(sigh) how can you criticize this piece? this (regardless of how it's played) is in the top ten of all-time musical compositions. it's not like it's a long vocalized version of the star spangled banner!! now that's TORTURE!!
WAY too fast, and too much improvising. Still better than I could do (which is nothing). Michael Murray on Telarc recorded in 1979 on LP is my favorite version of this piece.
First of all, for all who criticize this performance - keep in mind this is already technically an insanely challenging piece to play from beginning to end let alone with the continuing sostenuto feeling.. - to suggest there is no feeling is downright pathetic. Anyone not possessing such feeling would not go through all the hardship and repetition of learning a piece like this in the first place. Sure, not every performance is world class, but even a single of this piece is enough to impress.
A question for you music scholars:I remember some research from 30+ years ago which showed that Bach lifted this work note for note from another composer. I believe the original work was for chamber orchestra. Am I recalling correctly or fantasizing? This performance? Heard better.
@1HiMimi The wikipedia article on this piece (BWV 582) has the answers to all your questions ... and yeah, the recording Richter did in 1980 on the Freiberg organ is par excellence in my opinion. Pretty sure that's up on youtube somewhere, too.
Sorry to say, but this interpretation is, mononotonus,, there a no personal THOUGHTS in it, that is the performer did'nt used this possibility of this MASTERPIECE (!) of Bach. Just remember how does it begin, how does it ends, and what happens meanwhile. Anyway it could be a way a human life - I think.
Well, how should it be played? I think it must be played in a very simple way, but this simplicity is a result of a long process. This artist -I think - is at the beginning of this process. The simplicity ...one has to suffer a lot, to reach it.
Yes, to be simple it is not the beginning, but rather more is the end of something.
Like every hair follicle on my skin just had an orgasm, this was amazing! I wish it didn't cut off the very end though, but this was great. I've always loved this song, and it was played beautifully, there's just something about the organ....
@AchillGirl In what way was he a showboater? As far as I'm concerned, if he's got the skills, gift and talent, why can't he flaunt it? I'd love to attend a church with Balint as the organist!
whats with the start of it and his hands. ? i personally don't need toconduct my own feet when i play the organ. espacially with such a simple bass. oh and i do apologise . technically your probably better than me but i must add ... the tempo is ever so slighty too fast..
how do you know the tempo? did Bach tell you? there is no correct tempo. this is about the tempo of the Stokowski transcription. just because the herd plays it one way does not make it correct. get over it. this is beautiful playing, nice ornaments, great sound, i love the registrations. i like Bach played with spirit, thank you!
Bach is life - spiritual life not technic and virtousity. Why play Karosi this piece in near a quarter time faster than most of any other organists? I think, he don't brings Bach to life, he's making a trial - a not lucky one.
@koos1981 It's not like I'm the only one who finds that it sounds a bit too fast. 90% of the comments say the same thing. It's nice, it's well played, but it's fast.
@sooth15 The tempo is a matter of artistic choice. Based on the fact that a passacaglia was a fast dance and 2. there is no indication to tempo by Bach for this piece I think it is fair for any musicians to make choices that make the music work in an authentic way. The tempo still allows Balint to make ornaments and articulate properly and I think his tempo and articulation make the voices work together in a great way.One should realise the base should be played like continuo as well.
@sooth15 slow tempi are often the result of a romanticised approach to baroque music. Tempi start from the tempo giusto which could be considered moderato. Adagio is usually slightly slower but there is no clear indication to how fast/slow such a piece should be performed.
This mechanical action organ was build by Richards, Fowkes & Co., Ooltewah, Tennessee. Check their beautiful website for their next organ going to London, England.
I like a little separation between the passacaglia and the fugue - there is none here. I have an LP with Professor Michael Schneider playing this - and he includes a slight separation. Maybe the recording engineers put in there, maybe the prof did - either way I like it better than none. I want to hear the last great c minor chord die away a little before the downbeat to fugue.
doing this he changes the sound of the organ, he adds or he withdraws tones (sometimes u can hear that). these things are called organ stops or registers.hope it helped u :)
If I may also add one thing to the explanation below... usually the more stops that are pulled, the louder the organ sounds due to more pipes sounding. Hence the phrase "pulling all the stops" to signify going out with a bang.
Another thing... for pieces as busy as this usually someone else pulls the stops for the organist. the fact that he does his own stop work is absolutely amazing!
These things are called stops. The control the sound of the organ! One stop stands for a specific sound or imitated instrument that the organ is goin to emmit. These stops are activating different ranks of pipes so only these ones can be played. That's the main function. Hope this helps a little bit...
I don't mean to sound critical but I wanted to ask what made you decide to slow down for the passage at about 4.53? I appreciate that you may not get the time to read or reply to my comment.
for me it seems kinda daring to play the Passacaglia that fast. but it is a special interpretation and Balint Karosi keeps the rhytmus throughout his playing. that´s admirable.
Hmmmm.. How ald you? Look like you are about 25, and playing passacaglia at that age really is impressive. Especialle thinking about articulation on this song. Godd job!
I am old enough as an organist to have learned JSB pieces in the "Harold Gleason" heel-toe way, and in the "Haarold Vogel" toe-toe way ... common sense and listening guides me, and there's always the issue of how the pedal clavier itself is MADE, as that varies, as does issue of mechanical versus electropneumatic key action ... I more and more prefer toe-toe and in fact find it physically easier to do. Hope this reply helps address your question.
30 years ago I struggled with this piece as an amateur. That said this recording was very good. He used great pipe combinations and good variety with the different variations. I really enjoyed this post. Thank you.
Although I would generally prefer a slower pace, if I consider the organ he's playing on and the registration he employs, I'd say this pace suits it to a tee.
Too fast, too clinical, too impersonal. This is probably the greatest piece of music ever written, the sheer majesty of it should stun you, drop your jaw, send shivers down your spine, punch the air out of your lungs, give your life a meaning, make you a better person... This performance doesn't make it justice. Sorry, man.
what stupid comments ,people try to listen the music ,i cannot understand that you are so much attached to the view ,the musician is giving his sould here try to respect that
Okay, so I'm presuming that this comment of yours was directed to my last one. What's wrong in admiring the view we get of the pedal? After all, not all of us have perfect pitch and we have to actually LOOK at the notes he plays to learn then.
You play very well! Dont worry of these peoples comments, they are stucked in that conducting part, you really play with talent and with great thinking of pieces caracter! Keep on!
A slight pause at 6:50 would make this perfect. A little too fast for me but then again, Virgil's my idol so perhaps an unfair comparison. Bravissimo to this organist. The fact that he's conducting himself (keeping his time in his own way) is a non-issue. You wouldn't see this anyway at most recitals.
Why? Only because I don't agree with your opinion, because I never liked Karl Richter? I respect your opinion, and I kindly ask you to respect mine, okay?
That conducting himself is absolutely OBNOXIOUS!!! This is a talented young man putting out very good but not exceptional interpretations. He plays as he was taught--it has all been feed into him. He does not think for himself. Perhaps great musicianship will come with time. Check out Karl Richter, a great artist playing the same piece. Listen, learn the difference.
Sorry, but I don't like Richter's performance AT ALL! This is the way they played Bach in the 1950s and 60s - in a very romantic (and boring) fashion. Much too slow, much too reluctant. No inspiration, no fire. And I always hated Richters performance of Bachs oratorios, too. Very militant versions, almost makes you want to stand up and salute. No way!
WOW - what a performance, and what an extraordinary talent! I tried to play this piece when I was about 20, but never EVER got as far as he does.
I like his tempo. He plays with juvenile fire - good! Maybe when he is sixty, after a long career as an organ virtuoso, he'll discover that you can play Bach a little slower and still keep the flamex burning.
As to the "conducting": why not? This music is meant to be heard, not to be watched. If you want to see Swan Lake, go to the Opera!
One other comment I would make is this: Most organists playing a totally mechanical organ use the services of a assistant to change stops and to turn pages. Balint Karosi makes his own changes in registration and has the entire piece committed to memory so he does not need an assistant to turn pages.
He makes few changes in registration as it is. Moreover this is a relatively simple organ. But yeah, the fact that he plays out of memory is commendable.
Balint Karosi is a total virtuoso. You may think the "conducting" thing is some kind of gimmick. It is not. This man becomes a part of his music as his music becomes a part of him. He understands that music is a combination of hands, heart, sound, mind and soul.
I think the conducting is a good thing. I do it myself occasionally while playing the organ (on my stringed instruments you'll occassionally see my feet conducting the beat for the piece) so I can't see why you must be so negative about it.
Very fine performance of BWV 582 although the right-hand conducting that begins the performance is unnecessary. More concentration on the legato thema might be a better idea. Nice job!
Glenn Gould conducted himself all the time at the piano - you can even hear him humming/singing/croaking along with his playing on most of his albums.
People are different. What we like is different. Personally, I like the way this piece is played here. Others don't like it. That's fine. Our preferences and tastes are our own. So, find what you like and listen to it. If you find something you don't like, just move on.
My opinion is that the most organists are playing Bach much to fast. In a church it´s neccessary that you give the sound of a pipe time to grow up. Slower is sometimes better. This guy plays a accurate technic but without any feeling. By the way: I´m playing church-organ too since 1984 and this piece also. But when I´m playing this piece it take a little bit over ten minutes (only for the Passacaglia) to finish it.
Oh shut-up all of you elitist assholes. Stop treating your opinions like fact. Nothing in nature repeats itself in precisely the same way, so why should a piece of music always be played the same way?
I personally don't like this version as much as slower ones, but it's still beautiful, powerful, and glorious.
It's beyond me to see people arguing under such a divine masterpiece as Bach's Passacaglia. I've heard it countless times and whenever it is performed by a talent (like the one we have here) sounds to me - I don't mind the tempo - could be fiendishly slow (like the great Rübsam's improvisatory version on Naxos) or as fast as here. The point is to have it performed by someone who's dazzled by the beauty of it - as we have here.
No soul or feeling? Well, you seem to be a REAL professional if you're able to judge any musician with these words...
What I would say: Richter's feeling for this piece is WAY different from Karosi's. That's all. If you like one interpretation better than another one, this doesn't naturally mean that the other one is worse, right?
I have to agree with your assesement. While the playing is technically sound, it lacks the requisite sensitivity and dramatic arc that this piece demands. Tempi preferences are largely very subjective, but I also agree that it is far too fast and aggressive. So, you're not alone in your dissapointment. Indeed, in the hands of masters such as Richter and Biggs, it almost sounds like another piece altogether.
So true evolve749, as I have said in numerous other occasions. And, as I have also said earlier, the organ in question is inferior in sound quality compared to the ones played by Richter and Biggs.
I just think it sounds rushed. That's just me. In many cases I prefer a more brisk tempo, but not here. Unfortunately, it's impossible to know exactly what Bach intended, seeing as how he offered so little in the way of notation/instruction. He left it, in large part, up to the performer.
The tempo sounds fine to me. And according to Bach's sons, he liked to play fast.
The absence of performance marks in the score is not evidence that the composer left everything to the performer's arbitrary discretion.
It's merely evidence that Bach didn't expect anyone else to play it, or that if anyone else did play it, he'd be following the performance practices of Bach's day.
We don't even no the occasion for which Bach wrote this.
In Bach's day, they played mostly contemporary music. No composer of that time had any notion that his works were going to be played long after he was dead any buried.
Ahh, I see. So, by your way of thinking, because he won a competition, he is immune to criticism? FYI, virtually all professional musicians/conductors have won a competition at some point in time. Are they all immune to criticism?
I meant that the fact that he won 1st place in the Leipzig Bach festival organ competition suggests to me that actual experts on Bach organ playing, i.e., people competent to judge such things, consider his Bach interpretations to be excellent, both technically and artistically.
As you say, no one is immune to criticism, for as they say, everyone is a critic.
But that doesn't mean that all criticism is valid or that all critics no what they're talking about.
You seem to be saying that if one plays this faster than YOU like to hear it, then the performance will inevitably lack "sensitivity and dramatic arc".
Yet this tempo sound fine to me. The Richter tempo is too slow.
I'll bet you hate the fast, historically informed performances of Pachelbel's Canon in D for 3 violins and b.c. and prefer to hear it played like a Brahms's lullaby by 100 strings with harps and pizzicato accompaniment.
"I'll bet you hate the fast, historically informed performances of Pachelbel's Canon in D for 3 violins and b.c. and prefer to hear it played like a Brahms's lullaby by 100 strings with harps and pizzicato accompaniment."
You bet wrong. Some of my favorite ensembles are period instrument ensembles, i.e. Musica Antique Koln, Tafelmusic, Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, The English Baroque Soloists, etc....
Believe me, nothing is more yawn/cringe inducing to me than a ponderous, self-concious performance of a baroque masterpiece. It's like watching a fat guy play basketball. But even Musica Antique Koln recognizes the need for sensitivity and lyricism. Case and point, the slow movements of the 5th and 6th Brandeburgs. Unfortunately, even composers such as Beethoven and Brahms are often approached anachronistically. Hence my fondness for John Eliot Gardiner.
The higher pitches are drowned by the pedal board and the lower pitches. That predisposes me to believe that the one being played is an electric organ.
Too fast...no spirit :(
svaneholmsfilm 3 weeks ago
Great and the tempo is correct ,passacaglia was a fast dance
I liked much the registration that pointed to increase the drama in the end
tuxedomoon 2 months ago 2
(sigh) how can you criticize this piece? this (regardless of how it's played) is in the top ten of all-time musical compositions. it's not like it's a long vocalized version of the star spangled banner!! now that's TORTURE!!
snow5crash 2 months ago
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TonyWRO 3 months ago
Fast? I think you mean individualised. its played with heart, and thats how its meant to be played.
Personally, my favourite version.
seravorn 5 months ago
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ReVox77a 7 months ago
WAY too fast, and too much improvising. Still better than I could do (which is nothing). Michael Murray on Telarc recorded in 1979 on LP is my favorite version of this piece.
