J.S.Bach - 'Dorian' Toccata & Fugue (1 of 2) in D minor

[robertgift]

Thank you, latribe. Interesting. Still sounds good in Meantone!

I keep the trill at 1:19 going for the whole note. Always disappointing when one ends it prematurely.

Nice energetic performance!

Is this an electronic organ whichas all kinds of temperaments?

[latribe]

@robertgift Hi! Thanks for the nice comments - Mark will be pleased! Yes it is an electronic, sadly of which only part can be put into different temperaments but it's a useful instrument on which to experiment in this regard. It's not an instrument that anyone can buy from a manufacturer off the shelf and relies significantly on my speaker designs to make it sound as worthy of being able to demonstrate the repertoire of the King of Instruments as is possible. . .

[robertgift]

@latribe Congratulations! Sounds wonderful.

I'd love to have an organ which can do all the temperaments, not just for different composers/periods but also to hear the temperaments and sharpen my pitch acuity.

[FrZeile]

My favorite Bach toccata! Thank you for sharing it.

[Braybaroque]

Marvellous performance and very interesting meantone use. It servers to show that Bach CAN be played in meantone ... though hardly so: some awful discords in both the Toccata and the Fugue clearly show that the work was conceived for a circular temperament.

[TheSdenne]

My mom used to get mad when I didn't turn the page fast enough. Good job, page turner. lol

[freethoughtmusic]

"The amateur practices till he gets it right - the professional practices till he can't get it wrong." WOW! Apart from the enjoyment of this magnificent performance I got this real lights-on saying. I'm putting it on my desktop for inspiration. Thank you.

[MissDeniseHewitt]

Brilliant Performance! Warm Wishes - Denise

[rush2death]

True passionate guys having fun!

WOW.

[NorbertZF]

Sounds like some sort of "digital" gizmo, right? No matter how much they try, they just can't replace the sound of a real instrument. The pipes in an organ are all measured quantities of lead, tin and zinc in proper proportions. That and good voicing and tuning and a general good construction is what makes for a fine instrument. Not electronic. Take any Arp Schnitger that has had minimal restoration or restored to original standards of th 17th Century and it simply cannot be beat!

[latribe]

@NorbertZF Search "Hugh Potton Reubke" and "French Baroque Masterclass" to hear this organ properly recorded and please comment there about the sound. However that's not the point here: this organ provides an experimental base for registration and particularly for temperament which is SO neglected as a subject, and therefore as an inspiration for pipe organ building. The Grinda organ at L'Escarene is interesting for its temperament as it is usefully unequal but enables all keys to be played.

[kraftpr]

@NorbertZF I AGREE!!!

[latribe]

@kraftpr Please let me know where in England one can experience an Arp Schnitger?

[kraftpr]

@latribe I do not know to what you're referring. As far as I'm aware, Arp Schnitger did not build organs in England. However. England does have wonderful instruments! I call to mind the organs at St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey as well as many, many more throughout the United Kingdom. I was merely agreeing with the comments of the previous poster. I think you may have meant this question for "NorbertZF".

[latribe]

@kraftpr Yes - just so. Please let me know any other instruments in England where this piece can be tested in Meantone tuning. St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey are in Equal Temperament. The point of the instrument at Hammerwood is to provide an instrument of sufficient versatitility that anything can be tested - in terms of repertoire, specification and registration, and temperament - as well as to provide an inspirational concert platform for virtuosi and young performers alike.

[kraftpr]

@latribe Sorry, that I do not know.

[latribe]

@kraftpr Yes - that's the point. This instrument provides very unique performance and musicological research facilities.

[SilverlakeDehners]

Good Lord, that organ is horrid!

[latribe]

@SilverlakeDehners What's horrid? The organ, the registration or the temperament? This instrument is intended in many ways as an experimental exercise in being able to try different things which one could not try with a fixed pipe specification. Furthermore, this recording is not done with proper sound recording equipment. To be able to really judge what this organ is like, listen to "Hugh Potton Reubke", "French Baroque Masterclass" and "Latrobian Whirl". Come and play it - impressive for real

[SupRep]

good job...not realy an organ but.. well done from germany

[latribe]

@SupRep Well . .. it's an organ that organists want to play and, what's more, it is so versatile in disposition and range of available stops as well as being able to try different temperaments, that it's an excellent test-bed for trying out different ideas. See "Hugh Potton Reubke" and "Latrobian Whirl" to hear what other performers have done with this instrument

[tremer88]

id go to church just to play the organ afterwards

[AMCDONALD013]

This is an amazing piece. My high school band played this song for the windfest in our area. I played the bass pedal part on the bass clarinet, and it was hard for me its amazing how he can play it on the foot pedals.

[ccoraxfan]

I dare say that Bach in meantone is a bit sour in places! But still, a very good demonstration of a temperament which isn't used much these days. Music written for meantone is quite interesting.

Also, is that a MIDI cipher at the end? Having considered putting together a MIDI-based organ, I've often thought that it would be good to have the encoder send an all-notes-off command every time the last key is released, so that ciphers would be cleared automatically.

[latribe]

Glad you enjoyed it! I have been keen to demonstrate unequal temperaments - Kellner and Kirnberger are possibly best for Bach but Meantone creates glorious "effects" that an audience can notice rather than discern. I have tuned our 4 rank chamber organ to meantone too and the result is delightful.

A lot of church music is written in meantone-friendly keys.

Yes - at the end it is a MIDI cypher which occurs with Great to Echo coupler - a channel duplicator causing traffic jams. Not good!

[latribe]

Try also "Mark Shepherd plays fugue of Bach Dorian Toccata" - the meantone brilliance is outstandingly exciting!

[BiliousTrumpstaine]

ive just listened to that twice... i wish i could play like that!