even more. Also, there would be difficulties with the wind. Against this background I find the tempo very reasonable.
Con la musica di Bach siamo quasi al divino
What a genial masterwork , powerful Organ and majestic Sound and a great organist in Neresheim.
Meraviglia assoluta ♥️
Was für tolle Version des Organisten an dieser Orgel!
As Marie Claire Alain said many years ago, The Bach Toccata & Fugue in F is one of the most difficult works of Bach. She was not talking about the technical aspect of playing the correct notes, but the intricacy of articulation and nuance this work demands. Few understand or interpret what Bach has handed before us in this work. "Over their heads' I believe, is the expression used. This performance meets the challenge.
I like this performance very much - It has a "grandeur" and some mystical profoundness...
The opening part is just amazing, a universe of sound. I'm hooked!
*J.S.Bach* 's Toccata in F An amazing achievement - we are less listening to Bach than the kind of sound his congregations would have heard as - spellbound - they tore themselves away to return home for dinner, before the next sermon.... The composer himself must have danced with joy when he heard this!
Großartig! Der Organist spielt ausdrucksstark,mit Bedacht,lässt dabei die Orgel sprechen und geht sensibel mit der Raumakustik um. Was will man mehr? *****
Truly beautifull Andrew, thank you !
Bach's great 'ode to joy' - the Toccata in F - played brilliantly. The fugue sounds a bit muddy with the 16 ft stop on the manuals, but it's a bit of a stodgy fugue anyway, a complete contrast to the Toccata.
You start this work with full organ? I like your tempo. The room is wonderful. Take full advantage it. Have a ball... for the next 100 years. It's yours now. Congratulations.
A pipe organ never sounds in isolation: "the instrument" is both the organ and the building housing it. The organ and its venue become a single instrument. In this case, the tempo, registration, and playing are "correct."
This is a fabulous work and seems to invite so many different interpretations. I'm not a fan of the speedy delivery especially when the acoustic is heading towards 8 to 10 seconds of reverberation. My personal choice of speed, acoustic and registration is I suppose, a bit outdated, but remains with Peter Hurford and the thrilling Rieger in Ratzeburg cathedral, West Germany. Although this version was released in the 1980s, it is a performance that never fails to impress : flawless playing, thrilling registration and an organ, which roars, chiffs and bombardes its mighty sound with unmatched exuberance. Gillian Weir plays a little faster, but never loses control and clearly loves this piece. Cameron Carpenter is a brilliant performer and showman. . He can be guaranteed to add style, confidence and a personality to his playing and this work, but he's too wacky and arrogant for my boring and conventional taste and I'm happier with a less showy interpretation. Each to his/her own I suppose.
Is this instrument tuned A=440, or lower since this is a period instrument?
Period instruments were often tuned higher (~460 or even ~490) since the pipes were shorter and therefore cheaper to make. As for this organ I don't know.
@@gambe96 Neresheim is at concert pitch.
@@mbrough2799 ah ok. probably retuned in the 19th or 20th century I guess. and they didn't put it back for the restoration...
PS. You should hear it on a two manual Challis harpsichord...hopefully...someone will come along and record it.
Exactly how was all this air generated in 1798?
a few strong men working very large wedge bellows...
i live near that
This is a difficult instrument to play in that most of it is still mechanical action. The "clean" sound is hard to come by because of the distance of the organs from the console. This performer does a really good rendition under the circumstances. A better recording technique would have also helped.
nice . .but please . . . no mixtures + reed in pedal during the first two organ points . . .
The sound is marvelous but the tempo is a bit sluggish...
The church has an over reverberant acoustics and a faster tempo would the sound fade even more. Also, there would be difficulties with the wind. Against this background I find the tempo very reasonable.
I like the way he brings out the mystical drama of the piece with his pauses at appropriate times. Brilliant!
Sluggish ? Poor Packham tells rubbish.