ReVox77a 7 months ago
this is way too fast but good job awesome dude
tuix000 9 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Thanks for posting it, very nice listening. Bach's music is one of the main proofs about God existence
Txyleo 9 months ago
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Txyleo 9 months ago
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Txyleo 9 months ago
First of all, for all who criticize this performance - keep in mind this is already technically an insanely challenging piece to play from beginning to end let alone with the continuing sostenuto feeling.. - to suggest there is no feeling is downright pathetic. Anyone not possessing such feeling would not go through all the hardship and repetition of learning a piece like this in the first place. Sure, not every performance is world class, but even a single of this piece is enough to impress.
AlsatianCousin 9 months ago
Absolutely, the most exciting performances of this favorite of mine
Owenbob 1 year ago
A question for you music scholars:I remember some research from 30+ years ago which showed that Bach lifted this work note for note from another composer. I believe the original work was for chamber orchestra. Am I recalling correctly or fantasizing? This performance? Heard better.
1HiMimi 1 year ago
@1HiMimi The wikipedia article on this piece (BWV 582) has the answers to all your questions ... and yeah, the recording Richter did in 1980 on the Freiberg organ is par excellence in my opinion. Pretty sure that's up on youtube somewhere, too.
numbers3934 10 months ago
You just know your badass when you conduct yourself as you play ;)
MegaBeerFart 1 year ago
Sorry to say, but this interpretation is, mononotonus,, there a no personal THOUGHTS in it, that is the performer did'nt used this possibility of this MASTERPIECE (!) of Bach. Just remember how does it begin, how does it ends, and what happens meanwhile. Anyway it could be a way a human life - I think.
gazgyur 1 year ago
who is the builder of this organ?
mvwjo 1 year ago
Awesome!
sphengle 1 year ago
I think this is one of Bach's masterpieces.
Well, how should it be played? I think it must be played in a very simple way, but this simplicity is a result of a long process. This artist -I think - is at the beginning of this process. The simplicity ...one has to suffer a lot, to reach it.
Yes, to be simple it is not the beginning, but rather more is the end of something.
gazgyur 1 year ago
This very well played. Am I one of the few actually likes the speed? I like how rockin' it!
mrtohil 1 year ago 4
Like every hair follicle on my skin just had an orgasm, this was amazing! I wish it didn't cut off the very end though, but this was great. I've always loved this song, and it was played beautifully, there's just something about the organ....
Shadowmantis77 1 year ago 2
@Shadowmantis77 : Sounds like you need a good thrashing !
MusicPredominates 1 year ago
Very good, but just a tad bit fast.
techyesboy 1 year ago
dobree
3xooo 1 year ago
Who is this organist?? Anyone - please answer!!
Thanks.
Machru 1 year ago
@Machru: He's Balint Karosi, a fabulous concert organist who I believe is a laureate of the International Bach Organ Competition.
kyj914 1 year ago
Too fast but very god :D
themates46 1 year ago
Nice performance but a bit fast
billythekid20 2 years ago
Ma hai raddoppiato il tempo rispetto all'inizio! Non si fa!
clarinetto8 2 years ago
I used to attend this church and I found this organist to be somewhat of a showboater. He didn't seem to know how to "tone it down."
AchillGirl 2 years ago
@AchillGirl In what way was he a showboater? As far as I'm concerned, if he's got the skills, gift and talent, why can't he flaunt it? I'd love to attend a church with Balint as the organist!
kyj914 1 year ago
Very good performance. I don't find your tempo too fast.
otfried 2 years ago
WAY WAY WAY TOO FAST MAN SLOW IT DOWN. The way I play it is about half that tempo.
JirSevd 2 years ago
whats with the start of it and his hands. ? i personally don't need toconduct my own feet when i play the organ. espacially with such a simple bass. oh and i do apologise . technically your probably better than me but i must add ... the tempo is ever so slighty too fast..
SociatalEffecta 2 years ago 2
Oh, look at 'im conduct! What a guy.
nyc388 2 years ago
by the way does anyone know when this recording was made? just curious how old he was at the time of this performance.
Jack59Derringer 2 years ago
i love how into it he is. so natural. it's refreshing. i wish more organists would play like this instead of showing how hard they're concentrating.
Jack59Derringer 2 years ago 3
Yes, that is exactly what is charming about this performance.
Torrentleviath 2 years ago
not to mention he's playing this all from memory.
if he's putting any effort into this at all, he's a master of disguise.
Jack59Derringer 2 years ago
I love it this tempo. It is powerfully dramatic!
chanteamoi 2 years ago
how do you know the tempo? did Bach tell you? there is no correct tempo. this is about the tempo of the Stokowski transcription. just because the herd plays it one way does not make it correct. get over it. this is beautiful playing, nice ornaments, great sound, i love the registrations. i like Bach played with spirit, thank you!
trevjr 2 years ago 6
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I fully agree that the tempo is WAY too fast and ruins the entire piece!!!
msuber 2 years ago
47k views and 4 1/2 stars says you're wrong.
danielkirk1 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
sooth15 get right - the tempo is wrong and so the whole piece (in fact a masterwork of bach) is ruined.
LifeforArt 2 years ago
Comment removed
jwkuehne 2 years ago
If that is ruination, then I want more! Karosi brings Bach to life.
jwkuehne 2 years ago 5
Bach is life - spiritual life not technic and virtousity. Why play Karosi this piece in near a quarter time faster than most of any other organists? I think, he don't brings Bach to life, he's making a trial - a not lucky one.
LifeforArt 2 years ago
then tell me please what is the correct tempo? dope.
Jack59Derringer 2 years ago
BRAVO MEISTRO!!!!!!!! Marvelous!!!
tenor175 2 years ago
i love it!
m3l0nn 2 years ago
It's beautifully played, but I find that it's much too fast.
sooth15 2 years ago 13
@sooth15 why too fast? I think the theme works very well this way
koos1981 6 days ago
@koos1981 It's not like I'm the only one who finds that it sounds a bit too fast. 90% of the comments say the same thing. It's nice, it's well played, but it's fast.
sooth15 6 days ago
@sooth15 The tempo is a matter of artistic choice. Based on the fact that a passacaglia was a fast dance and 2. there is no indication to tempo by Bach for this piece I think it is fair for any musicians to make choices that make the music work in an authentic way. The tempo still allows Balint to make ornaments and articulate properly and I think his tempo and articulation make the voices work together in a great way.One should realise the base should be played like continuo as well.
koos1981 6 days ago
@sooth15 slow tempi are often the result of a romanticised approach to baroque music. Tempi start from the tempo giusto which could be considered moderato. Adagio is usually slightly slower but there is no clear indication to how fast/slow such a piece should be performed.
koos1981 6 days ago
Nice semi quaver triplets :)
MrMotastic 2 years ago 3
He is really fantastic, i love how he play that piece
Vogelvongott 2 years ago
Oh, Karosi...you're such a charmer.
jimbobboyorganist 2 years ago 3
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jimbobboyorganist 2 years ago
Is this a Fisk or Flentropp? Sounds authentically North German-
choirboyfromhell1 2 years ago 4
This mechanical action organ was build by Richards, Fowkes & Co., Ooltewah, Tennessee. Check their beautiful website for their next organ going to London, England.
errj45 2 years ago 3
Fabulous. Just through the subtle articulations he's able to create a marvelous sense of expressivity.
ahern112 2 years ago 4
It's very nice, but the quick tempo removes much of the drama and power from this piece.
nateaviator 2 years ago 8
すごいねぇ～～！！
shokjh33 2 years ago 5
I like a little separation between the passacaglia and the fugue - there is none here. I have an LP with Professor Michael Schneider playing this - and he includes a slight separation. Maybe the recording engineers put in there, maybe the prof did - either way I like it better than none. I want to hear the last great c minor chord die away a little before the downbeat to fugue.
cb77305 2 years ago 2
impressive but too fast
JirSevd 2 years ago
Geweldig gespeeld.Lekker pittig.Het pedaal komt goed tot zijn recht.
Weffe52 2 years ago 2
perchè ti dirigi da solo allinizio? non ha senso..!!! comunque non male la passacaglia
hotmusic84 2 years ago
Those things that he pulls out and pushes in, how do they work? What do they do?
AntiReflective 2 years ago
doing this he changes the sound of the organ, he adds or he withdraws tones (sometimes u can hear that). these things are called organ stops or registers.hope it helped u :)
not4nothing1982 2 years ago
If I may also add one thing to the explanation below... usually the more stops that are pulled, the louder the organ sounds due to more pipes sounding. Hence the phrase "pulling all the stops" to signify going out with a bang.
Another thing... for pieces as busy as this usually someone else pulls the stops for the organist. the fact that he does his own stop work is absolutely amazing!
utplagal 2 years ago 2
He does little stop work as it is.
pipeorganloverNJP 2 years ago 3
i agree to a certain point,
in this particular piece, most of the areas witch a change of resistration are fairly easy to change once you master the passacaille
LittleStarShineMyr 2 years ago 2
These things are called stops. The control the sound of the organ! One stop stands for a specific sound or imitated instrument that the organ is goin to emmit. These stops are activating different ranks of pipes so only these ones can be played. That's the main function. Hope this helps a little bit...
friedrichsacher 2 years ago 2
wow!!! men, good version!!!!!
danielinvc 2 years ago 2
who is this guy?
he is playing just like me, and i wrote this peace 300 years ago;-)
erosofpsy 2 years ago 2
Absolutely fantastic, a flawless rendition.
