The Organ Symphony Thread

[giwro]

Corno,

I've heard of it, but never listened to the recording. The length reminds me of Sorabji's organ Symphonies - they are all 3 in excess of an hour long.

You should try composing - I have some connections with publishing and can give you a hand there if you want.

Cheers,

- G

Hi Giwro,

Have you had a chance to hear the Passion Symphony entitled "Christus" by Francis Pott? Its quite a thrill - Here's a link for some info:

http://www.signumrecords.com/catalogue/sigcd062/reviews.htm

Hearing this work and "Le Chemin de la Croix" by Dupre inspires me to try my hand at some composing.

Cheers,

Corno Dolce

 

[Corno Dolce]

Hi Giwro,

I'm sending you a PM shortly.

Cheers,

Corno Dolce

 

[giwro]

Gawthrop Symphony "O Jerusalem"

OK,

Today's links are of Dan Gawthrop's Symphony for organ "O Jerusalem".

I made this recording for Dan, and have his permission to share it.

Mvt 1 - Allegro
Mvt 2 - Largo
Mvt 3 - Giocoso
Mvt 4 - Finale

This is an exciting and accessible modern work - I'm pleased that there are still some people writing stuff like this.

Enjoy!

- G

 

[nachoba]

Wow Giwro, thanks again! This is like a coached journey through the organ symphony world.
I will listen to this one during the weekend. I've been listening to the previous one you uploaded -Maurice Le Boucher's Symphonie in E- really fantastic, indeed sounds very french!
Best regards,
nachoBA

PS: I've sent you a PM.

 

[musicalis]

Congratulations for your work

Hi !
You have done a wonderfull work. You seem to be a very good organist. I am a newbie on this forum and I found it very interesting. I would like to listen to all the songs you have recorded but i am not at home and here I can download files only at very slow speed. For instance your MP3 of Maquaire's very beautifull 1st movement took more half an hour to reach my computer. I have to wait to be back home where I have DLS.

I would like also let you listen to my own French organ music and get your remarks if you agree. Here is my latest work, a modern toccata, recorded with a computer because I can't play it by myself.

Friendly.
Jean-Paul​

 

[Krummhorn]

Hi Giwro,

Another great organ symphony ... you are spoiling us with all these great musical offerings ... and we absolutely LOVE it. It's absolutely thrilling to learn of such contemporaries still creating such lush works for organ. Where can someone find this piece in print? Always looking to expand my ever growing organ library.

 

[giwro]

Glad you're enjoying the "journey"

It seems folks have enjoyed this so much that I may consider also a new thread for rare (non-symphony) organ music... any takers? I'd be glad to share more if folks like - I've got a ton more recordings...

Cheers,

- G

Wow Giwro, thanks again! This is like a coached journey through the organ symphony world.
I will listen to this one during the weekend. I've been listening to the previous one you uploaded -Maurice Le Boucher's Symphonie in E- really fantastic, indeed sounds very french!
Best regards,
nachoBA

PS: I've sent you a PM.

 

[giwro]

Thanks, Jean-Paul!

You have written a very nice Toccata - I'd love to hear it on a more realistic-sounding organ.

Before you think I am such a virtuoso organist, remember that I am recording these with a virtual software organ, so I can edit out mistakes and change tempos by going back to the midi file....

Cheers,

- G

Hi !
You have done a wonderfull work. You seem to be a very good organist. I am a newbie on this forum and I found it very interesting. I would like to listen to all the songs you have recorded but i am not at home and here I can download files only at very slow speed. For instance your MP3 of Maquaire's very beautifull 1st movement took more half an hour to reach my computer. I have to wait to be back home where I have DLS.

I would like also let you listen to my own French organ music and get your remarks if you agree. Here is my latest work, a modern toccata, recorded with a computer because I can't play it by myself.

Friendly.
Jean-Paul​

 

[giwro]

Glad you like it, Krummhorn!

It's my pleasure to share these with folks who appreciate them... it makes my work to produce them worth it!

Dan Gawthrop's music is published by Dunstan House

Cheers,

- G

Hi Giwro,

Another great organ symphony ... you are spoiling us with all these great musical offerings ... and we absolutely LOVE it. It's absolutely thrilling to learn of such contemporaries still creating such lush works for organ. Where can someone find this piece in print? Always looking to expand my ever growing organ library.

 

[Corno Dolce]

Hi Giwro,

I so totally enjoyed the Gawthrop "Symphonie" especially the first and fourth movement. Hey, a (non-symphony) thread would be great.

Cheers,

Corno Dolce

 

[nachoba]

Giwro,
I'm absolutely interested in that new, parallel journey you propose. If it is for me, go ahead. Please do not smash me but the beginning of the Symphony by Gautrhop reminds me to Jean Michel Jarre (I'm not saying this in a negative way, quiet the opposite).
Very much like the work indeed. I'm still amazed as how nice sounding the organ is, would you mind sharing with me how do you achieve this? sample set, equipment, etc.
Sound really impressive!!
Thanks again for posting all these recordings.
best regards
nachoBA

 

[musicalis]

Midifile of toccata

Thanks Giwro !
As you can hear, I work with a computer too, but not with a virtual organ. My software is only a music editor called Harmony-assistant (a french product). What is your virtual organ, it really sound great ? Is it for Mac, for PC or something else ?
I'd love too ,to hear the toccata with a more realistic-sounding organ.
So please, allow me to send you the midifile if you have some time to spend.

My software does not work as a midi sequencer, but like a text editor for music notes. It is very good for printing a score or to create a wav or mp3 file. Of course it can export to Midi, but this format does not suit well for pipe organ works. I am afraid the result will be horrible. Inside my computer the song needs 34 channels (one for each organ stop) and midi is only 16 channels. I cannot manage midi exportation, so the computer creates a strange midifile, in which you should have to select the only 3 or 4 channels really necessary.
I send you the raw midifile. I notice some strange mistakes, but you can easily deal with them. If you prefer, I can also send the score, in PDF.
I have written many other organ musics. If you want to listen a little more, tell me.

