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Thread: Notre Dame Sound

  1. #1
    Seaman, Mezzoforte
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    Notre Dame Sound

    Hi all

    One of the organs that I just love is that of Notre Dame. It has a distinct sound I am sure some of you have heard and love at least as much as I do. But I am at a loss as to what regristration it is to make that incredible sound. If any of you know, please may you let me know?
    I am going to try and link the sound I mean.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSxVO3EoCRM

  2. #2
    Commodore con Forza John Watt's Avatar
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    Mr. Arthur Woolsey; I can see why you haven't been overwhelmed with responses, asking such a difficult question, and that's even difficult from my perspective, one of listening to Jimi Hendrix on headphones. While the construction of any organ is the defining characteristics, as a musical instrument, it's the environment that configures the acoustic sound. Imagine sitting in the back row at a busy holiday celebration, some High Mass, with a large crowd in front of you and some street noise from behind. Or, you could be sitting up in the choir loft, hearing only the organ.
    Of course, you'd be hearing some of the manual operations that make the organ function, but that's just like God anyway, the light and dark, good and bad, live and evil.
    Some would say the room in your soul is the most important part of this cathedral organ acoustic equation, as those micro-electronic movements of sub-atomic particles diminish through travel and disappear into where we can't hear.

  3. #3
    Admiral of Fugues Contratrombone64's Avatar
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    @Arthur - I used to own a lovely CD called Midnight at Notre Dame - fabulous recording. I agree, such a gorgeous sound. I love Latry's improvising, he's incredible and love his wry smile at the camer at the very beginning - how gorgeous he is.

  4. #4
    Commodore con Forza GoneBaroque's Avatar
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    Arthur, That is magnificent, thank you.

  5. #5
    Seaman, Mezzoforte
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    He is a magnificent organist. In response to John Watt - that is a really good idea that I hadn't really thought of but I have a feeling it is something to do much more with the instrument itself and the registrations used. I shall ask my organ teacher who also happens to be a musicologist, and I shall post on what he says. Thanks a lot though for giving it thought and a really good answer. I haven't heard of Midnight at Notre Dame - I shall try and find it - thank you.

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