What Bach "purists" forget is that the nature of Baroque music has much room for improvisation and invention within the vocabulary & grammar of this music genre. This is why the best Baroque trumpetests have always been Jazz musicians like Winton Marsalis. I'm a visaul artist & even I knew this! I can tell you JS BAch LOVES Cameron Cambell for making Baroque music "cool" again. Cameron is getting young people excited about classical music again. God Bless you Cameron
Like the late Glenn Gould said back in the sixties: The only reason to play classical music now is to play it differently. And like another commenter observed here; music can't survive in a museum of strictness and rigid formality. Like many of Furtwangler's interpretations, you may not agree with Carpenter's rendering, but you cannot deny that it is INTERESTING. And that's the whole point.
Bach only wrote the notes and the tempo. Usage of stops and pedals is performer's discretion. Concert organs are built with a lot more firepower than most players will ever dare to use, at least Cameron appreciates what the instrument is capable of.
as refreshing as a cold glass of water on a hot day. Almost didn't listen to this because how many times have we heard the D minor tocatta. Not the usual bombastic interpretation one usually hears. Crisp clean JSB would like it
He does almost exactly the opposite to that which the rest of us do in terms of registration of this piece. And I love him for it. Utterly ferocious talent.
If Bach was to come to life today, I think he would pour cold water on the views of those who judge Cameron's artistry only negatively. Bach was unendingly creative, bringing the available forms of expression to life, and developing them further. Secondly no one knows 100% for sure how the music was played and interpreted during Bach's time. One thing is certain, the written notes were most of the time only advisory material, and improvisation was always interwoven within the performance.
Bach could not have imagined this, but I love it. I have several sets of Bach's complete organ works, and I grew up playing the organ, so I know the music well. This takes Bach out of a museum and introduces him to a new audience.
whenever bach played an instrument for the first time, he drew all the stops and said, "let's see what kind of lungs it has. today, ALL of bach's music is performed using MODERN, EVOLVED instruments except for the organ works. WHY????? i have yet to hear a considered response.
I must say this rendition is refreshingly inspiring and brilliantly performed. I loved the various color pallets extracted from the various registers used. Cleverly done.
Jestem Polakiem i był bym dumny z takiego wirtuoza jak Cameron Carpenter, jak żyję nie widziałem lepszego organisty na świecie, to prawdziwy talent i fenomen tak jak Mozart. Dla niego gra na organach to jak spacer po parku w letni dzień , to jego żywioł i to jest piękne. Panie Cameron uwielbiam pana za kunszt muzyczny i technikę,jest pan moim idolem i na pewno się wybiorę na koncert jak będzie pan w Polsce. Dziękuję za wspaniałą muzykę , wszystkiego najlepszego powodzenia!
sweet! i saw him in Princeton last year and i'm going to see him again in 2 week in Newark he signed both of my CD's after the Princeton concert. he's a really nice guy
I love Cameron's originality in interpretation and the fact that he is bold to defy conventional thinking. He is original in his approach to the instrument and his view that its the performer who brings alive the instrument and not the other way around; its a totally exciting perspective. I wish more organists would consider rethinking their ways of understanding the organ, organ music, organ sounds, organ performance. Fantabulous and thank you for you.
Never heard such an empathised and accented version. Highest appreciation! Cameron is the very master of this art! He makes the organ to the empress of the instruments. Bach would even say, "The Envy is abolished, only admiration counts."
Good lord people, lighten up. The kid has talent coming out of his sequins. So his interpretations are his own, at least the music is being heard and not dying on the vine. Just because its a fresh look at an old warhorse doesn't make it bad, just not to everyone's taste.....Not sure who glitters more, Cameron or Diane Bish
I don't know but I think that Bach would be pleased to hear the work on a modern instrument. He might even forgive the liberties that Carpenter takes to show off the power of the instrument, even his own virtuosity.
didn't virgil fox put forward the same hypothesis? in the baroque period, performance technique was left to the performer!! carpenter does not "own" this. he is a follower, which is fine but he gives no credit to virgil.
Вы знаете, мне как то тоже пришла такая мысль - если бы у Баха была возможность играть и сочинять музыку на современных музыкальных инструментах. Ведь сам Бах любил экспериментировать.
Propably because he plays it VERY freely and does pretty much what he likes in terms of value of single notes, etc... So one might say, this is not what Bach would have wanted.
For someone who grew up and stills listens to delta blues and other blues driven music is welcome. Carpenters performance is most welcome and absolutely stunning. He’s on my Tidal playlists by tomorrow.
well said. especially about the acoustics. the same organ will sound different in every building, especially the reverb or delay or probably "decay" is the best term. if you like this "version" you should check out the one he does at the Royal Albert Hall BBC Proms. amazing! *see description of this video for the link*
I took my headphone to listen to this again because I thought at first that he's the Lang Lang in the organ but NOT AT ALL, he's a GENIUS! Remember the reason why BACH composed this music? To show the utmost capability of the organ and HE DID IT! He showed different contrast of volume and timbres. Just so beautiful! I had goosebumps in the beginning of the Fugue.
The man is not just playing the organ. He is playing the building, and all of its acoustical capacity. The unscored pauses he employs allow the room to sing. Makes you almost lose your breath waiting for the next eruption of sound. THEN there will be a long unbroken flowing passage that looks like a grand and deep river. WOW. Herr Bach would have loved it I should think. Just need Eric Clapton to stick in a riff or two.
He is a great role model for young performers. His great love and spirit for the organ and piano , you can tell he wants to share it and question the music as he plays it.
So many negative comments. just shows those who say negative things are really jealous that they cannot play with such confidence, and virtuosity. this boy is brilliant and he will be criticized for years to come. he is a "virgil fox" of modern times. david williams
Agreed. I love organ music in any form and I admire CC not just for his talent but also for his courage to "challenge the status quo" and take things to, what some may call an unacceptable level. And he does it powerfully as well as professionally. And I am extremely in awe of his organ-building prowess. The guy is definitely skilled beyond MY abilities! That is for sure! Saw him live this year and he was a most gracious performer. Got an autographed CD to boot! :)
I applaud this young man for taking an ancient instrument with a dying fan base and shrinking talent pool for making it sound attractive and entertaining for the modern listener. Hopefully he'll inspire others to take up the difficult training required to master the instrument.