I don't mean to sound critical but I wanted to ask what made you decide to slow down for the passage at about 4.53? I appreciate that you may not get the time to read or reply to my comment.
Terrdemarzielle 2 years ago 2
Great performance, first theme must be bright and very strong like here. Maybe even little brighter
bateptesicus 2 years ago
Great work, Balint! Hope to see you again at Good Shepherd Institute in Fort Wayne this November.
amelithpastor 2 years ago
Amazing!!~ :D
xRandomSarahx 2 years ago
Does anyone know how to buy his CDs?
saokoikuno 2 years ago
for me it seems kinda daring to play the Passacaglia that fast. but it is a special interpretation and Balint Karosi keeps the rhytmus throughout his playing. that´s admirable.
life4music1982 2 years ago 6
BACH, maestro de maestros !!!! impresionante
danielinvc 2 years ago 3
why do you conduct yourself in the beginning???
92Matt28 2 years ago 2
why not, Matt? this is not that unusual at all.
life4music1982 2 years ago
i mean it's a little unusual.
but he is good.
mrwellywonka 2 years ago 4
he feelin it
davidpolkmusic 2 years ago 2
Hmmmm.. How ald you? Look like you are about 25, and playing passacaglia at that age really is impressive. Especialle thinking about articulation on this song. Godd job!
erot2k 2 years ago
Beautiful!!!!!
ecj177 3 years ago 4
Yum yum yum... =)
anonimoalfin 3 years ago
Oh my God... How can I stop listening to this one? I just keep listening to this one all the time. This is too good...
saokoikuno 3 years ago 19
Wish I could hear this on the Schulze at my old school
timechannel 3 years ago
@saokoikuno you should hear stamm play it on the trost check that video out
Maxbay89 1 year ago
But just one tiny insignificant thing - wouldn't it be easier if you used your heels as well?
pipeorganloverNJP 3 years ago
I am old enough as an organist to have learned JSB pieces in the "Harold Gleason" heel-toe way, and in the "Haarold Vogel" toe-toe way ... common sense and listening guides me, and there's always the issue of how the pedal clavier itself is MADE, as that varies, as does issue of mechanical versus electropneumatic key action ... I more and more prefer toe-toe and in fact find it physically easier to do. Hope this reply helps address your question.
mickey2449 3 years ago
30 years ago I struggled with this piece as an amateur. That said this recording was very good. He used great pipe combinations and good variety with the different variations. I really enjoyed this post. Thank you.
Rae1028 3 years ago 5
Although I would generally prefer a slower pace, if I consider the organ he's playing on and the registration he employs, I'd say this pace suits it to a tee.
pipeorganloverNJP 3 years ago 2
Too fast, too clinical, too impersonal. This is probably the greatest piece of music ever written, the sheer majesty of it should stun you, drop your jaw, send shivers down your spine, punch the air out of your lungs, give your life a meaning, make you a better person... This performance doesn't make it justice. Sorry, man.
muurtalo 3 years ago 3
I wasnt refferng to you but to the quy that says that viewing was awful,which has nothing to do with music at all
tuxedomoon 3 years ago
Right. Sorry.
pipeorganloverNJP 3 years ago
what stupid comments ,people try to listen the music ,i cannot understand that you are so much attached to the view ,the musician is giving his sould here try to respect that
tuxedomoon 3 years ago 4
Okay, so I'm presuming that this comment of yours was directed to my last one. What's wrong in admiring the view we get of the pedal? After all, not all of us have perfect pitch and we have to actually LOOK at the notes he plays to learn then.
pipeorganloverNJP 3 years ago
I completely agree with what tuxedomoon said
this is a great piece, and this man performed it quite excellently. He is certainly giving his soul playing this, besides, you guys aren't Bach.
You will never truly know what's "right" and "wrong". he's not massacring the piece, for christ's sake.
attaquedepaix 3 years ago
The perfomance is outstanding but a little more orna mentation would do more justice to the specific time tha the piece was written
tuxedomoon 3 years ago
From this angle the pedaling looks really neat.
pipeorganloverNJP 3 years ago
Fantastic, thank you.
kneelherring 3 years ago
I loved the performance.
AngeleGalea 3 years ago
You play very well! Dont worry of these peoples comments, they are stucked in that conducting part, you really play with talent and with great thinking of pieces caracter! Keep on!
This is one of my favourite organ pieces!
Lied41God 3 years ago 5
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Why do you continously lean?
fag
DJAx3L2 3 years ago
For OneEyePI
You wrote "but not until he gets past his poseurish tendacies" He is young, later he will get a better self-control.
albertop952 3 years ago
I completely agree albertop952, he has enormous talent and I love his interpretation completely. I simply wish I had heard this without the video.
OneEyePI 3 years ago
A slight pause at 6:50 would make this perfect. A little too fast for me but then again, Virgil's my idol so perhaps an unfair comparison. Bravissimo to this organist. The fact that he's conducting himself (keeping his time in his own way) is a non-issue. You wouldn't see this anyway at most recitals.
eat911t 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
The hand waving is extremely annoying.
My ears love the performance of this piece as it is utterly without affectation.
My eyes hate this video as it is so rank WITH affectation.
I wouldnt be surprised if this young man became one of the great organists of our time, but not until he gets past his poseurish tendacies.
My humble opinion only.
OneEyePI 3 years ago
Dear Bikebin,
You're an idiot!
organistspectacular 3 years ago 2
totally agree with organistspectacular
lutheranorthodoksi 3 years ago 2
Why? Only because I don't agree with your opinion, because I never liked Karl Richter? I respect your opinion, and I kindly ask you to respect mine, okay?
bikebln 3 years ago
I agree with bikebln, so count me as an idiot then. Bikebln, have you listened to Ton Koopman's rendition of the passac?
ahonomilano 2 years ago
perfectly played, Balint Karosi!
I love this Passacaglia so much!
not4nothing1982 3 years ago 4
That's it, just rush right through it.
NikkiPwnage 3 years ago
That conducting himself is absolutely OBNOXIOUS!!! This is a talented young man putting out very good but not exceptional interpretations. He plays as he was taught--it has all been feed into him. He does not think for himself. Perhaps great musicianship will come with time. Check out Karl Richter, a great artist playing the same piece. Listen, learn the difference.
voxvocisdeus 3 years ago
Sorry, but I don't like Richter's performance AT ALL! This is the way they played Bach in the 1950s and 60s - in a very romantic (and boring) fashion. Much too slow, much too reluctant. No inspiration, no fire. And I always hated Richters performance of Bachs oratorios, too. Very militant versions, almost makes you want to stand up and salute. No way!
bikebln 3 years ago
Whoa. Awesome.
(An unrelated note: this is categorized under 'Pets and Animals'. Might want to fix that.)
greatcthulu 3 years ago
WOW - what a performance, and what an extraordinary talent! I tried to play this piece when I was about 20, but never EVER got as far as he does.
I like his tempo. He plays with juvenile fire - good! Maybe when he is sixty, after a long career as an organ virtuoso, he'll discover that you can play Bach a little slower and still keep the flamex burning.
As to the "conducting": why not? This music is meant to be heard, not to be watched. If you want to see Swan Lake, go to the Opera!
bikebln 3 years ago 2
sounds good i just wish it was played slower so i could feel the emotion
VisualKeiArtist 3 years ago 2
One other comment I would make is this: Most organists playing a totally mechanical organ use the services of a assistant to change stops and to turn pages. Balint Karosi makes his own changes in registration and has the entire piece committed to memory so he does not need an assistant to turn pages.
gutfinski 3 years ago 3
He makes few changes in registration as it is. Moreover this is a relatively simple organ. But yeah, the fact that he plays out of memory is commendable.
pipeorganloverNJP 3 years ago
Balint Karosi is a total virtuoso. You may think the "conducting" thing is some kind of gimmick. It is not. This man becomes a part of his music as his music becomes a part of him. He understands that music is a combination of hands, heart, sound, mind and soul.
gutfinski 3 years ago 5
Excellent execution but your tempo belongs in Nascar not a passacaglia.
wakadudel 3 years ago
oh my god!!! it's so difficult to play like that!!! congratulation!!!
isukyvk 3 years ago 5
Great, though the hand conducting didnt make the performance look cooler, just more silly.
Baroque1750 3 years ago
He likes it. And if it makes him feel the music better, I don't see why you should be so judgmental.
pipeorganloverNJP 3 years ago
I think the conducting is a good thing. I do it myself occasionally while playing the organ (on my stringed instruments you'll occassionally see my feet conducting the beat for the piece) so I can't see why you must be so negative about it.
lutheranorthodoksi 3 years ago
Very fine performance of BWV 582 although the right-hand conducting that begins the performance is unnecessary. More concentration on the legato thema might be a better idea. Nice job!
gddecker 3 years ago
Refer to my reply to Baroque1750. And this guy's playing was smoother than most other versions.
pipeorganloverNJP 3 years ago
Glenn Gould conducted himself all the time at the piano - you can even hear him humming/singing/croaking along with his playing on most of his albums.
cb77305 3 years ago 3
True but this is NOT Glenn Gould. The conducting is obtrusive and unnecessary.
gddecker 2 years ago
Then re-load the video and scroll down so that you can only hear the music.
