Diane Bish - "Allegro" from Symphony No. 5

[Inspirandus]

Diane plays just perfectly - technically speaking. However, she seems to be in an eternal rush - sacrificing a lot of depth and expression in many pieces in my view. It makes it also rather tiring to listen to many of her interpretations.

[kempedkemp]

It is a very nice organ and Ms. Bish is a wonderful organist. Unfortunately the room is as dry as a bone.

[vorrifmn]

How much does that organ cost- it better than some of the other ones I see on youtube.

[pilate10]

How does one transition from the piano to the organ?

[polgarfan]

@pilate10 Well, if you want to transition from piano to organ, bear in mind your technique is different because of the nature of each instrument. Techniques like glissandos and substitutions (not used much on pianos IMO) MUST be performed very well. The assumption when learning to play organ is to learn how to play everything "legato" first. Hopefully, the techniques will be mastered before attempting a major work like this one.

[kasha1932]

So sorry.  This broke up all through the piece.

[Julius121081]

You are so fucking hot Diane.

[Tokkemon]

What I love best about this interpretation is when Widor puts ff and fff in his score, Ms. Bish ACTUALLY uses stops that are ff and fff. She isn't some old lady who has sensitive ears. Very powerful!

[0627nmp]

@Tokkemon I would love to understand what you just said. However, I don't. Could you translate the ff and fff to english from music terminology.

[Tokkemon]

@0627nmp ff = fortissimo, or very loud. fff = fortississimo, or very very loud. Fortississimo tends to mean "as loud as possible" being the generally the loudest dynamic (though ffff and ffffff have been seen too...)

[0627nmp]

@Tokkemon Thank you. I could not tell if you meant volume or octave "f". Thank you for explaining. Sorry if I came off abrasive.

[RacewallFan]

what an amazing woman...great upload!

[Firesorcerer1987]

Very Beautiful.

[Tetsuo315]

By restricting ourselves to one type of interpretation we limit ourselves with music. There are many organs in this country to play Widor & Vierne. Who gives a shite if Diane plays a French organ piece on an Italian,German, or American intrument. Whats important is the enjoyment one gets from playing and entertaining an audience of listeners. Besides, organs are expensive to maintain and electronic is replacing them. Lets not limit our playing or there will be no real organs to play at all.

[orgelspielen]

I really don`t understand the big fuss about playing French organ music on an American organ! Does that mean just because peices that were written by, for example, Widor and Vierne, should only be played on the organs they were composed and played on or only on French organs? I enjoy listening to the very many interpretations of organ music. I believe it would be a shame to restrict organplaying to a particular form. Diane Bish is very dynamic and plays exceptionally!! DO NOT RETIRE, DIANE!!!

[farthereast54]

I haven't heard an interpretation of this that I enjoyed quite so much since that of Richard Ellasasser back in the 1960's. There is much life and energy in it, and a bit of lightness. So many of the recordings in the intervening years have been ponderous, and rather like dirges, which cannot be quite what Widor had in mind for his Allegro. Anybody up to outplaying Ms. Bish on this one? Those who couldn't seem to have become critics.

[steamboat75043]

Nice to see we have plenty of collective ignorance to throw up on boobtube. Glad to see there is no room for other interpretations and that if you don't have a french organ, then by God, don't play the thing. And that there is only one way to register the organ. I enjoyed the performance. Diane probably plays better than the lot of you put together.

[steamboat75043]

And there are other recordings of this instrument, so, the tinny sound of the recording is what's pulling the sound down.

[polgarfan]

Well, duh!! Diane Bish is the greatest organist of our time!!

[tommyupoo]

Thank you. I agree with you a lot.

Vierne, went on a tour of North America playing American organs such as the Wannamaker one.

If Vierne, a FAMOUS FRENCH composer had any problems with playing French music on non French instruments, why did he go to North America?

Why is it that when we encounter people that are better than us we moan and complain.

Just get over it. Until your in a position to criticise her, keep your mouth shut.

