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Gillian Weir - Royal Albert Hall grand organ

Contratrombone64

Admiral of Fugues
Sweet Corn - you're welcome. It's a motley collection I must say, and I bought if just because of the instrument, not because of what's on the CD. That said, the Liszt is very fine as is the Lanquetuit Toccata and the other Liszt work, St Francis of Paola walking on Waves.
 

Flute'n'Pedal

New member
Thanks, CT, for the link. I was very excited to read an interview with Gillian Weir, since I'm going to hear her in live concert in just two weeks time.

LlL
 

Flute'n'Pedal

New member
Believe it or not, she's coming to "my" island, Bornholm, and performing on the organ on which I take my lessons. Go into this website, look at the menu on the left and click on "Organ Festival 2008."
www.sctnico.dk
 

Flute'n'Pedal

New member
Jo, jeg kan dansk, men ikke bornholmsk, den lokale dialekt.

CT, nobody says "De" anymore; only "du" is used, even in formal situations.

What prompted you to learn some Danish?
 

Flute'n'Pedal

New member
Yes, the natives here have their own dialect which ordinary Danes like my husband can't understand. However, my children can because they were born here.
I'm amazed that you learned Danish simply because you felt like it. There are immigrants who've been living here for many years who can't speak any Danish. But then, if they did learn the language, they'd have to go to work and lose their social security. That puts a damper on inquisitiveness.
 

Contratrombone64

Admiral of Fugues
Ouch, that's a blanket observation, which I could make about Australia's immigrants, but I hate politically motivated threads so I won't enter into that sort of dicussion.

Back to Ms Weir, I'd love to know what you think if and when you see her playing at your church (?). Speaking of which, do you have a photo you'd like to share?
 

Flute'n'Pedal

New member
I'll write a report on the concert. I'm just worried about what kind of seat I'll get, since you can't buy tickets in advance. Hope I don't end up perched in a window sill.
Last year there were really good photos of the 4-manual Frobenius on the Sct. Nicolai website, but they aren't there now. And the page for "Billeder" seems to be empty. Sorry, I don't have anything.
But if you would like to see photos of two smaller organs on the island, look here:

http://pandea.simplenet.com/organeng.html
 

Soubasse

New member
Would very much like to hear what she manages at the Albert Hall - she's a formidable performer and tutor. I had the immense privilege of playing for Dame Gillian at a masterclass, and it's an experience I've yet to forget as I still draw upon it. Her enthusiasm for performance presentation and technique was, at the time, most inspiring, particularly since she was able help with a Messiaen piece that I was learning. In the space of 1 hour, she ironed out months worth of problems I'd been facing with this particular piece.
 

Contratrombone64

Admiral of Fugues
I'll write a report on the concert. I'm just worried about what kind of seat I'll get, since you can't buy tickets in advance. Hope I don't end up perched in a window sill.
Last year there were really good photos of the 4-manual Frobenius on the Sct. Nicolai website, but they aren't there now. And the page for "Billeder" seems to be empty. Sorry, I don't have anything.
But if you would like to see photos of two smaller organs on the island, look here:

http://pandea.simplenet.com/organeng.html

Flute, my dear, so long as the window sill doesn't have bird poo all over it I can't really see the issue? ... LOL
 

Contratrombone64

Admiral of Fugues
Would very much like to hear what she manages at the Albert Hall - she's a formidable performer and tutor. I had the immense privilege of playing for Dame Gillian at a masterclass, and it's an experience I've yet to forget as I still draw upon it. Her enthusiasm for performance presentation and technique was, at the time, most inspiring, particularly since she was able help with a Messiaen piece that I was learning. In the space of 1 hour, she ironed out months worth of problems I'd been facing with this particular piece.

Soubasse - next time you're in Sydney, I'll get you into Town Hall for a fracas with the beast, ok?
 

Soubasse

New member
CT - That would be nice.

I might even get to play it for more than 5 minutes this time. :grin: Last time I visited (quite some time ago now), I contacted Robert (Ampt) who said no problem and gave all the details about how to get in at some obscene hour of the morning. Upon arriving, the hall was empty and I happily sat down and started setting up stops for a blast. I hadn't quite played a note when I heard footsteps behind me (which in my experiences has only ever meant one thing, and sadly this time was no exception) and it was a piano tuner saying that he was booked in to tune the two grand pianos for an orchestra rehearsal in a couple of hours and would need all that time to do so. I (apparently) shouldn't have been told I could go in but since I was a visitor, his "generousity" allowed me a five minute play. Trying to make the best of it, I blazed away with a few minutes improvising which culminated in the use of your screen name. I was rather hoping that the vibrations might break the pianos, thereby making his presence redundant, but unfortunately ... ah well, another time.:D
 

Contratrombone64

Admiral of Fugues
Soubasse - next time you do go to play it, ask Robert for an inside tour and don't forget to take your camera. You'll see that my namesake is split on opposite sides of the gizzards, with the bottom-most octave on the left (as you look at the console) and the rest of it on the right (near the kitchen sink). Yes, it's even got a workshop and kitchen sink inside, amazing.
 

Soubasse

New member
Yes I saw Roberts photos of the innards including the workshop (and the perspex boot on the CT64 bottom C) during a talk he gave on the "megathyrium" at an OHTA conference many years back.

And I seem to recall an even longer time ago when I had a play on the old Melbourne Town Hall instrument, that you had to walk through the inside of the beast to get to the console, and that on the way, there was a sink, a small workbench and a couch (in case you got tired).

I'm so glad Dame Gillian is still performing as I haven't heard much about her in recent years. When she was down here for the Messiaen masterclass, she was also performing with our little orchestra for a performance of the Poulenc Concerto (on this city's somewhat garishly voiced Rieger :rolleyes:)
 
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