 

[musicalis]

midifile of the Toccata

For Giwro

Dear friend. I wrote you a long mail but when I wanted to post it it vanish I don't know where. Now it is late in the evening and I have not the courage to write it again.
I only wanted to said :
1) Thanks for your answer
2) What is your virtual organ, is it for Pc or Mac or something else ?
3) I also work with a computer and a french software
4) I ll be glad to hear the toccata with your relistic sound
5) allow me please to send the midifile
6) the midifile is not very good as my software is not a midi sequencer. midi export does not suit well for organ works as the software try to use one channel for each organ stop.
7) I have written other organ songs. Do you want to listen a little more ?

Now I add also : I have completed loading Maquaire symphony. It is really wonderfull.

Friendly

Jean-Paul

 

[giwro]

Hi Giwro,

I so totally enjoyed the Gawthrop "Symphonie" especially the first and fourth movement. Hey, a (non-symphony) thread would be great.

Cheers,

Corno Dolce

I'll send Dan a link to this forum so he can see your kind comments.

The new thread is hereby started!

Cheers,

- G

 

[giwro]

Thanks for the kind words!

The new thread is started.

The Gawthrop was done on a modified version of my own FBR 3m sampleset, impulse reverb added in SoundForge. I started with a score in Finale 2006 which was split to 4 channels (Swell, Great, Choir, Pedal). After applying Finale's "Human Playback" plugin, the file was exported as a .MID file, which was further edited and tweaked in Cakewalk.

The other files were done in a similar way, only using different samples collected and edited to emulate a Cavaille-Coll.

Cheers,

-G

Giwro,
I'm absolutely interested in that new, parallel journey you propose. If it is for me, go ahead. Please do not smash me but the beginning of the Symphony by Gautrhop reminds me to Jean Michel Jarre (I'm not saying this in a negative way, quiet the opposite).
Very much like the work indeed. I'm still amazed as how nice sounding the organ is, would you mind sharing with me how do you achieve this? sample set, equipment, etc.
Sound really impressive!!
Thanks again for posting all these recordings.
best regards
nachoBA

 

[giwro]

Hello, musicalis,

I'll see what I can do with your MIDI file...

Do contact me by PM and I'll give you an email address to get in touch with me.

Since this thread is supposed to be for organ symphonies, let's not get off the path too far by discussing other genres... I am glad for your enthusiasm to share your music, however!

I'm pleased that you enjoyed the Maquaire!

BR,

- G

For Giwro

Dear friend. I wrote you a long mail but when I wanted to post it it vanish I don't know where. Now it is late in the evening and I have not the courage to write it again.
I only wanted to said :
1) Thanks for your answer
2) What is your virtual organ, is it for Pc or Mac or something else ?
3) I also work with a computer and a french software
4) I ll be glad to hear the toccata with your relistic sound
5) allow me please to send the midifile
6) the midifile is not very good as my software is not a midi sequencer. midi export does not suit well for organ works as the software try to use one channel for each organ stop.
7) I have written other organ songs. Do you want to listen a little more ?

Now I add also : I have completed loading Maquaire symphony. It is really wonderfull.

Friendly

Jean-Paul

 

[giwro]

Next installment - Georges Jacob

Well, we're almost at the end of the symphonies I can post, so I guess I need to get back to recording!

Next on the list is Georges Jacob... he wrote a fine Symphonie in E. I've so far done 3 of the 4 mvts, am working on the Final right now. I'll post the first 3, then later #4 when it's ready.

1- Prélude, Fugue et Variation
2 - Andante
3 - Scherzo

This is the quintessential "french organ symphony" sound...

Cheers,

- G

 

[acc]

Hi giwro,

First of all, congratulations on the impressive endeavour you've undertaken! And I mean both aspects of it: the research to uncover all those "lost treasures" and the sheer amount of work to learn the scores.

(and probably never-recorded) [...] I'll start with Lazare-Auguste Maquaire

Actually, the Maquaire symphony has been recorded, by Michael Eckerle on Unda Maris, a (former) sublabel of Aeolus. The CD (from 1995) is out of print at the publisher's, but OHS still lists it here.

 

[giwro]

Hello, acc...

Thanks for your kind words...

I am aware of the Eckerle recording - I've heard it (borrowed from a friend!)... he does a nice job on the Maquaire.

I have been fortunate that many people across the world have helped me in my search for Organ Symphonie scores - I've even managed to get quite a number of out-of-print works as well as a couple of unpublished manuscripts.... It's fascinating to see this music and wonder why it has fallen out of print (or in some cases, never printed!)

Cheers,

- G

Hi giwro,

First of all, congratulations on the impressive endeavour you've undertaken! And I mean both aspects of it: the research to uncover all those "lost treasures" and the sheer amount of work to learn the scores.

Actually, the Maquaire symphony has been recorded, by Michael Eckerle on Unda Maris, a (former) sublabel of Aeolus. The CD (from 1995) is out of print at the publisher's, but OHS still lists it here.

 

[Krummhorn]

. . . Next on the list is Georges Jacob... he wrote a fine Symphonie in E. I've so far done 3 of the 4 mvts, am working on the Final right now. I'll post the first 3, then later #4 when it's ready.

This is the quintessential "french organ symphony" sound...Cheers,
- G

Indeed so very typical of the french sound ... your recording work is absolutely stunning. I'm always on the edge of my chair waiting for more.

We are so very appreciative of you sharing these with this forum community. :clap: :clap: :clap: