Thoughts on "L'Organiste"

[ParryHotter]

I'm going to be substituting for a couple church services later this month.

I was browsing through some recordings, and found some of these pieces to be enjoyable and learnable for an organist of my ability. Anybody here studied them? Any thoughts or opinions on the set or any pieces contained within?

Specifically I'm looking at the Sortie in F Major, but again feel free to discuss any of the set.

[ParryHotter]

Sorry, just thought I'd add some more on that specific piece.

Registration is a very weak skill set for me right now, and here's what I'm thinking of doing:

Section A:

Great
Principal 8'
Octave 4'
Super Octave 2'
Mixture

Swell
Oboe 8' (its the lightest reed on this instrument)
Sw to Gt

Everything played on the Great until section B (I may couple to the pedal simply for ease of playing certain sections)

Section B:

Swell
Vox humane 8'
Bourdon 8'
Octave Geigen 4' (this gives almost an illusion of a mixture, I'm not really sure how exactly to explain it)

Section C (reprise of A):

Swell (plays the bridge between B and C, gradually increasing volume through expression pedal)

Oboe 8'
Octave Geigen 4'
Doublette 2' (I believe this is a diapason and not a flute)
Mixture (can't remember exact name)

Great
Principal 8'
Octave 4'
Super octave 2'
Mixture
Trumpet 8'

Pedal
Principal 16'
Octave 8'
Choral Bass 4'
Posaune 16'

Sw to Gt
Sw to Pd
Gt to Pd

I know the intricacies of the church and instrument cannot be conveyed over the internet, but if you see something which seems grossly incorrect or if you have some suggestions feel free to post ! (Don't worry I've got thick skin if thats what it takes ).

[jvhldb]

A lovely piece I started last week, definately a far cry from the partitas normally used during our services.

The part that I managed has me excited to learn the whole thing, my teacher even threatened to play it during a sevice if I don't learn it faster. Lacking the scope of your organ we use a much softer registration to start with. We also split the voices between the manuals (right hand on the swell, left on the great) that way it sounds like the different sections are played by solo instruments, the only drawback is, I can't follow the indicated dynamics and registration changes without an organ assistant to set the registration.

Whether it will ever sound like Franck intended I will never now.

[Corno Dolce]

Due to windpressures, scaling, voicing, and finishing plus the shape of the shallots in Cavaille-Coll reeds, 99.97% of organs today will not sound like a C-C, unless they are another C-C. If my memory serves me *L'Organiste* was written so that it could be used on a harmonium or an organ.

[Hans0166]

not sure it's wise to place to much comment, but in my opinion i see to many mixtures..
go listen to some french organ recording and try to find the balance between your organ and what you hear.
While playing L'Organiste less is (often) more, keep it as simple as possible and let the music lead you.

[ParryHotter]

Yes, CD, I believe L'Organiste was originally composed for harmonium.

As for the Octave Geigen, here's what the Encylopedia of Organ Stops says:

The Geigen, whose name comes from the German geige, meaning “violin”, is a common diapason/string hybrid. While its tone varies between builders, it is usually (and properly) more diapason than string. It blends well, and is often used as the 8' foundation in Swell divisions. It is most often found at 8' pitch, though 4' examples are not uncommon, and has also been made at 16' pitch.

It is often fitted with harmonic bridges. Scales cited in the literature range from 4" to 5.5" at 8' CC, with a 1/4 to 2/7 mouth and a 1/4 to 1/3 cutup. Adlung and Locher, however, claim it to have a “very narrow” scale.

If I was going to reduce a mixture, I guess I'd remove the Swell Division mixture.

[Corno Dolce]

Hi ParryHotter,

Every Octave Geigen I've come across is very narrow scale. Of course each stop can have a very different timbre as per the wish of the organbuilder/voicer/finisher and how it will *fit and fill* the acoustic space.

Cheers,

CD

[ParryHotter]

Hi CD, could you please elaborate on "narrow scale"? I don't quite understand what you're trying to say.

[Corno Dolce]

Hi ParryHotter,

By definition *narrow scale* I mean gently voiced pipework on very low windpressure and quantity of airflow - somewhat like the Italian Baroque School.

Cheers,

CD

[JONESEY]

Hi ParryHotter,

Is this the collection of pieces you're referring to:
http://imslp.info/files/imglnks/usim...korganiste.pdf

If so, there are 7 pieces in F Major / F minor category - which one are you learning?.
The pieces look very nice - I'm standing in for the regular organist for a morning and evening service this Sunday so I'll be up practising ... these pieces look very nice!.

[ParryHotter]

I'm learning the last of those 7, the Sortie. I've listened to most if not all of the pieces, and it's interesting to note the common themes in each set of pieces. Nothing revolutionary or brilliant, just plain old good music.

[jhnbrbr]

My copy of these pieces (Enoch & Co) appears to have registration instructions in the form of numerals in circles attached to each staff, but I've never understood what they mean, and there isn't a "key" to explain them. Perhaps it's some system used by harmonium manufacturers of the time? They do make sense, as where the left hand part needs to be brought out more, the lower staff has more numbers than the upper one. The preface (by Tournemire who edited the incomplete collection after Franck's death) confirms that these pieces were indeed intended for the harmonium. Confusingly, there is a second volume of "L'Organiste" which contains early organ compositions (predating the "Six Pieces"), mostly written on two staves, but sometimes including a pedal part, while the volume of harmonium pieces dates from the end of Franck's life. They are obviously not of the same stature as the Trois Chorals, but contain some interesting and effective pieces nevertheless. My favourites are D major/minor nos 4 & 6 (old carol arrangements), F# minor/Gb major no 6 (lovely chromaticism), G minor/major no 4 (melody in LH, "twilight zone" in RH) and Ab major no 3 (the last in the set, another LH melody, with a deeply satisfying ending).

[Cosmosa]

In my Kalmus edition of Organiste at the beginning it explains that these circled numbers are referring to the standardized registration of the French harmonium:
1 Fundamental rank of 8' pitch
2 Fundamental rank of 16' pitch
3 Redd-like rank of 4' pitch
4 Reed-like rank of 8' pitch
5 String-like rnak of 16' pitch
E Expression, a non-speaking device allowing subtle dynamoc nuances by shutting off the reservoir and causing the wind to go directly from bellows to reed chest
G Frand jeu. Full organ, activated by knob or knee lever
O Ouvert. Open, a non-speaking dynamics devie which uncovers a hole over the reeds, lettin more sound out, often effects Ranks 3 and 4 above

.....American organists can approximate the composer's sound ideal by choice of register and by a willingness to play one or both hands an octave higher or lower than written, where appropriate.
Hope that this is helpful.

[jhnbrbr]

Yes, thanks for solving that mystery. I shall add a note to my copy now.