The most important thing is Clarity ! ! ! ! listen to the inner voices and the articulation of the playing. Virgil was absolutely precise in that and his rhythm was impeccable. One could never fault on his sense of rhythm.
This is one of the most glorious pieces of music I have heard. I love the composer's harmonic language. I think the Saint-Saens 3rd Symphony with organ is overrated (obviously apart from the "Babe" movement). I cannot understand why this is not more well known and why it is not more often included in concerts - it is a show-stopper!
You know you've got chops when you can play a piece that complex without a score in front of you, with an orchestra and know exactly when to come in and what to come in on and when not to.
On September the 27th, Peter Richard Conte and The Philadelphia Orchestra will perform the Jongen Symphonie Concertante at Macy's, on the Wamanaker Organ !
This and the Toccata are the most glorious things I've heard in a very long time. I know you said Virgil transcribed it, but who originally composed it? I NEED to know. Thank you so much for this.
Briefly, the keyboards and pedals control different "divisions" of the organ and each division has many "ranks" of pipes & other instruments such as bells. A moderately large organ may have 3 divisions: Great, Swell & Pedal and have two keyboards + pedals. This organ, therefore, has no less than 6 divisions! It's big. Which ranks are engaged are controlled by "stops", in this case, the buttons arrayed alongside the keyboards. Some stops also connect one division to another.
One of the main organs on campus when I was an undergrad was a Karl Schuke about 30 ranks smaller than this. I more or less despised that organ for it's screaming quality and limited tonal colors; but it is amazing how every registration change that Fox utilizes makes a notable difference in sound, no matter how subtle it may be.
Efectivamente la interpretacion de Michael Murray,con la Orquesta Sinfonica de San Francisco (dirigida por Edo de Waart) es un "standard" para esta sinfonia concertante-practicamente desconocida. La casa disquera es Telarc (DDD) y la obra se publica en 1984. Esta sinfonia ,al igual que las obras de Jongen (44 en total) solo son conocidas por los cultores del organo,no asi por el publico general.
I downloaded this from the Virgil Fox Legacy site (it's no longer there) and it was in stereo and sounded ever so much better than this. Still, it's a great performance by a master.
Gawd, I love the organ! Especially when someone like Virgil Fox plays it... But, I know almost nothing about the organ (except that I love it!), so, what differentiates the five keyboards?
bckm54 Sorry if this is ten years too late, the five manuals or keyboards are used to switch quickly between prepared sounds, as well as juxtapose different tone colors and melodies. In earnest, there are really *six* keyboards, and one of them is played with your feet! By now you’ve probably become a professional organist. But oh well. Regards, Ryan
Fantastic performance by everyone, but it seems like the organ itself isn't quite up to the task. I wonder though if it is just that the mics are too close to the orchestra and too far from the organ.
I bet fox didn’t know a lick of theory. No college education in music or organ and in that position. Wow... I question how exactly we’ll he could read music.
I suspect that it's the miking rather than the organ itself. The organ seems very restrained in this recording and I assume that the engineers were trying to balance the organ and orchestra. As you know, by intent, pipe organs are very dominating instruments. Perhaps a live listener in the hall gets a better, more balanced sound than the engineers managed in this recording.
The most important thing is Clarity ! ! ! ! listen to the inner voices and the articulation of the playing. Virgil was absolutely precise in that and his rhythm was impeccable. One could never fault on his sense of rhythm.
This is indeed a great performance by Virgil Fox! What energy and vivacity! Very few organist today can match his level of excitement.
Ah yes! The greatest organist that ever lived. I love that creative genious! I'm glad that he is still remembered so.
Some have tried. BUT, NO ONE - no, not one - can replace Virgil Fox.
This is one of the most glorious pieces of music I have heard. I love the composer's harmonic language. I think the Saint-Saens 3rd Symphony with organ is overrated (obviously apart from the "Babe" movement). I cannot understand why this is not more well known and why it is not more often included in concerts - it is a show-stopper!
You know you've got chops when you can play a piece that complex without a score in front of you, with an orchestra and know exactly when to come in and what to come in on and when not to.
Brilliant
On September the 27th, Peter Richard Conte and The Philadelphia Orchestra will perform the Jongen Symphonie Concertante at Macy's, on the Wamanaker Organ !
Joseph Jongen.Fox transcribed it for solo organ.
And, Fox needs no music. He knows this piece inside and out.
This and the Toccata are the most glorious things I've heard in a very long time. I know you said Virgil transcribed it, but who originally composed it? I NEED to know.
Thank you so much for this.
Joseph Jungen
Briefly, the keyboards and pedals control different "divisions" of the organ and each division has many "ranks" of pipes & other instruments such as bells. A moderately large organ may have 3 divisions: Great, Swell & Pedal and have two keyboards + pedals. This organ, therefore, has no less than 6 divisions! It's big. Which ranks are engaged are controlled by "stops", in this case, the buttons arrayed alongside the keyboards. Some stops also connect one division to another.
Thats right!
One of the main organs on campus when I was an undergrad was a Karl Schuke about 30 ranks smaller than this. I more or less despised that organ for it's screaming quality and limited tonal colors; but it is amazing how every registration change that Fox utilizes makes a notable difference in sound, no matter how subtle it may be.
Efectivamente la interpretacion de Michael Murray,con la Orquesta Sinfonica de San Francisco (dirigida por Edo de Waart) es un "standard" para esta sinfonia concertante-practicamente desconocida. La casa disquera es Telarc (DDD) y la obra se publica en 1984.
Esta sinfonia ,al igual que las obras de Jongen (44 en total) solo son conocidas por los cultores del organo,no asi por el publico general.
I downloaded this from the Virgil Fox Legacy site (it's no longer there) and it was in stereo and sounded ever so much better than this. Still, it's a great performance by a master.
Gawd, I love the organ! Especially when someone like Virgil Fox plays it... But, I know almost nothing about the organ (except that I love it!), so, what differentiates the five keyboards?
bckm54 Sorry if this is ten years too late, the five manuals or keyboards are used to switch quickly between prepared sounds, as well as juxtapose different tone colors and melodies. In earnest, there are really *six* keyboards, and one of them is played with your feet! By now you’ve probably become a professional organist. But oh well.
Regards,
Ryan
Personally I prefer the Michael Murray recording on Teldec (or Telarc?) but it is clear here that Fox is in love with the instrument!
Fantastic performance by everyone, but it seems like the organ itself isn't quite up to the task. I wonder though if it is just that the mics are too close to the orchestra and too far from the organ.
I bet fox didn’t know a lick of theory. No college education in music or organ and in that position. Wow... I question how exactly we’ll he could read music.
a lot of dry staccati....best version is Jean Guillou with Dallas Symphony , Eduardo Mata (Dorian)
I suspect that it's the miking rather than the organ itself. The organ seems very restrained in this recording and I assume that the engineers were trying to balance the organ and orchestra. As you know, by intent, pipe organs are very dominating instruments. Perhaps a live listener in the hall gets a better, more balanced sound than the engineers managed in this recording.
Of course he had to be way loud.