Max Reger - Phantasie über B-A-C-H, op.46

[AFcunningham]

fantastic performance. Reger's music is so dramatic

[Rollinglenn]

No comments on the Marshall & Ogletree VIRTUAL Pipe organ itself?

Certainly sounds "real" in my headphones. Besides a myriad of carefully placed custom speaker and sub-woofer cabinets, how much of this is the building's reverb versus how much is electronically processed?

Sure is a great fill-in for their Skinner!

[Machru]

His timing is wrong. To short on the pauses.

[EHeersema]

@Machru It is the artist's privilege to interpret the music, I believe. That is be beauty of music, you can put your own feeling into it and personalize it. Maybe not everyone will agree, but it becomes new again and unique.

[colinmacknight]

@Machru of course it has nothing to do with personal taste. if he doesn't play it as YOU think it should be played, it is objectively WRONG.

[Machru]

To @colinmacknight: But, Colin, - IS it objectively wrong? Perhaps I am more heavy-handed, needing weight, force and strength... And no other composer gives the performer a better chance to express passion than Reger. Thanks for your comment.

[quovadismusicRo]

Thanks! Paul Jacobs has discovered for our ears the really beauty of Reger’s music!

[pdleavitt]

@KV467 Yes. Based in the Washington, DC area. There is no such thing as being too prepared for the concert stage. Anthony Newman used to say to me that he knew a student had thoroughly integrated the score that he could walk up to them while they were playing and have a conversation with them. If the player could reply, he knew the music was in him. Food for thought!

[colinmacknight]

what's that button he presses at 6:59? it's not a piston i dont think... maybe a tutti button or something?

[saintdracula1]

This video contains so much more win than all the past World Cups combined

[whcscomlat]

Honestly I can say that every piece I'm playing I can also play from memory and most times I'm not looking into the score but sometimes there are few notes you need to have the feeling of being "safe" when you are playing it for a lot of people hearing it.

[jcjetlyss99]

AMAZING!

[robertgift]

WHERE IS THE FUGUE?

[erdavis7]

@robertgift WHERE IS THE BEEF?

[MANTLEBERG]

Was Max Reger a manic depressive ?, i play like this when im well pissed off...nice playing though, thanks for posting.

[hallgeir1984]

@MANTLEBERG Well, he had at least some mental problems and some alcohol-related problems. I've read some place that either this B-A-C-H or his Inferno (Symphonisches Phantasia und Fuge) was actually composed in 7 days during a train-trip through Europe. Very impressive to do that, especially with so complex fugues.

[Organiste06]

American organs frighten me

[LJBSasha]

@Organiste06: What is it about American organs that frightens you? [Or is it the organists?]

[Organiste06]

@LJBSasha It's all that big stuff !

[LJBSasha]

@Organiste06: That seems like a rather vague reply. Is it the various combination pistons (both divisionals and generals)? Is it the stop-knobs on each side - nothing unusual there! Is it what the organist is doing in his playing - which is just what Reger calls for, no more AND no less? Could you be a little more specific, please?

[OrganNLou]

This is a "good" virtual organ as I still prefer the software program "Hauptwerk" for its flexibility. Mr. Jacobs on the other hand is just marvelous!

[me45404]

its just wonderful that there are still younger people who are interested in the wonderful music of the pipe organ.

[OrganNLou]

Its True, Trinity plans never to install another pipe organ in this church!

[menschmaschine5]

@OrganNLou That's not true, actually. That was announced by former music director Owen Burdick shortly before he stopped working at Trinity 2 years ago. Nothing concrete has been planned (likely largely a consequence of both the financial trouble in the country and because Trinity has yet to hire a replacement for Burdick), but I definitely see hints that the church will start a restoration project of the old Skinner sometime in the future.