"If the critics argue, this proves that the artist is in harmony with himself." (Oscar Wilde). Let him do what he wants to do.....this "Liberace" of the Organ....!!! Nobody is forced to follow him.......envier.
Definitely very unconventional. Some people seem to believe that Bach must be spinning in his grave, other feel that old JS is smiling... Given the reputation that Herr Bach had for loving improvisation and for exploring the possibilities of every instrument, I suspect that he must be smiling and clapping.... Mr. Carpenter is not only a major vistuoso, but also a gutsy performer. My hat's off to him.
You sir are one of the only intelligent people I've seen on these comments. You're absolutely right: I would never perform how he does, but it's his way. Let's be honest he's incredibly good at what he does.
Hey, purists - Bach was himself an improviser. While I might argue a small amount with some of his voicing choices because they de-emphasized some parts, I heard everything when I cranked it up. The toccata IS an improvisational segment. If you don't like it, OK, fine - but it is clear you don't understand just how close Cameron really was to the spirit of Bach. I have been an organist & performer at some level for 30+ years. This was good stuff!
For the record, just because someone doesn't enjoy this performance doesn't mean they're backwards. The piece was written and performed a certain way for centuries for a reason!
The comments are fascinating. It's good to listen to music, but it's also good to think and talk about it, and to stimulate thinking and talking. That's why I give this a thumbs up, though I don't plan on imitating his performance.
Well said.. He is a great role model for young performers. His great love and spirit for the organ and piano , you can tell he wants to share it and question the music as he plays it.
Gary Hunter you fool. I've been playing organ for 3.5 years and learned this piece in 3 days. Despite what all the non-organists think of Carpenter or this work, the organ society holds this child in distain for his thoroughly unhistoric playing and lack of scholarship in rendering repertoire. He is a pretentious ass. And BWV 565 is not a difficult piece compared to the rest of Bach. So: kindly shut the fuck up about this and familiarize your dumb ass with some actual organists, not a badazzled boy-toy with only technique.
I can play toccata and fugue on organ , I don't believe you learned this in 3 days that is total bollocksYou must either be a unknown flop of a genius or just a plain old liar....
Love it. I love hearing different versions because "same ol same ol" gets boring. Well done as usual Cameron! A true virtuoso for the ages! Rest assured, Bach is smiling.
I like it when musicians take risks. Organists can be particularly predictable when it comes to performing. Good to see Mr Carpenter offering his own interpretations and a different view on organ registrations.
I learned to know Cameron Carpenter yesterday night! - from my HP computer and Focal headphones in a city center Magic Hotel room in Bergen in Norway! Indeed I agree with those of you who say that classical music has to be renewed! Really people like Glenn Gould (who probably until now has made the most amazing recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations and his Art of the Fugue), Nigel Kennedy (who has made the most sold classical recording in the world: Vivaldi's Four Seasons) and Cameron Carpenter with his in my opinion VERY interesting version of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor (I'm looking much forward to hear it through my Quad ESL 2905 speakers when back home in August!).This year is 500 years since Luther was standing up against the Pope. I think he was brave. Always there is need of someone who dares to do things different. If not so all people had still been living in caves and we should have no music. Also Bach has to be renewed. All of us know that his employers in Leipzig 1723-50 did NOT like his music!!I am member of a religious grouping named The Christian Community (Christengemeinschaft in German language) which in its website subtitle has written "Movement for religious renewal". I am the first one to admit that within our small grouping there is probably also - like among most people - little understanding of the meaning and importance of the word "renewal". What is "new" and what is "old". And when must "old" become "new" - and how? Can anyone answer?
He's not a organist . He's a mother starship playing the ultimate version of this universal contrapunctus master piece. Finally i can hear all the voices separated. It may lacks the grandiosity of the usual interpretations (thinking of the harmonics sounds) but it's an absolutely clear, transparent and multitimbral version
Interesting that you mention Eric. I've heard & seen 10 of his concerts but as I watched this video I felt I have never experienced such magnificence in my life. This video introduces me to Cameron Carpenter and now, knowing that such mastery exists, I can check him off my bucket list. We are truly blessed to see and hear such excellence that composers such as Bach anticipated, but may never have experienced. And here we enjoy it and are nurtured by it via video & recorded sound.
Wow...great talent! Carpenter may not be a master like Bach or Liszt, but you have to appreciate his love and passion for music, even if you don't agree with his interpretation or just lack of musicality. The great masters of composers had their audience they had to convince--it was only their passion that fed their greatness.
Going to hear Cameron Saturday night Apr 14th at the Palladium in Carmel, Indiana! I can't fricken' wait!!!!!!!!!!! I have only recently become aware of this genius and am really looking forward to it. I even have a meet-and-greet pass!!!!!!!! :)
Oh look, the Salieris have come out of the shadows..."too many notes!" This is an expressive performance is phenomenal. Just as Stokowski's symphonic arrangement brought out the critics as did Don Dorsey's performance on Bachbusters (1985) -- it brings about different imagry of the tone poem it is. Remember, there is still controversy that surrounds the origin of the piece, there are still questions -- it may have been written by one of Bach's students. Lighten up people. These works are not about mechanical reproduction to some concrete standard -- improvisation was expected by the performer. Note that continuo parts were often unwritten; it was expected the keyboardist improvised off the bass line given to the string instrument. Life is about growth and diversity and experimentation. Those things that veer too far from established "truths" take risks of surviving, but this holds its own. I like it. If you don't, more power to you, move along to the next artists and find something you do like, you won't hear complaints from this direction. If you want a really cool T&F performance, look at this one. It's up there with any organ performance: Dmitriev Bach Toccata & Fuga in d moll BWV565 on bayan [The Full Version!!!]
He brings to mind the wonderful show pianist Liberace. Cameron in my humble opinion is a truly great organist but has sadly fallen into the commercial trap of pleasing the masses. Lang Lang of the piano world springs to mind. Now with both I feel if they bring more people to the world of organ or piano then this is a jolly good thing indeed. People like me who are purists should shut up and simply hope that those brought to the organ or piano may begin to learn and appreciate the truly great players of these king of instruments. Although my toes curl while listening to Cameron I have to bare in mind that many people who would not normally listen to such music are indeed enjoying his skills. Pray hope they begin to understand why I do not think he is really that good. Learn more about what he is doing and please go to concerts of deeply respected performers. Thank you Cameron for bringing this music to a wider audience.
