What do you think about this?

[methodistgirl]

I'm in awe of those pictures. How I would love to try out the biggest
one. It's beautiful.
judy tooley

[rovikered]

A superb performance by a young player who obviously has great talent, and how re-assuring for him to have two capable registrants/page turners.
How much more impressive it must have been to hear this performance live !

[dll927]

I watched about the first minute and a half. As long as that broad is going to stand right smack in the way, no thanks.

Someone mentioned the tempo and the acoustics. I sometimes wonder if organists put those two together well. Playing too fast in a church with a long reverberation time is going to produce a mish-mash of noise which, in louder sections or with a lot of contrapuntal voices, is just noise. I do not agree with the idea that ambulance-chasing tempi necessarily mean talent.

[Dawerd]

A superb performance by a young player who obviously has great talent, and how re-assuring for him to have two capable registrants/page turners.
How much more impressive it must have been to hear this performance live !

I'm very glad you liked it.
You're rigth - good registransts a very important and they give very much reassurance, especialy when they are your best friends from the same organ class

I watched about the first minute and a half. As long as that broad is going to stand right smack in the way, no thanks.

Someone mentioned the tempo and the acoustics. I sometimes wonder if organists put those two together well. Playing too fast in a church with a long reverberation time is going to produce a mish-mash of noise which, in louder sections or with a lot of contrapuntal voices, is just noise. I do not agree with the idea that ambulance-chasing tempi necessarily mean talent.

Dear dll927,
please pause the video and wait till it buffers completely, than fast forward to 8min 19 sec and play.
You shall then have a nice view on the performer
(although I don't understand why do you need to see my hands to judge the performance Music is for listening. In most cases on organ concerts you don't have the possibility to see the musician.)

If it comes to the tempo, are you saying this apropos this video or in general?
Because in general I agree that too fast tempo in organ playing usually makes nothing but noise. And of course - fastness has nothing to do with musicality. But you must be technically talented to play like Cameron Carpenter.

But assuming that your saying this regarding this video (as you posted your opinion in this thred)
1)this piece isn't a tipical contrapuntal one. It's not a fuge and in most times the texture a piono-like, chord one.
2)The reverb of the church isn't very long and if you know the piece you can hear every contrapuntual line in the pedal or lowe vice etc. (although I admit that on this video it might not be so clear as youtube always compresses everything).
3)The tempo is notated by the composer as Allegro, and it is a part of the whole symphony so you allways have tu ajust the tempo not only to the acouctics but also having in mind the slower and faster parts of the whole piece.

Concluding: please tell me why shoud it be slower?

Best regards

[rovikered]

apropos adverse comments on the speed of this piece, I agree with you, Dawerd. The movement is an Allegro. It is also a virtuoso piece requiring a virtuoso player who is also a MUSICIAN. In my opinion the video demonstrates that the performer is both. I have several recordings of this piece played by internationally renowned organists, all of whom adopt the same tempo.
Finally, I agree with your comment re music is for listening. I often make a similar comment. If we are perceptive listeners our ears tell us all we need to know about the music and its performance, and we can aurally recognise the musicianship and the virtuosity.

Best wishes.
rk

[Andrew Roussak]

Hello Dawerd,

thanks for sharing - amazing performance!!

For the tempi - IMO, it is for the player to choose the appropriate one. One may find on YouTube the examples how The Minute Walce of Chopin is being played very fast, and very slow. Glenn Gould have recorded Goldberg Variationen two times - in 60es and later one more time in 80es. The speeds of the same pieces on these recordings are very different.

IMO, what good is good! This performance was more than convincing for me.

[wljmrbill]

Enjoyed the performance. Good Job youngman.Sure the delay is a big factor playing this organ and proper tempo for such instrument as I hear abit of overlap for sure.Been there and done that many times... Like to hear more ffrom you.. Bill

[pcnd5584]

... Someone mentioned the tempo and the acoustics. I sometimes wonder if organists put those two together well. Playing too fast in a church with a long reverberation time is going to produce a mish-mash of noise which, in louder sections or with a lot of contrapuntal voices, is just noise. I do not agree with the idea that ambulance-chasing tempi necessarily mean talent.

I am not certain that this applies here. I find the performance quite clear (even on computer speakers). The piece is played reasonably well - for example the music is allowed to 'breathe' at appropriate intervals. However, there is a blemish at 7'.40", where the performer pauses for a split second - then runs back a few bars and has another attempt at this section, which is a pity. Otherwise the playing is good.

You may be interested to listen to a recording of Jean-Jacques Grünenwald playing this movement at S. Sulpice (a building which is also fairly resonant) - and, of course, the organ at which Widor presided for many years. His (Grünenwald's) tempo is quite fast (8'.02" *), yet this performance is also clear and authoratitive, although a little too much speed, particularly at the end, results in a lack of clarity.

For anyone who may be interested, the details of the Grünenwald recording are as follows: Hommage à Jean-Jacques Grünenwald (Motette label) CD MOT 10521. This CD also shows Grünenwald to have had a formidable improvisational ability, producing well-crafted pieces in a variety of styles. He is clearly thoroughly at home on the S. Sulpice instrument.



* As compared to 9'.43" - the approximate time of the performance in question. (Subtract about 20 - 25" for the erroneus part mentioned above.)