[gaboy4553]

I wish Paul Jacob's performance of this piece had been videoed in Jacksonville when he was here earlier this year. He gave a truly remarkable recital here. I think the organ and room is even better than Trinity Wall Street, coupled with Paul Jacobs artistry, it should have been posted on You Tube. I hope he reads this and responds back to me.

[kirchenmusiker]

Grandiose Symbiose aus reiner Spielfreude und guter Interpretation... es macht Spaß zuzuhören.... und dazu noch eine gut klingende amerikanische Orgel (selten, aber gibt es)... ach ja: und völlig ohne Registranten.... .-)

[Norwegian816]

I truly believe that Mr. Jacobs is one of the finest organists in the world. His mastery of the organ is amazing. I always marvel at the "attitude queens" who think that they are the best. IT is the attitude that destroys your gift - think about it...

Mr. Jacobs is humble, and gracious - that coupled with his ability is what makes him great! I heard him at the Crystal Cathedral in California - an organ that I too have played.

All I can say is that St. Cecilia is with him... What a gift he is!

[MrBrysonD]

All I am saying and its been proven OVER AND OVER AGAIN! Digital waves will loose their clarity and the church will have lost many many stewartship dollars. Also, any educated organist can hear the difference immediately. This firm is not even as good as a Johannus organ which is as everyone knows the bottom of the barrel. So in a few years if you hear " I told you so!" It won't be coming from me. I'd rather hear the fabulous Paul Jacobs on a Fisk or Casavant myself not this crap!

[sspx]

Walll Street is ALWAYS full of phenomenal talents.

[Raffallos1411]

@sspx Yes it's true

[webusch3]

Woah. I don't think my organ teacher can play this, and he's in the guild!

[flash2368]

Paul Jacobs is director of the Organ Department at the Julliard School. Best I have ever heard. Doubt many will ever match him.

[bckm54]

nonsense. I can beat him with one hand tied behind my back. ;) Seriously, he IS very good. almost as good as Cameron Carpenter. :)

[menschmaschine5]

@flash2368 He is an excellent performer. He's not the only one, though. There are several performers of equal and greater caliber up there.

[flentrop2009]

No offense at all, but just because one is in the guild, doesn't mean they can play anything.

[menschmaschine5]

No offense intended, but anyone can join the AGO (American Guild of Organists). All you need to do is pay dues. In fact, many members don't even play the organ, they're just enthusiasts.

[aduklips]

I'd be a castrato for that organist' talent. Reger is phenomenal.

[CarltonMaaia]

Anton Rubinstein said, "Next to Liszt, we are all children." I am no Rubinstein, but I will say the same about Paul Jacobs. His genius and his generosity make him a Liszt for our time. Thanks be to GOD.

[StephenHalloran]

Amazing!

[AKellarev]

This is really a great performance!

[grayson991966]

I Truly Love this man! He reminds me of myself in L.A. 25 years ago! I too was an organist, but 2002 I had a stroke at work, and my life has gone in the crapper, since!But I was an avid BACH Player also! Keep up the "GREAT" work! I wish you had a C.D. I could buy. Thank you for the faboulous memories!

[MrBrysonD]

Yes I think as he matures that will find its place. But as an instructor sometimes you have to "exaggerate" things for your students to perceive! Paul plays this better than any I've heard. Just wish it was on a descent organ. The digital instrument sounds like crap at full organ.

[virtualpoboy]

Sir,

Don't judge an instrument by MP3. ALL accounts of this instrument point to it as a pipe organ. In person when you listen or when you play, you lose any sense of it being virtual. I am also a diehard wind eater lover, and never want there to not be any, but this is a new path for the future artists to be drawn to and I support it to the fullest. Your 'crap' is an opinion shared by you. Keep an open ear AND mind.

[davbear221]

I've heard this organ and practiced on it! It is a piece of junk that will ultimately began to lose speech and sound qualities and be a worthless piece of crap in 10 years. Unlike the previous organ! Of course put the likes of Paul Jacobs and Cameron Carpenter on this instrument and it will sound "sort of like a pipe organ to the average Joe!" I say keep a discerning ear and intelligent mind! (Something it sounds like you could use some help with!)