Wonderful version. You show us things that are generally blurred. Especially the kind of oboe in the second part at left hand. I like also the humility in the variations. Really deep feeling, and right tempi everywhere. Magnifiscent.
I would play some parts differently than he is. but he's up there; i'm not. he's famous and ubelievably talented; I'm not. if you don't like his version, move on to another one that you DO like...
music is art. in the art world, if you could perfectly reproduce a painting, you'd be arrested for forgery. in the music world, there are two possible responses, "perfection" or "no feeling" when it comes to art, there's no pleasing everyone. it's not humanly possible
@Loong889 virtual pipe organ at Trinity Wall Street. it uses 9 Unix computers with samples of real pipe organs sampled pipe for pipe note for note, each note sampled longer than ever before in history (i believe 30 seconds worth of each pipe recorded with 3 carefully placed mics). the organ uses a massive array of about 80 Definitive Technology bi-polar speaker towers coupled to another massive array of subwoofers. the console is by Ruffatti there was an article about it in sound & vision mag
As a child my first encounter with this masterpiece was Biggs interpretation on Bach Organ Favorites in the mid '60s. I then went out and bought Albert Schweitzer's version on sheet paper. Having had no formal training, I struggled to learn the Toccata and got it down(in my own meek way) but gave up on the Fugue. Have heard many variations since. It's one of my faves of organ music. CC did a great job. cool voicings. Also, too, more sparkly shirts. Travis, you must have never seen Virgil Fox..
Wonderful. For me the hallmark of a good rendition of 565 is that it carries me away into a world of color and passion. This meets that test. The colors of the stops chosen paint a vivid picture of a symphonic poem. As a comparison search YT for "Dmitriev BWV565 full version" on a bayan for same effect. That video is a transcription for bayan that sounds like a real pipe organ. It's breathtaking to behold.
I am a fan of the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins. As I see it, he knew the English language well enough to be able to take liberties with it (and that he did!). Carpenter strikes me as an organist of like knowledge and creativity.
I go to organ concerts. There's hardly ever 15 people there and that's if the retirement home bus shows up. Cameron is selling out Cathedrals around the world! Check out Cameron playing the Bach 540. It's the best version of the 540 that I've ever heard in my life. It's on his last album "Cameron Live!" played on a real pipe organ from Saint Mary's in NY.
I have been completely wedded to E. Power Biggs' interpretation of this piece since my youth. But this interpretation is wonderful. There is a real musical mind there and the virtuosity is off the charts.
you must see Cameron's other version of the 565. search youtube for: Cameron Carpenter Pipe Organ Royal Albert Hall BBC Proms Bach BWV 565 Toccata and Fugue in D minor
People need to get over it. Cameron is a showman (like Liberace!) and that's it. He is, by the standard of 99% of us, a talented genius who cares little about our opinions. If you enjoy his show (like I do), then enjoy it. If you don't, go piss up a rope and watch something else!!!!!
i must agree. Cameron playing the Bach 540 in F# Major is now my all-time favorite pipe organ recording and i mean that literally. it IS the best. check my other videos for it
I suppose the people who dismiss Carpenter are the same types who dismissed Liszt or Busoni for what they did with Bach. Or Horowitz for what he did with Liszt. Or what Bach did with Telemann. Or what Oscar Peterson did with everybody.
Actually during most of his life Bach wasn't renown as composer but as a genius in creating impromptu variations. He might have not agreed with some interpretations of Carpenter but I think he would have been fascinated and the two could very well become friends.
Lloyd Geidt well but all of them played their own music, their own epoche, carpenter basically destroys already existing pieces.. There are a lot of great interpretations of this one. Today there are also lots of different genres, and carpenter obviously should not present hinself as classical organsist, rather techno or something else. But hearing this I can assure you that Bach dies each time someone plays that video.
Vergeet het maar hij is uniek in deze wereld ook hij kan letterlijk spelen wat er geschreven staat maar dat doen er al zo velen en dan krijg je een saaie bedoeling Cameron Carpenter is de beste ter wereld respecteer dat of zwijg Trouwens Bach en Beethoven zouden hem zo in dienst hebben genomen om van hem misschien wel dat geen te leren waar deze twee heren de kans niet voor hebben gehad TIJD -TIME om ook eens modernen stukken te schrijven Die wereld destijds was er niet klaar voor. Maar deze man ofwel Meester in de muziek Cameron Carpenter Cameron Carpenter Cameron Carpenter Cameron Carpenter Cameron Carpenter Cameron Carpenter zo en dat is ook weer gezegd tegen een of andere nul vertaald wat een lozer ben jij zeg, meneer Magnus Fie of hoe je ook mag heten, we begrijpen elkaar in eens hoe zou dat komen?? De mazzel met lezen wat hoogstwaarschijnlijk je niet lukken zal wel met je verkeerd denken te maken hebben over gasten die al eeuwen de pijp uit zijn
А мне очень понравилось, завораживает, открывает давно известное со всем с другой стороны. Я думаю Баху тоже бы понравилось. Ведь Бах был и сам большой экспериментатор. Представляете, что бы написал, сыграл, наделал бы шуму сам Бах были бы у него современные инструменты и их возможности.
Makes me want to shout (or search) MILIGGI...fantastic, super, sublime, MILIGGI MILIGGI.... wonderful, CAMCARP's the best - MILIGGI, MILIGGI, MILIGGI...
Exactly. His variations, extra notes, and and particularly his volume dynamics only detracted from the piece. The proof: I needed to listen to a Biggs and a Bish performance just to cleanse my auditory pallet from all this debris. I do not dispute his talent and skill--they are undeniable. But if he really wants to create something unique, he should work on composing an original piece of his own. I like the guy, I really do. But that was a butchery.
Fascinating - Carpenter seems to be an evolution of Liberace meets Virgil Fox. This interpretation of BWV 565 would sound right at home on one of Wurlitzer's larger theatre organs.