[tamiasthechipmunk]

Agreed! In addition, the same type of critics you are talking about also pick on Virgil Fox for the same things they say Diane is doing. What they are forgetting is that music can't be played like a typewriter. It has to be expressive and vibrant. The reason the like of VIrgil and Diane are well regarded is because of their ability to give music life and gusto, not just playing note by note. As long as the music is entertaining who cares what registration Diane uses or what organ she plays on.

[solvet83]

Cara Diane,

quando ti esprimi in questi video porti con te le note, la tecnica, questa buffa acconciatura, questi simpatici e colorati abitini, il tuo volto sempre sorridente e le tue scarpine da Alice nel paese delle meraviglie..............ma il GUSTO sempre a casa lo dimentichi? Un posto nella tua borsetta ci sarà!

[AndreaPianoPlayer]

Pessimo audio, l'organo sembra digitale in un ambiente privo di riverbero. Tecnica impeccabile, ma esecuzione piatta e veloce, perché deve sempre correre? Non la sopporto.

[enchammade16]

I love Dianne, but playing a very French organ piece on an Italian tragedy isn't correct. She plays this Allegro way to fast, a much slower tempo is written. Also, such a bright Ruffatti is not good to play such a lush French sound. There are no strings on the original stop list. However, still, the shrill flutes and principals, and ultra heavy pedal don't make for a good rendition of this piece. This should be played slower, and on an organ capable of playing a lush French sound.

[1401JSC]

Disappointing. It's time she went into retirement, perhaps.

An organ that has no French sounds on it in an acousic that is very far from that of Saint-Sulpice and just playing the notes with no sense of majesty, fun, dignity, space, love...whatever.

Oh dear!

[SlpoRS]

i also find a lack in sense of phrasing, and dotted values always seem to be clipped short of their full value or "space". it creates a sense that it is always rushing.

[SlpoRS]

you may think other organists play it too slow, but in actuality, they are probably right. Widor's marked tempo on this was the quarter note = 69. also, a slower tempo works much better if she followed the registrations that widor indicated. i did not hear the 16' register throughout the first variation. also, her staccatos are too short -half value is correct. holding the chords the correct length with a slower tempo is quite pleasing.

[gngeannakakes]

Diane Bish's interpretation of this piece is just right. I like the fast tempo - other organists usually play it too slow - actually, a little bit faster would be o.k. The reverb of this church unfortunately is lacking.

[willowthebored]

It's interesting what she's done, it's definitely not a traditional French interpretation. I like it. I'm sure it would have sounded better live, too, this video doesn't really capture the majesty of 117 ranks...

[MattiaFlacio]

Tecnica eccelente, come sempre, ma l'esecuzione è un po' troppo veloce...

[claviergoren]

Diane Bish is a consummate musician.

Her technical ability is like that of Joyce

Jones. She can play anything!

Diane Bish we thank you for your artistry.

[tjugofyra]

Silly articulation!

[Principal16]

TOO FAST!!!

[Organiste06]

She plays really very well ! With a very expressive way. But the organ is simply horrible.

[willowthebored]

It's not the organ, mate, trust me...this was a very nice Ruffati before Walker and Rodgers had their way with it (this was recorded before that dark day). The problem is that Godawful McChurch they installed it in. It's like singing underwater, totally ruins the sound. Unfortunately, she doesn't have six, seven, eight seconds of reverb to hide her staccato behind like the French organists of yore...

[christiancolard]

Beaux souliers!

[dulzian64]

I love Diane Bish, but she always seems to play everything so fast.

[0627nmp]

@dulzian64 That's why I like her.

[baptisthospital]

Pish-Posh the Rodgers series of organs blows all pipe organs away

[glevantino]

Other recordings of this organ sound much better- sounds like more or a recording or upload problem to You Tube.

[pipeup1]

Registration not good. Instrument sounds like a box of whistles!!

[conegon]

@pipeup1 Essentially, the pipe organ IS a box of whistles.

[Angultimmarik]

She always play so fast! As if she never was a student of Marie-Claire Alain! I don't like her playing, ignoring all European examples.

[drchris51]

WHAT A DREADFUL INSTRUMENT

[steelersfanhawaii]

I love Diane's playing (truly she has 'fire' in her playing) however, that Ruffatti is way too shrill!! She sounds much better on Skinner organs!!!!

[REDTOR99]

very nice to see this part of the 5th! i love it more than the final toccata! thanks for posting!

[penguinflag]

Go jump in a lake- let's see you play the mighty organ and let's compare to see who's better. The song and the organ don't mix well, I'll give you that, but she could pull it off if she'd been on Widor's precious organ in St. Sulpice. Stick to music you like and we'll keep on listening to Bish.

[ahmelmahe]

Exactly which Mighty Organ are you talking about? That bagpipe of all organs - a Ruffatti? If I had to, and thankfully I don't, I'd pick a Wurlitzer over a Ruffatti any day. As for Ms. Bish - okay, keep on listening.

[octavebasse8]

ya, ive never been impressed with ruffatti

[bachprofessore]

The organ is awful, thats true! It doesn't even reach the sound level of Cavaille-Coll's or baroque organs. And the acoustic of the church is dreadful, too!

[bourdon0774]

It's great to see Diane playing something other than her hymn arrangements and the usual classical organ stuff (Finale of this Organ Symphony, Bach T&F in D minor, etc.)

[ihadaralf]

She looks like your typical American middle aged no taste granny but she plays very well and for once, I approve of the organ.

I like Bish's playing but her wardrobe's atrocious.

[64ftContraBombarde]

you can really hear the mixture in the pedal at 3:30! I love this movement, i have the music here beside me!

[parison48]

There is no doubt Diane is a technically competent performer, Im just not convinced on the registration, but then again Im not the biggest fan of American voiced instruments at best. Sorry but there you are.

[organum74]

I agree, je suis d'accord avec votre point de vue.

Far away from sound of real symphonic organs, especially Cavaillé-Coll like Saint-Sulpice : gere the stops are too briht, and like often with American organs, many stops but they sound quite small, reeds too agressive too...

[orgelxaver]

Das Allegro ist mein Lieblingsstück und ich versuche es gerade zu spielen, es ist aber schwer mit den ganzen Akkorden, meine Hand ist leider noch etwas klein, aber ich bin ja auch erst 14 Jahre jung. Aber Respekt, wer das spielen kann.

Herzlichen Glückwunsch Diane Bish!!

[uorgel]

orgelxaver!

Nicht entmutigen lassen. Immer weiter üben.

Der große J. S. Bach hat gesagt: Genie ist Fleiß. Viel Freude beim üben und liebe Grüße an Dich

[jimthecat444]

Bloody hell!!!!!!!!!

[klodg]

J'ajouterai qu'en 8:32 pédale volume un p'tit peu trop bas..

Mais superbe dans l'enchainement et dans l'ensemble ! Bravo ! J'aime ré-écouter de temps en temps cette version ''Américaine'' de Widor.

[klodg]

Tempo un petit peu vite en début mais très bien dans l'ensemble. Bon pédalier..Widor peut dormir en paix avec cette artiste Américaine qui sait faire une bonne interprétation de ce génie Français.

[organist12345]

You should hear a recording of Ian Tracey playing the organ of Liverpool Cathedral in England(the largest organ in the UK). He uses virtually full swell + great pleno for the whole of the firt part of the piece.

[parison48]

Since the Albert Hall was rebuilt in London it has since become the biggest in the Uk.

[organist12345]

I knew that but some people still classify Liverpool as having the biggest organ

[missionaryorganist]

I love the French organ sound. This organ here a Ruffatti Instrument. I personally thing they are a bit bright. I have been the St. Mary's in San Francisco, and again the large French works on that organ are just ok. Diane play very well.

[diaphone32]

Even though it has bad sound quality the way she plays it is truly amazing.

[rotunda57]

These organ clips would be much better if the camera just stayed on the console. No panning or special effects.

[kgs202]

An example of power and drama....love French organ music with use of the reed stops...my favorite family of stops on the organ...add Diane as the artist performing and you have...well, perfection.

[vinniecaruso]

love this song. and that was an spectacular performance to say the least