[bckm54]

who died and made YOU god?

[menschmaschine5]

@virtualpoboy Speaking as someone whose both heard and played that particular instrument on several occasions, the difference between this and a pipe organ is actually more jarring than you'd think. It's vastly invferior to a good pipe organ.

[robertgift]

@menschmaschine5 Is this not a real pipe organ?

Certainly sounds like it on our computer.

Wow! Such speed in such difficult areas.

Some a little too fast causing loss of some detail.

But some parts I now realize I need to play faster.

Wonderful hearing this. Wish we had good speakers.

[MrBrysonD]

I just enjoy hearing this talented young man! What a true gift and inspiration to the organ world!

[cederikleon]

yes he play Reger wonderful but, he's a little bit -how to say- extreme body-expressive, more like pianist than organist, some times looks like he want to fly nor play... maybe it's cause of his age... eventually he will focus on other organ.details :D any way Fantastic!

[Regiomontum]

Beeindrückend!

[organauz]

impressive!!!!

[diapason1029]

To me, Anna Myeong's interpretation is better and more natural. But, playing from memory is amazing!

[Chopianist3]

Bach must be the best organist who has ever lived...wow

[trompet8]

What a performance! For me mr. Jacobs shows that he understands every single note of the peace and is capable of sharing his joy playing it, with us. I would like to hear his interpretation on one of our great Dutch organs. Many thanks for posting.

[LJBSasha]

I totally disagree!!

With all due respect (and I have argued my stance with one of your countrymen!), your historic instruments would be putting a HUGE cramp into his playing - with minimal or no swell-expression, with no pistons to rapidly change registrations (and let's face it: one just can't trust human registrants who might not even be able to read your handwriting in your scores - you would be stopping all over the place if you tried to play from memory!!), it would be a mess!!!

[trompet8]

Dear LJBSasha,

I only expressed a wish.... How can you disagree with a wish of me?

What I do get of your reaction is that you think/believe that this repertoire cannot be performed good enough on Continental-European organs. Hmm. be aware that they have been composed here. Of course you are right, a setzer system does make the life of an organist easier, but believe me... with one or two good registrants (we have a lot of them...cause we must ;-) great perfromances are at a short distance.

[LJBSasha]

I know well that those pieces were composed in Continental Europe! HOWEVER, I've also met people on this continent of North America who've played in Europe and who prefer our instruments precisely in part because they are not consequently forced to HAVE TO TRUST registrants!!! They told me how often those "assistants" make things harder instead of easier such that they - the organists - have to stop and do the registering themselves!!

That's why it's better to substitute setzers instead!

[LJBSasha]

While disagreeing regarding your historic instruments, I can wholeheartedly agree with your adulations about his performance!!

However, you absolutely need to watch how he manipulates those devices mostly lacking on not only your country's but most Continental-European organs, sadly... They are PART AND PARCEL of his being able to do so very much with this fiendishly-difficult pair of pieces. Thank goodness for video-films like this one!!! Please study it!!

[jasjjb]

Trompet8

Just a quick note to let you know there are also those who agree with your point of view.

Perhaps the best possible reaction is to ignore LJBSasha who seems to think he or she always knows better even when it is not the case !!.

[pdleavitt]

The danger with playing from memory is that you might actually play REALLY WELL! Nothing is a greater handicap to musicians of any ilk than trying to read from a score while playing. If you can't play without the score, you don't really know it.

[novisibersk]

@pdleavitt I agree. One of the first things my organ prof at Westminster did, Ray Ocock, was make sure I ALWAYS had a score in my face. The problem for me was that the score became more of a distraction than an avenue to help me perform better. This was a long time ago, but before my undergrad studies, I played everything by memory and did it well, I felt free. Having music in front of me was, and still is, just not as liberating.

[dnephi]

@pdleavitt Notable exceptions being music that doesn't lend itself to memorization. I've heard pianists flatly assert that Bartok's Night Music is impossible to memorize, and I have yet to see a performer of Ligeti's etudes play from memory.

[titusbeertsen]

@pdleavitt I don't know if this accounts for organ players, but it definitely doesn't account for piano players. Richter played a lot from scores, and Berezovsky does do as well because of memory problems, fear of forgetting parts (is he a worse player because of this?). Also, in chambermusic it is more rule than exception to play with a score.

[johannestiger]

C´est genial!!

[riverscuomo06]

this is a freakin sweet performance. i got to play this organ about a month ago when i was in NYC to see cameron. you really can't appreciate it until you hear it in person!

[RNRFKA]

Is the critic allowed that he moves to much?

A famous organist (I don't remember him) once said : "It's good that organists seldom are visible" - that is due to the publicums concentration on the music. The Widor-school disliked too exalted motions as well.Maybe it is a result of the freestanding consoles (we haven't so many in Europe), maybe a specific american phenomena comparable to the concert- pianists? I hope I find the needful tolerance for this opinion and criticism.

[LJBSasha]

Yes, that's a fair criticism. Enough of us will disagree (not everybody believed/believes in the military-style bearing of a Widor or of that organist who doesn't like his colleagues being seen...) - it's the result that counts for me; and if Mr. Jacobs gets it this way, why not!?!

Another thing to note is that he's playing from memory and without any assistance from other human beings - something not really encouraged in continental Europe... More importantly, he does it all SPLENDIDLY!!!

[RNRFKA]

To deepen it: it's not my opinion that he

m u s t play like a board cause Widor teached that sometimes. It's my own experience that you are playing more concentrated if you don't move (too) much.

That he is playing from memory - I admire this profoundly. But there are dangers too. A world famous european organist played sometimes from memory - it could happen that he forgot some parts of the composition.Have a look at Mr.Joachim Essigs Reger Videos. Seems that he plays from memory too.

[LJBSasha]

Regarding your first paragraph: good point generally. On the other hand, some people just find it easier to move around the same way one breathes. In fact, some teachers deliberately have their pupils do so - for example, as part of imagining how certain passages are meant to be attacked. [Not covered here is how certain motions almost force counterbalancing body motions if one's reaching for certain pedal notes or toe-studs, or if one has to reach for certain pistons not located optimally.]

[LJBSasha]

As to the dangers of playing from memory: that's no more the case generally than a pianist, violinist, singer - or any other musician for that matter, conductors included! - having a "memory lapse" (and it's been known to happen with such likewise!). [Organists may think they've more to deal with relative to the instrument, but "that goes with the territory".] The benefit of playing from memory is that you're not constrained to look at the music lest you lose your place in the piece.

[Altairograph]

That is definetely true, if you can play something from memory for me that works far better then playing it from a sheet, but I wouldn`t dare playing an organ song from memory. Singing from memory I think is far easier, but generally you are right of course, it`s just a matter of practice.

I agree with the moving thing, also personally I find it easier to play hard passages when I`m not moving. Or to play correctly in general.

[LJBSasha]

If you really know the score very well AND know the instrument you're dealing with well, it can be just as readily done (playing from memory) as with any other instrument, the voice included!

[melina48]

Glorioso.Fantástica interpretación

[kempedkemp]

What an organist. I could just squeeze him... such an adorable man. I hope he does not burn out.

[LJBSasha]

In as few words as possible: wonderful!!! [The only thing I noticed that's less than orthodox is the omission of a few double-pedal octave-doublings by the right foot (when looking at the score as published by Breitkopf & Härtel as part of the complete works of Reger).] Otherwise, all is the same as with my review of this same performer's rendering of the fugue. Let's have MORE, please, Mr. Jacobs!!!

[Organbest]

Molto bravo.

Complimenti!!

[skyler6290]

I love Reger and this is a spectacular playing his incredibly difficult and wonderful music. Bravo!

[dihydroxypho]

guter Mann, dieser Paul Jacobs !

[wonderschoonutrecht]

sehr schon, heel, mooi, beautifull!

[Parker002]

awesome i just got one of these in my bedrooms

[Tuttiplaya]

Yes, thank you flowrulz, for uploading these! might you consider uploading the other pieces he played that night as well?? :-)

[rauschquint]

Thanks to the uploader for posting these two Paul Jacobs videos as I've been hoping to get to see this talented organist at work. I've got the only audio CD I could find of Paul playing some Bach, but an audio CD doesn't tell the whole story. Paul if you're reading, I hope you do some more recording soon, CD or DVD, I'll be in line to buy it when it arrives.

[Tuttiplaya]

Yes, it is Paul Jacobs.

It happens that a digital organ IS a recording—so this is just a copy of a recording, which is almost as good as a recording of a real pipe organ. People tend to forget that sometimes.

[Daeggae]

can someone please upload some pieces like "und unser lieben frauen traum", "wir glauben", "abendlied", "der mensch"...!

cant find anything around here!

[joeyboi87]

Might be wrong but I think this is Paul Jacobs

[JDWP254]

thats far from a pipe organ sound!

[riverscuomo06]

what are you talking about. have you ever heard an M&O organ in real life? i'd prefer it to any real pipe organ! no maintainance, you can't tell the difference in sound, and there are unlimited stops (using the alternates and scrolling). you even hear a blower when it starts, the clicks from the keys, and the swell flaps slam if you close them hard. and besides, does any organ on youtube sound like an organ in this bad quality? you're ignorant.

[TorontoEd7]

Wow, who is this guy and where is he from? Terrific performance which I like alot. Thanks for playing Reger!

[sykobeachparty]

I HATE to say it, but the digital Marshall and Ogeltree sounds absolutely AMAZING for a digital organ. Still, there is no replacement for a classic Aeolian-Skinner.

[Tuttiplaya]

ha yes. i totally agree with everything baroque dude below me says :)

u just have to meet paul in person. and watching him play up-close is... amazing. its such an amazing experience. i was about 5 feet away from him when he played this a few months ago. wow... ill not soon forget that.

[Baroque1750]

This video does not do Paul's playing justice. I got to see him perform 20 or so feet away when he played this piece and some organ works by JS Bach at Brigham Young University-Idaho on thr Ruffati Organ. He was spectacular. He is very kind too - I met him. Reger has to be played with such movement as it is one of the hardest organ works to play.

[Huwtube72]

After seeing this performance I am certain of one thing; Paul Jacobs is the greatest organist who has ever lived. This performance is absolutley extraordinary! I have seen a lot of virtuoso performances in my time but I have never seen anything like this.

[ny1news]

...next to cameron carpenter... paul is close second tho

[Tuttiplaya]

paul jacobs is the most fantasic person ever!!! i love this guy to death.

[monoamiga]

This is ABSOLUTELY EXEMPLARY interpretation and performance! The best I've ever heard (and I heard really a lot of them). FANTASTIC!!! PLAUDITS to this guy!

[pmo1969]

"Emoting"??? It's a ridiculous concept that an organist has to sit poker straight whilst playing. Well Done. That's exactly how Reger should be played... full of passion and, yes, emotion.

[robertgift]

@pmo1969 Emotion is fine and wonderful.

But what's with all the swaying and movement?

It's not like we're affecting pipe speech.

One time I turned on the tremulant and played the solo line with my hand wavering on the key in time withe tremulant.

Some may have thought I was causing the vibrato!

[robertgift]

Wonderful performance! So clean, bright, energetic! Please stop all the "emoting" Trying to be a Glen Gould of organ? So distracting. Do it in private if you must.