I agree. And I do not consider it "the best organ playing in the world". There are too many to mention who are better. However, like I said....Carpenter is a showman *who also BUILDS organs, I might add!* and quite a bit more talented than any of us could ever hope to be! And those who don't like his playing can go where-ever and listen to WHOM-ever!
This organist belongs to a category very different from that of the classic organist swe know. They are not comparable or commensurable. Doubtles, he is a genius, a genuine artist, and only one who can play with the same virtuosism he does, can dare to criticize him. Thanks to him, organ music has croosed churches´doors and is appreciated for more people today.
I am personal friends with a very good young organist of my age. Cameron is the most technically perfect organist imaginable (and still human: I once designed robotic solenoids to exercise keys.) Some critics have stopped there and suggested variously ADHD and neurosis. Ah, what a neurotic bunch of critics! Cameron by no means butchers old compositions; His interpretations as well are not only pleasing but cautious. The robotic player was not at all great, just tireless, and designed to test a keyboard's endurance, not to please an audience.
@andreanoce85 i do not understand why people who only like hearing this piece played one certain way continue to listen to others play it. you have your favorite CD i'm assuming. so go listen to it and be happy
have you ever read some of the comments toward him going back as far as 2006? they attacked and still attack him like wolves. he deserves to be pretentious, good for him !!!
Being pretentious is kind of a bad thing. I do not think that Cameron is pretentious at all! Quite the contrary, he is rock solid and as real as anyone can be in this world. He is mega talented, gifted, impressive and a showman. He is extremely kind, humble and giving. He is attacked by some because other people are jealous, envious and pretentious of him. Cameron deserves respect.
Hermione Summers "pretentious of him" I don't think that word means what you think it means. And if you wanna know why people call him pretentious, go watch "birth of the international touring organ", that's the deffinition of pretentiousness
darkdave1998 as soon as Cameron's videos started showing up on youtube around 2006 or so people tore CC a new asshole in the comments before Cameron ever said a word. he could have taken the high road but i enjoy the fact that he's basically telling his haters to go fuck themselves. people were hating on Cameron before he ever said a single word and now they hate him even more that he's turned out to be as outspoken as he is talented
I agree too that MOST of Cameron's "hater" have nothing to show for it and that is why I say they are "pretentious of him".. because many of them are more like jealous and envious of him.. Many people who claim they do not like Cameron go way overboard about it and that is why I defend him sometimes. I did see the birthing of the ITO video that you +darkdave1998 mentioned and I really like it actually. I feel that Cameron was telling an overall honest story about his experience with making his own virtual digital pipe organ. He is an organist, musician and artist who knows what he wants and he is not afraid to go for it despite what other people think or say. He seems very well adjusted and he seems to be able to filter through other people's negativity and use it for his own good to further himself. I say brilliant for him!
I have to admit to being riveted! I don't doubt that Bach would have loved to have met and heard Carpenter. Bach was always checking out new organs and organists, tweaking instruments, pushing the envelope. Although it's interesting to try to recreate historical performances using our best research, we still don't know how Bach really played. I've discovered too that when playing these familiar pieces on new instruments or with different interpretations, entirely new melodies can be heard. Examples are right here! I would never be "best buds" with Carpenter, but he's "living the dream", and I'm happy for him.
i prefer a classic organ with classic sound but i enjoyed the musical taste and hear it from another vision, more actual and using that amazing organ makes it a very good performance. What would bach say?
felsen, to me it sounded great technically, very talented but it didn't make me feel anything. It was dead and dry. I can't speak for Martin or Peter, but maybe that's what they meant. Talent and accuracy and skill are nothing without heart and soul and emotion. Those last three are ten times more important than the first three. And another commenter below said "He has absolutely no deeper understanding of neither Bach or this Toccata. To put it straight; his ego is in the way and blocks evrything that should be beautiful and full of real passion. Fail......" which I think captures a similar thought. Maybe a little too harshly, but I'm no expert. I'm a novice compared to Carpenter, but I know what I feel. And I feel very little listening to this. Which is not necessarily his fault, but there's a pattern emerging. But then others think he's great. This is all very subjective.
What Bach "purists" forget is that the nature of Baroque music has much room for improvisation and invention within the vocabulary & grammar of this music genre. This is why the best Baroque trumpetests have always been Jazz musicians like Winton Marsalis. I'm a visaul artist & even I knew this! I can tell you JS BAch LOVES Cameron Cambell for making Baroque music "cool" again. Cameron is getting young people excited about classical music again. God Bless you Cameron
Like the late Glenn Gould said back in the sixties: The only reason to play classical music now is to play it differently.
And like another commenter observed here; music can't survive in a museum of strictness and rigid formality. Like many of Furtwangler's interpretations, you may not agree with Carpenter's rendering, but you cannot deny that it is INTERESTING. And that's the whole point.
I agree in the modern age , what's wrong with jazzing the piece up.? not a sin ! or maybe some might think it is.
"back in the sixties", virgil fox did the same thing and was lambasted for it. where were you then?
Exactly and after all those who opposed die off, who will be around to appreciate what was and what can be?
Bach only wrote the notes and the tempo. Usage of stops and pedals is performer's discretion. Concert organs are built with a lot more firepower than most players will ever dare to use, at least Cameron appreciates what the instrument is capable of.
@@josephgraif2588 Fox changed notes and note values on the fly. That's not reinterpretation, that's rewriting.
as refreshing as a cold glass of water on a hot day. Almost didn't listen to this because how many times have we heard the D minor tocatta. Not the usual bombastic interpretation one usually hears. Crisp clean JSB would like it
He does almost exactly the opposite to that which the rest of us do in terms of registration of this piece.
And I love him for it. Utterly ferocious talent.
If Bach was to come to life today, I think he would pour cold water on the views of those who judge Cameron's artistry only negatively. Bach was unendingly creative, bringing the available forms of expression to life, and developing them further. Secondly no one knows 100% for sure how the music was played and interpreted during Bach's time. One thing is certain, the written notes were most of the time only advisory material, and improvisation was always interwoven within the performance.
Bach could not have imagined this, but I love it. I have several sets of Bach's complete organ works, and I grew up playing the organ, so I know the music well. This takes Bach out of a museum and introduces him to a new audience.
