Herr Johann Sebastian Bach

Corno Dolce

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
Aloha Mr. Newman,

It was the interpretive genius of Virgil Fox who got me interested in wanting to play the organ. Thanx for sharing all those vids with us.

Cheerio,

CD :):):)
 
Robert Newman

Robert Newman

Banned
Hi there Corno Dolce,

I first heard Virgil Fox almost 20 years ago on a vinyl recording. He did as much for the appreciation of this music as anyone, it seems. Let the 'purists' criticise him if they like.

I'll post his famous (1963) recording of the Passacaglia soon.

Regards

Robert
 
Robert Newman

Robert Newman

Banned
J.S. Bach
Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor
BWV 582
Soloist - Virgil Fox - Organ
1971
(Lincoln Centre for Performing Arts, New York, USA)
(Vinyl Record)

As a verbal description of this great work I suggest, ‘The immovable object meets the immutable force’ - Bach’s tremendous BWV 582. This recording is itself legendary. Virgil Fox in his prime.

Apologies for surface noise from time to time on this old and much loved vinyl record. Not from 1963 but 1971. Made in New York. (Thankfully surface noise is not too much of a factor).

http://www.mediafire.com/?ikmw3ngnd0g
 
Corno Dolce

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
Aloha Mr. Newman,

I heard Virgil for the first time when I was only knee-high to grasshoppers :grin::grin::grin:

Ok, I might have exaggerated just a smidgeon but hearing Virgil live at Riverside Church was an experience I'll never forget. Imagine if Virgil was around to perform in the acoustics that are there today...especially after the congregation contracted a firm to apply sealant to those blasted Guastavino tiles used on the walls and ceiling.

Now that place is quite alive and well with a most proper acoustic setting - the organ definitely has come into its own. Anyway, as a working organist I have been critiqued for liking Virgil's playing too much. All what I can do is say: *Hey, if you don't like it there's always an exit door waiting for you to pass through it*.

The current cream of the crop of organists are, in no particular order, Olivier Latry, Daniel Roth, Stephen Tharp, Paul Jacobs, and Ian Tracey, Franz Hauk, and Vincent Dubois. Of course, others have their picks as to who is masterful in their interpretive skills.

Humbly,

CD :):):)
 
Robert Newman

Robert Newman

Banned
Hi there Corno Dolce,

Thank you. Great to know you had the privilege of hearing Virgil Fox live. We in Europe learned of him only slowly, through various great recordings in the 70's. His sheer love of this music is wonderful. I greatly admired that side of him. Viva Virgil Fox !! Here IS music !!!! That ability, to play music and bring joy to ordinary people is so inspiring. Other people may disagree but there is something divine about this.

Can you please tell us if the volume at such Virgil Fox concerts was very loud ? Was there much reverb ? How did they arrange the speakers etc ?

On the Youtube clip where he plays the Bach 'Jig Fugue' the sound quality is quite poor but the audience in that vast hall seems to have heard it well. I wonder how the loudspeaker system worked on such concerts ? Anyway, this great American organist has his place as one of the greatest organists and teachers of all time.

'Bright sunlight, magnificent uplift, true inspiration' (Virgil Fox)

So too E. Power Biggs -

E. Power Biggs - Bach's Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UlYPLDJ8TOE

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0gRBCAdC7wI


Regards

Robert
 
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Corno Dolce

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
Aloha Mr. Newman,

Tbh, I don't recall how the speakers were arranged - the reverb was not like a smear of sound - the volume, if my memory serves me, was not blastingly loud...I've never heard Virgil *blast*. He always tastefully balanced the capacity of the instrument and the acoustic space. He knew well when an electric organ would distort.

Virgil was a class act who will not be easily displaced, although many will now say that Cameron Carpenter is the next Virgil Fox. I freely admit to finding Cameron's quixotic brand of interpretation as interesting to say the least. True interpretive maturity comes to different artisans at different times, so I do find it premature to say that Cameron takes over from Virgil.

Oh boy, Biggs and I have a very contentious *relationship*. His Bach leaves me feeling cold and clammy...but his riff on Mozart's F-minor Fantasy on the Passau Cathedral organ I do very much enjoy.

Back to Virgil: Yes, the recordings from his concerts leave very much to be desired - no doubt about it!

Back to Biggs: Lest you think I'm too harsh about British organists I will state that I like Simon Preston's Bach as more enjoyable. And Ian Tracey is fabulous just like David Briggs and John Scott who left St. Pauls in London for the un-acoustic barn that is St. Thomas in New York, wherein the congregation is pitching the Aeolian-Skinner into the trash heap for a Dobson. Well, its easy for a congregation to play with dead-men's monies.

Sorry for ending with a rant - I had to get it off my chest.

Humbly,

CD :):):)
 
Robert Newman

Robert Newman

Banned
Thanks Corno Dolce, that's very helpful and I agree with you. We keep looking for another Virgil Fox and there isn't one. He was unique - one of a kind. He clearly got back to basics, to introducing the sheer joy and simplicity of great music to audiences. And they responded. He created happiness and reverence at the same time. He was a real character, a real person. And he loved what he did. One of the problems of our age - 'superstars' everywhere but hardly a real person. Same in music today as in politics and any other sphere of life. There's nothing better than infectious enthusiasm for creative things. Virgil Fox is in my view among the great musicians of our times for all these reasons. Wish I had seen/heard him.

Regards

Robert
 
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