Difficult organ works

[MusingMuso]

You don't go wrong with Durufle's "Veni Creator"...Ya know, even Durufle was very sceptical of his Toccata and he made changes to it...He has written so little but whats there is of such high quality...

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What I always find interesting, is my belief that the original version of the Durufle Toccata is better than the revised version, but as I didn't write it, I have no right to quibble.

MM

 

[MusingMuso]

Another magnificent work, which rarely seems to get played, has a similar problem of stretches. I refer to the Ducasse "Pastorale." My trick is to re-write the offending bit in the style of the bar previous, because the motifs are inverted, and only a complete pedant would actually know the difference and comment afterwards.

Should anyone wish to learn this, don't be put off by the pedalling, which is much less difficult than it looks, and relatively easy under foot.

Of course, the four stave writing in parts, is a bit daunting, but it's worth persevering.

MM

 

[Soubasse]

The Vierne is extremely hard for me because I feel like my hand isn't big enough! There are a lot of "stretching" phrases in that and it's not so much getting comfortable with the music as it is a physical struggle. The Gigout isn't that difficult but perhaps seeing a lot of high caliber artists perform it has brainwashed me into believing it is.

Maybe I'll be getting started on some of these difficult things pretty soon, I have my first collegiate organ class tomorrow!

You may be surprised (or perhaps not) to know that even the pros will cut corners as they see fit. Years ago I turned pages and pulled stops for ... okay, let's just say a rather well-known English organist and I'll admit to being a little surprised to see just how many short cuts he took in the Poulenc Organ Concerto and the Vierne Carillon (specifically, simplification of awkward rhythms and actual omission of rapid inner passages). I got a cheeky grin from him during one run-through followed by "I never practiced that bit properly." I thought at first he may have been leaving it out for the practice and saving it for the performance, but no, come the performance it was played the same way.

That said, it's possibly not the sort of thing you'd want to do during a collegiate class

 

[Corno Dolce]

Oh yes, the joys of "artistic priviledge"...

 

[Soubasse]

:grin: :grin:

 

[Dorsetmike]

As a change from Widor, why not Dubois toccata

For baroque, Bach's Passacaglia, or maybe a piece of English baroque, John Stanley Opus 2 No2 concerto for organ and strings,

[video]http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/NPaudio.cgi?Fn=FlashPlay&rec_index=N01293&Code=2&No=5[/video]

The single manual doesn't really do it justice, this string version will give an idea of the full work.

 

[wljmrbill]

Thanks for the videos.Enjoyed them..Good concert or festive pieces. Also nice link for the NPOS selecltion.

 

[reelypiano]

Wow! Thank you all for the replies and all the fantastic pieces suggested! I was away a couple of days, didn't expect this many replies Thanks everyone, you are awesome! And Dorsetmike, I love both Bach passacaglia and that concerto, but unfortunately I only have strictly 10 minutes for the audition. (And not a string orchestra..!) I'm thinking to do Bach's toccata from his toccata, adagio and fugue, BWV 564 for baroque, and either Duruflé Choral varié sur le thème du Veni Creator or a Messiaen work (les mains de l'âbime, perhaps?) for the "romantic or later" piece. Both cathegories have to be between 5 and 10 minutes long. I'd happily choose the Duruflé, which I know already, but I'm not certain I can bring someone to do the registration for me while playing (the last variation is a nightmare when it comes to registration if you're doing it alone - you have to add another stop all the time). But I guess I'll figure it out Anyways, thanks for all the answers, now I have enough music to listen to for a while!
V

 

[Soubasse]

As a change from Widor, why not Dubois toccata

My teacher used to call the Dubois Toccata "The Lollipop" - I always have a bit of a chuckle at that, can see what she meant. Fun to play though, fits under the hands very well.

Reely, I've always felt that the BWV 564 Toccata is a great one to have under one's belt. It works on a number of levels, what with the flashy opening, the pedal solo and then the more formal structure of the remainder. I reckon that could be a good choice for you.

 

[Udyret]

A promising thread this one, and plenty of good suggestions to give you a headache. Here's my list of "headaches;"

J.S. Bach; Practically all the great Prelude and fugues, particularly Bwv 542 (g-minor) and the trio sonatas

Max Reger; Fantasy and fugue on "Straf mich nicht in deinen Zorn"

Brian Ferneyhough; "Sieben Sterne" (You'll probably never figure out what the notes exactly mean)

Marcel Dupré; "Prelude and fugue in b-major"

César Franck can also be quite a challenge if you use his own metronome markings, especially "Priere"

 

[Soubasse]

Ferneyhough wrote an organ piece?! Why didn't I found out about this sooner!!

 

[Udyret]

Just for good measure; here is the start of the Ferneyhough piece, it only gets worse....

 

[ArthurWoolsey]

What both my organ teacher and I call "the beast" is Vierne's organ Symphonie 2 Allegro - I tried to play it - hard as hell! I agree about Carillon de Westminster as well - generally Vierne seems to be challenging. I'll attatch Daniel Roth doing Vierne's "Beast".http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8cckqkP7lg

 

[Contratrombone64]

Just for good measure; here is the start of the Ferneyhough piece, it only gets worse....

Looks hideous...........................

 

[Contratrombone64]

@ Arthur - I am such a basic organist that any of the romantic french symphonies are WAY beyond my limited abilities. I did start working on the first movement of Widor's fifth symphony. Amazingly, I managed to get the first two pages quite playable but it too a LONG time including VERY slow practice with a metronome (hands seperate, without feet, then joining them together bit by bit). Did my head in.

 

[ArthurWoolsey]

Something a bit easier and something I learned when I had been playing the organ for about 5 months was the first page of the introduction from Elgar's sonata in B flat. It is short, in some parts quite easy and others hard with some of the stretches and jumps you have to make but it sounds VERY impressive - particularly if you add a trumpet to the registration!

 

[Oldromola]

Carl Nielsen's 'Commotio'?

 

[Nikam]

Guy Weitz 'Grand Choeur'?

 

[chrishandoko]

HI,
I just started learning some orgelworks with my electone.(because there's no real pipe organ in my town and har too find out real pipe organ in my country)
but I try to learn classic orgelworks.
I think fantasia BWV 542 is quiet difficult n tricky too.but I really love it and the fugue part.
for 20th century orgel works is quiet difficult too, because It's harmony is not familiar for me.need high concentration to understand.

 

[Corno Dolce]

Hi Chris,

Absolutely fantastic to read about what pieces you are attempting to learn. Do you live in Sumatra? If you do there is Nommensen University which I have heard has a good music department - You might be able to secure the help of a professor who can help you acquire better skills in organ playing.