TOTALLY. This is Bach in the 21st century avataar.
I think that, had Bach heard this, we would have even more virtuoso organ music from the master than we do.
whenever bach played an instrument for the first time, he drew all the stops and said, "let's see what kind of lungs it has. today, ALL of bach's music is performed using MODERN, EVOLVED instruments except for the organ works. WHY????? i have yet to hear a considered response.
I agree fully !
I didn't know Bach was I a museum.
I must say this rendition is refreshingly inspiring and brilliantly performed. I loved the various color pallets extracted from the various registers used. Cleverly done.
This is the most arresting performance of this piece I have heard. Bravo!
Are you in jail now?
Jestem Polakiem i był bym dumny z takiego wirtuoza jak Cameron Carpenter, jak żyję nie widziałem lepszego organisty na świecie, to prawdziwy talent i fenomen tak jak Mozart. Dla niego gra na organach to jak spacer po parku w letni dzień , to jego żywioł i to jest piękne. Panie Cameron uwielbiam pana za kunszt muzyczny i technikę,jest pan moim idolem i na pewno się wybiorę na koncert jak będzie pan w Polsce. Dziękuję za wspaniałą muzykę , wszystkiego najlepszego powodzenia!
One of very few tracks which I think he has done justice. He has breathed life into this old classic. Wonderful.
sweet! i saw him in Princeton last year and i'm going to see him again in 2 week in Newark
he signed both of my CD's after the Princeton concert. he's a really nice guy
I love Cameron's originality in interpretation and the fact that he is bold to defy conventional thinking. He is original in his approach to the instrument and his view that its the performer who brings alive the instrument and not the other way around; its a totally exciting perspective. I wish more organists would consider rethinking their ways of understanding the organ, organ music, organ sounds, organ performance. Fantabulous and thank you for you.
virgil did it first...50 years ago...
best organ player in the world. no one can beat his creativity.
at least one who is broadminded, he is a modern master of Bach's creation.
Never heard such an empathised and accented version. Highest appreciation! Cameron is the very master of this art! He makes the organ to the empress of the instruments. Bach would even say, "The Envy is abolished, only admiration counts."
Good lord people, lighten up. The kid has talent coming out of his sequins. So his interpretations are his own, at least the music is being heard and not dying on the vine. Just because its a fresh look at an old warhorse doesn't make it bad, just not to everyone's taste.....Not sure who glitters more, Cameron or Diane Bish
virgil did it first, 50 years ago...
Outstanding! A perfect example of a great mixture of composer, performer and organ.
I love the drama he creates with variation in tempo, registration, etc. Very enjoyable!
I don't know but I think that Bach would be pleased to hear the work on a modern instrument. He might even forgive the liberties that Carpenter takes to show off the power of the instrument, even his own virtuosity.
didn't virgil fox put forward the same hypothesis? in the baroque period, performance technique was left to the performer!! carpenter does not "own" this. he is a follower, which is fine but he gives no credit to virgil.
Вы знаете, мне как то тоже пришла такая мысль - если бы у Баха была возможность играть и сочинять музыку на современных музыкальных инструментах. Ведь сам Бах любил экспериментировать.
this is amazing! i dont know why the video has received so much hate?
Propably because he plays it VERY freely and does pretty much what he likes in terms of value of single notes, etc... So one might say, this is not what Bach would have wanted.
That's a great interpretation!
For someone who grew up and stills listens to delta blues and other blues driven music is welcome. Carpenters performance is most welcome and absolutely stunning. He’s on my Tidal playlists by tomorrow.
one of the best, if not the best organist of the 21st century
well said. especially about the acoustics. the same organ will sound different in every building, especially the reverb or delay or probably "decay" is the best term. if you like this "version" you should check out the one he does at the Royal Albert Hall BBC Proms. amazing!
*see description of this video for the link*
I took my headphone to listen to this again because I thought at first that he's the Lang Lang in the organ but NOT AT ALL, he's a GENIUS! Remember the reason why BACH composed this music? To show the utmost capability of the organ and HE DID IT! He showed different contrast of volume and timbres. Just so beautiful! I had goosebumps in the beginning of the Fugue.
Bruh he's not a clown thou
The man is not just playing the organ. He is playing the building, and all of its acoustical capacity. The unscored pauses he employs allow the room to sing. Makes you almost lose your breath waiting for the next eruption of sound. THEN there will be a long unbroken flowing passage that looks like a grand and deep river. WOW. Herr Bach would have loved it I should think. Just need Eric Clapton to stick in a riff or two.
He is a great role model for young performers. His great love and spirit for the organ and piano , you can tell he wants to share it and question the music as he plays it.
So many negative comments. just shows those who say negative things are really jealous that they cannot play with such confidence, and virtuosity. this boy is brilliant and he will be criticized for years to come. he is a "virgil fox" of modern times. david williams
Agreed. I love organ music in any form and I admire CC not just for his talent but also for his courage to "challenge the status quo" and take things to, what some may call an unacceptable level. And he does it powerfully as well as professionally. And I am extremely in awe of his organ-building prowess. The guy is definitely skilled beyond MY abilities! That is for sure! Saw him live this year and he was a most gracious performer. Got an autographed CD to boot! :)
How I wish we could have J.S.Bach listen to this rendition of BWV 565 and most importantly, hear his impressions... Priceless!!!
marvelous performance. ..amazing creativity and real understanding what music can bring today.
I applaud this young man for taking an ancient instrument with a dying fan base and shrinking talent pool for making it sound attractive and entertaining for the modern listener. Hopefully he'll inspire others to take up the difficult training required to master the instrument.
CC has so many musical ideas that I believe he wished he had an extra pair of hands and feet to express them. Bravo!
"If the critics argue, this proves that the artist is in harmony with himself." (Oscar Wilde). Let him do what he wants to do.....this "Liberace" of the Organ....!!! Nobody is forced to follow him.......envier.
Definitely very unconventional. Some people seem to believe that Bach must be spinning in his grave, other feel that old JS is smiling... Given the reputation that Herr Bach had for loving improvisation and for exploring the possibilities of every instrument, I suspect that he must be smiling and clapping.... Mr. Carpenter is not only a major vistuoso, but also a gutsy performer. My hat's off to him.
Se tornasse Bach , lo applaudirebbe ...bellissima interpretazione ..BIG
SO much better than the 2016 Nuremberg version found here on UA-cam. That was pretty much a disaster. This is something else.
I usually don't like when people change music just to change it. But I think this actually made it more majestic.
You sir are one of the only intelligent people I've seen on these comments.
You're absolutely right: I would never perform how he does, but it's his way. Let's be honest he's incredibly good at what he does.
Emozionante esecuzione ... TOP , geniale nel trillo in crescendo, nella fuga
Hey, purists - Bach was himself an improviser. While I might argue a small amount with some of his voicing choices because they de-emphasized some parts, I heard everything when I cranked it up. The toccata IS an improvisational segment. If you don't like it, OK, fine - but it is clear you don't understand just how close Cameron really was to the spirit of Bach. I have been an organist & performer at some level for 30+ years. This was good stuff!
Saw him at the Proms yesterday - he was mesmerising.
For the record, just because someone doesn't enjoy this performance doesn't mean they're backwards. The piece was written and performed a certain way for centuries for a reason!
Finally somebody has come to revolutionise and modernise organ playing. I only wish to learn from him some day.
The comments are fascinating. It's good to listen to music, but it's also good to think and talk about it, and to stimulate thinking and talking. That's why I give this a thumbs up, though I don't plan on imitating his performance.
This shows his amazing talent , most people who knock this guy can't even play toccata I bet .
Well said.. He is a great role model for young performers. His great love and spirit for the organ and piano , you can tell he wants to share it and question the music as he plays it.
Gary Hunter you fool. I've been playing organ for 3.5 years and learned this piece in 3 days. Despite what all the non-organists think of Carpenter or this work, the organ society holds this child in distain for his thoroughly unhistoric playing and lack of scholarship in rendering repertoire. He is a pretentious ass. And BWV 565 is not a difficult piece compared to the rest of Bach. So: kindly shut the fuck up about this and familiarize your dumb ass with some actual organists, not a badazzled boy-toy with only technique.
I can play toccata and fugue on organ , I don't believe you learned this in 3 days that is total bollocksYou must either be a unknown flop of a genius or just a plain old liar....
Love it. I love hearing different versions because "same ol same ol" gets boring. Well done as usual Cameron! A true virtuoso for the ages! Rest assured, Bach is smiling.
I like it when musicians take risks. Organists can be particularly predictable when it comes to performing. Good to see Mr Carpenter offering his own interpretations and a different view on organ registrations.
I learned to know Cameron Carpenter yesterday night! - from my HP computer and Focal headphones in a city center Magic Hotel room in Bergen in Norway! Indeed I agree with those of you who say that classical music has to be renewed! Really people like Glenn Gould (who probably until now has made the most amazing recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations and his Art of the Fugue), Nigel Kennedy (who has made the most sold classical recording in the world: Vivaldi's Four Seasons) and Cameron Carpenter with his in my opinion VERY interesting version of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor (I'm looking much forward to hear it through my Quad ESL 2905 speakers when back home in August!).This year is 500 years since Luther was standing up against the Pope. I think he was brave. Always there is need of someone who dares to do things different. If not so all people had still been living in caves and we should have no music. Also Bach has to be renewed. All of us know that his employers in Leipzig 1723-50 did NOT like his music!!I am member of a religious grouping named The Christian Community (Christengemeinschaft in German language) which in its website subtitle has written "Movement for religious renewal". I am the first one to admit that within our small grouping there is probably also - like among most people - little understanding of the meaning and importance of the word "renewal". What is "new" and what is "old". And when must "old" become "new" - and how? Can anyone answer?
He's not a organist . He's a mother starship playing the ultimate version of this universal contrapunctus master piece. Finally i can hear all the voices separated. It may lacks the grandiosity of the usual interpretations (thinking of the harmonics sounds) but it's an absolutely clear, transparent and multitimbral version
Interesting that you mention Eric. I've heard & seen 10 of his concerts but as I watched this video I felt I have never experienced such magnificence in my life. This video introduces me to Cameron Carpenter and now, knowing that such mastery exists, I can check him off my bucket list. We are truly blessed to see and hear such excellence that composers such as Bach anticipated, but may never have experienced. And here we enjoy it and are nurtured by it via video & recorded sound.
Wow...great talent! Carpenter may not be a master like Bach or Liszt, but you have to appreciate his love and passion for music, even if you don't agree with his interpretation or just lack of musicality. The great masters of composers had their audience they had to convince--it was only their passion that fed their greatness.
I don't know about anyone else, but from 5:10 on I get shivers up my spine. What he does is thrilling to me.
J'ai bien aimé l'art de revisiter cette toccata et fugue de Bach. Je crois qu'il aurait aimé
grande, straordinario, rivoluzionario.
Insolite and particular way of playing !
Going to hear Cameron Saturday night Apr 14th at the Palladium in Carmel, Indiana! I can't fricken' wait!!!!!!!!!!! I have only recently become aware of this genius and am really looking forward to it. I even have a meet-and-greet pass!!!!!!!! :)
Oh look, the Salieris have come out of the shadows..."too many notes!"
This is an expressive performance is phenomenal. Just as Stokowski's symphonic arrangement brought out the critics as did Don Dorsey's performance on Bachbusters (1985) -- it brings about different imagry of the tone poem it is.
Remember, there is still controversy that surrounds the origin of the piece, there are still questions -- it may have been written by one of Bach's students.
Lighten up people. These works are not about mechanical reproduction to some concrete standard -- improvisation was expected by the performer. Note that continuo parts were often unwritten; it was expected the keyboardist improvised off the bass line given to the string instrument.
Life is about growth and diversity and experimentation. Those things that veer too far from established "truths" take risks of surviving, but this holds its own.
I like it. If you don't, more power to you, move along to the next artists and find something you do like, you won't hear complaints from this direction.
If you want a really cool T&F performance, look at this one. It's up there with any organ performance: Dmitriev Bach Toccata & Fuga in d moll BWV565 on bayan [The Full Version!!!]
but virgil did it first...50 years ago.
Great to sit black and listen to such a great organist.
Being so young too.
He brings to mind the wonderful show pianist Liberace. Cameron in my humble opinion is a truly great organist but has sadly fallen into the commercial trap of pleasing the masses. Lang Lang of the piano world springs to mind.
Now with both I feel if they bring more people to the world of organ or piano then this is a jolly good thing indeed. People like me who are purists should shut up and simply hope that those brought to the organ or piano may begin to learn and appreciate the truly great players of these king of instruments. Although my toes curl while listening to Cameron I have to bare in mind that many people who would not normally listen to such music are indeed enjoying his skills.
Pray hope they begin to understand why I do not think he is really that good. Learn more about what he is doing and please go to concerts of deeply respected performers.
Thank you Cameron for bringing this music to a wider audience.
Wonderful version. You show us things that are generally blurred. Especially the kind of oboe in the second part at left hand. I like also the humility in the variations. Really deep feeling, and right tempi everywhere. Magnifiscent.
I would play some parts differently than he is. but he's up there; i'm not. he's famous and ubelievably talented; I'm not. if you don't like his version, move on to another one that you DO like...
music is art. in the art world, if you could perfectly reproduce a painting, you'd be arrested for forgery. in the music world, there are two possible responses, "perfection" or "no feeling"
when it comes to art, there's no pleasing everyone. it's not humanly possible
The 'Liberace' of the organ, and he makes his own shoes.
@Loong889 virtual pipe organ at Trinity Wall Street. it uses 9 Unix computers with samples of real pipe organs sampled pipe for pipe note for note, each note sampled longer than ever before in history (i believe 30 seconds worth of each pipe recorded with 3 carefully placed mics). the organ uses a massive array of about 80 Definitive Technology bi-polar speaker towers coupled to another massive array of subwoofers. the console is by Ruffatti
there was an article about it in sound & vision mag
As a child my first encounter with this masterpiece was Biggs interpretation on Bach Organ Favorites in the mid '60s. I then went out and bought Albert Schweitzer's version on sheet paper. Having had no formal training, I struggled to learn the Toccata and got it down(in my own meek way) but gave up on the Fugue. Have heard many variations since. It's one of my faves of organ music. CC did a great job. cool voicings. Also, too, more sparkly shirts. Travis, you must have never seen Virgil Fox..
Beautiful Version!
i love watching his hands on the last chord at 8:31
Wonderful. For me the hallmark of a good rendition of 565 is that it carries me away into a world of color and passion. This meets that test. The colors of the stops chosen paint a vivid picture of a symphonic poem.
As a comparison search YT for "Dmitriev BWV565 full version" on a bayan for same effect. That video is a transcription for bayan that sounds like a real pipe organ. It's breathtaking to behold.
I am a fan of the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins. As I see it, he knew the English language well enough to be able to take liberties with it (and that he did!). Carpenter strikes me as an organist of like knowledge and creativity.
I go to organ concerts. There's hardly ever 15 people there and that's if the retirement home bus shows up. Cameron is selling out Cathedrals around the world!
Check out Cameron playing the Bach 540. It's the best version of the 540 that I've ever heard in my life. It's on his last album "Cameron Live!" played on a real pipe organ from Saint Mary's in NY.
*What an eccentric performance.*
I have been completely wedded to E. Power Biggs' interpretation of this piece since my youth. But this interpretation is wonderful. There is a real musical mind there and the virtuosity is off the charts.
wow what a genius
you must see Cameron's other version of the 565. search youtube for:
Cameron Carpenter Pipe Organ Royal Albert Hall BBC Proms Bach BWV 565 Toccata and Fugue in D minor
People need to get over it. Cameron is a showman (like Liberace!) and that's it. He is, by the standard of 99% of us, a talented genius who cares little about our opinions. If you enjoy his show (like I do), then enjoy it. If you don't, go piss up a rope and watch something else!!!!!
Read the oldest comments and then read the current ones. My how Maestro Cameron's interpretation of this piece has been re judged over the years!!
Thanks for spicing this up!
Cameron is a savant, extremely talented in one particular area, the organ.
Bach would have enjoyed every momentof this masterful interpretation. The T&F is often simply dour and noisy. This is fanciful and magical.
i must agree. Cameron playing the Bach 540 in F# Major is now my all-time favorite pipe organ recording and i mean that literally. it IS the best. check my other videos for it
I suppose the people who dismiss Carpenter are the same types who dismissed Liszt or Busoni for what they did with Bach. Or Horowitz for what he did with Liszt. Or what Bach did with Telemann. Or what Oscar Peterson did with everybody.
Actually during most of his life Bach wasn't renown as composer but as a genius in creating impromptu variations. He might have not agreed with some interpretations of Carpenter but I think he would have been fascinated and the two could very well become friends.
Lloyd Geidt well but all of them played their own music, their own epoche, carpenter basically destroys already existing pieces.. There are a lot of great interpretations of this one. Today there are also lots of different genres, and carpenter obviously should not present hinself as classical organsist, rather techno or something else. But hearing this I can assure you that Bach dies each time someone plays that video.
Vergeet het maar hij is uniek in deze wereld ook hij kan letterlijk spelen wat er geschreven staat maar dat doen er al zo velen en dan krijg je een saaie bedoeling Cameron Carpenter is de beste ter wereld respecteer dat of zwijg Trouwens Bach en Beethoven zouden hem zo in dienst hebben genomen om van hem misschien wel dat geen te leren waar deze twee heren de kans niet voor hebben gehad TIJD -TIME om ook eens modernen stukken te schrijven Die wereld destijds was er niet klaar voor. Maar deze man ofwel Meester in de muziek Cameron Carpenter Cameron Carpenter Cameron Carpenter Cameron Carpenter Cameron Carpenter Cameron Carpenter zo en dat is ook weer gezegd tegen een of andere nul vertaald wat een lozer ben jij zeg, meneer Magnus Fie of hoe je ook mag heten, we begrijpen elkaar in eens hoe zou dat komen?? De mazzel met lezen wat hoogstwaarschijnlijk je niet lukken zal wel met je verkeerd denken te maken hebben over gasten die al eeuwen de pijp uit zijn
А мне очень понравилось, завораживает, открывает давно известное со всем с другой стороны. Я думаю Баху тоже бы понравилось. Ведь Бах был и сам большой экспериментатор. Представляете, что бы написал, сыграл, наделал бы шуму сам Бах были бы у него современные инструменты и их возможности.
and what about the people who "dismissed" virgil fox fifty years ago? carpenter does not "own" any modern interpretations of bach's organ works.
AMAZING ! Cameron Is Touched by the Ghost of Bach himself- You Keep Shining boy - let the haters hate-
He's bringing Bach to an audience who might not otherwise listen. That's good enough for me!
Spettacolare Cameron Bach ne sarebbe rimasto meravigliato👏🏻🥂
Makes me want to shout (or search) MILIGGI...fantastic, super, sublime, MILIGGI MILIGGI....
wonderful, CAMCARP's the best - MILIGGI, MILIGGI, MILIGGI...
fantastic organist
Taking your own creative liberties is fine as long as you're not ruining in the process.
Exactly. His variations, extra notes, and and particularly his volume dynamics only detracted from the piece. The proof: I needed to listen to a Biggs and a Bish performance just to cleanse my auditory pallet from all this debris. I do not dispute his talent and skill--they are undeniable. But if he really wants to create something unique, he should work on composing an original piece of his own. I like the guy, I really do. But that was a butchery.
Fascinating - Carpenter seems to be an evolution of Liberace meets Virgil Fox. This interpretation of BWV 565 would sound right at home on one of Wurlitzer's larger theatre organs.
I agree. And I do not consider it "the best organ playing in the world". There are too many to mention who are better. However, like I said....Carpenter is a showman *who also BUILDS organs, I might add!* and quite a bit more talented than any of us could ever hope to be! And those who don't like his playing can go where-ever and listen to WHOM-ever!
This organist belongs to a category very different from that of the classic organist swe know. They are not comparable or commensurable.
Doubtles, he is a genius, a genuine artist, and only one who can play with the same virtuosism he does, can dare to criticize him.
Thanks to him, organ music has croosed churches´doors and is appreciated for more people today.
I am personal friends with a very good young organist of my age. Cameron is the most technically perfect organist imaginable (and still human: I once designed robotic solenoids to exercise keys.) Some critics have stopped there and suggested variously ADHD and neurosis. Ah, what a neurotic bunch of critics! Cameron by no means butchers old compositions; His interpretations as well are not only pleasing but cautious. The robotic player was not at all great, just tireless, and designed to test a keyboard's endurance, not to please an audience.
If I listen to this one more time, I bet it will blow my subwoofer. I should upgrade my speakers if I want to hear more of this awesomeness.
@andreanoce85 i do not understand why people who only like hearing this piece played one certain way continue to listen to others play it. you have your favorite CD i'm assuming. so go listen to it and be happy
he's talented as hell but holy shit is he pretentious
have you ever read some of the comments toward him going back as far as 2006?
they attacked and still attack him like wolves. he deserves to be pretentious, good for him !!!
Being pretentious is kind of a bad thing. I do not think that Cameron is pretentious at all! Quite the contrary, he is rock solid and as real as anyone can be in this world. He is mega talented, gifted, impressive and a showman. He is extremely kind, humble and giving. He is attacked by some because other people are jealous, envious and pretentious of him. Cameron deserves respect.
Hermione Summers "pretentious of him"
I don't think that word means what you think it means.
And if you wanna know why people call him pretentious, go watch "birth of the international touring organ", that's the deffinition of pretentiousness
darkdave1998 as soon as Cameron's videos started showing up on youtube around 2006 or so people tore CC a new asshole in the comments before Cameron ever said a word. he could have taken the high road but i enjoy the fact that he's basically telling his haters to go fuck themselves. people were hating on Cameron before he ever said a single word and now they hate him even more that he's turned out to be as outspoken as he is talented
I agree too that MOST of Cameron's "hater" have nothing to show for it and that is why I say they are "pretentious of him".. because many of them are more like jealous and envious of him.. Many people who claim they do not like Cameron go way overboard about it and that is why I defend him sometimes. I did see the birthing of the ITO video that you +darkdave1998 mentioned and I really like it actually. I feel that Cameron was telling an overall honest story about his experience with making his own virtual digital pipe organ. He is an organist, musician and artist who knows what he wants and he is not afraid to go for it despite what other people think or say. He seems very well adjusted and he seems to be able to filter through other people's negativity and use it for his own good to further himself. I say brilliant for him!
I have to admit to being riveted! I don't doubt that Bach would have loved to have met and heard Carpenter. Bach was always checking out new organs and organists, tweaking instruments, pushing the envelope. Although it's interesting to try to recreate historical performances using our best research, we still don't know how Bach really played. I've discovered too that when playing these familiar pieces on new instruments or with different interpretations, entirely new melodies can be heard. Examples are right here!
I would never be "best buds" with Carpenter, but he's "living the dream", and I'm happy for him.
indeed. greetings from America
i prefer a classic organ with classic sound but i enjoyed the musical taste and hear it from another vision, more actual and using that amazing organ makes it a very good performance. What would bach say?
Bravo! Bravo! Genius does walk among us. I like the shoes, too!
Yo no entraría en discusiones de si es ortodoxo o no, es sencillamente glorioso, enorme, gigantesco.
10/10 for technique, nul points for musicality.
That`s right!
would you mind explaining this? i'm trying to learn about music theory. this sounded pretty great to me.
felsen, to me it sounded great technically, very talented but it didn't make me feel anything. It was dead and dry. I can't speak for Martin or Peter, but maybe that's what they meant. Talent and accuracy and skill are nothing without heart and soul and emotion. Those last three are ten times more important than the first three.
And another commenter below said "He has absolutely no deeper understanding of neither Bach or this Toccata. To put it straight; his ego is in the way and blocks evrything that should be beautiful and full of real passion. Fail......" which I think captures a similar thought. Maybe a little too harshly, but I'm no expert. I'm a novice compared to Carpenter, but I know what I feel. And I feel very little listening to this. Which is not necessarily his fault, but there's a pattern emerging. But then others think he's great. This is all very subjective.
You should elaborate on the clear guidelines for musicality.
This was musical