Saurencaerthai 2 years ago 5
hes only enjoying it
suffiice 2 years ago 3
Uhm... I feel so worthless after watching this. My wasted neurons are yelling at me: "Do you see now, you moron, what a human can accomplish?"
karamazovnew 3 years ago
Haha. Same here, dude! =)
pipeorganloverNJP 3 years ago
People are different. What we like is different. Personally, I like the way this piece is played here. Others don't like it. That's fine. Our preferences and tastes are our own. So, find what you like and listen to it. If you find something you don't like, just move on.
ozziepenguin 3 years ago 2
My opinion is that the most organists are playing Bach much to fast. In a church it´s neccessary that you give the sound of a pipe time to grow up. Slower is sometimes better. This guy plays a accurate technic but without any feeling. By the way: I´m playing church-organ too since 1984 and this piece also. But when I´m playing this piece it take a little bit over ten minutes (only for the Passacaglia) to finish it.
TomJay66 3 years ago
Oh shut-up all of you elitist assholes. Stop treating your opinions like fact. Nothing in nature repeats itself in precisely the same way, so why should a piece of music always be played the same way?
I personally don't like this version as much as slower ones, but it's still beautiful, powerful, and glorious.
TehChahlesh 3 years ago 5
Hear, hear.
pipeorganloverNJP 3 years ago
It's beyond me to see people arguing under such a divine masterpiece as Bach's Passacaglia. I've heard it countless times and whenever it is performed by a talent (like the one we have here) sounds to me - I don't mind the tempo - could be fiendishly slow (like the great Rübsam's improvisatory version on Naxos) or as fast as here. The point is to have it performed by someone who's dazzled by the beauty of it - as we have here.
seth669669 3 years ago 5
This tempo is fine.
It's only too fast for the dinosaurs of the late-Romantic.
wcbroccoli 3 years ago
tempo ok po prostu całość jest za bardzo poszarpana i nie spójna.Wpłynąć moze na to fakt że sam sobie registruje...bez rewelacji :*
3xooo 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
This is a lessen on how to ruin a JS Bach masterpiece.
WAY too fast. He plays with no soul or feeling.
The Karl Richter version is far superior.
crazyoldbastard 3 years ago
No soul or feeling? Well, you seem to be a REAL professional if you're able to judge any musician with these words...
What I would say: Richter's feeling for this piece is WAY different from Karosi's. That's all. If you like one interpretation better than another one, this doesn't naturally mean that the other one is worse, right?
Friedy87 3 years ago 4
I have to agree with your assesement. While the playing is technically sound, it lacks the requisite sensitivity and dramatic arc that this piece demands. Tempi preferences are largely very subjective, but I also agree that it is far too fast and aggressive. So, you're not alone in your dissapointment. Indeed, in the hands of masters such as Richter and Biggs, it almost sounds like another piece altogether.
evolve749 3 years ago
So true evolve749, as I have said in numerous other occasions. And, as I have also said earlier, the organ in question is inferior in sound quality compared to the ones played by Richter and Biggs.
pipeorganloverNJP 3 years ago
Another late-Romantic dinosaur. Soon you wllk akk
wcbroccoli 3 years ago
I just think it sounds rushed. That's just me. In many cases I prefer a more brisk tempo, but not here. Unfortunately, it's impossible to know exactly what Bach intended, seeing as how he offered so little in the way of notation/instruction. He left it, in large part, up to the performer.
evolve749 3 years ago
The tempo sounds fine to me. And according to Bach's sons, he liked to play fast.
The absence of performance marks in the score is not evidence that the composer left everything to the performer's arbitrary discretion.
It's merely evidence that Bach didn't expect anyone else to play it, or that if anyone else did play it, he'd be following the performance practices of Bach's day.
We don't even no the occasion for which Bach wrote this.
wcbroccoli 3 years ago
In Bach's day, they played mostly contemporary music. No composer of that time had any notion that his works were going to be played long after he was dead any buried.
wcbroccoli 3 years ago
Apparently this organist took first place at the Leipzig Bach festival bi-annual organ competition last year.
Good thing you tempo and expressivity experts weren't among the judges.
wcbroccoli 3 years ago
Ahh, I see. So, by your way of thinking, because he won a competition, he is immune to criticism? FYI, virtually all professional musicians/conductors have won a competition at some point in time. Are they all immune to criticism?
evolve749 3 years ago
LOL. That's not my thinking at all.
When I wrote "good thing you tempo and expressivity experts weren't among the judges", you apparently missed my sarcasm.
wcbroccoli 3 years ago
Apparently I did. Sorry, my bad.
evolve749 3 years ago
I meant that the fact that he won 1st place in the Leipzig Bach festival organ competition suggests to me that actual experts on Bach organ playing, i.e., people competent to judge such things, consider his Bach interpretations to be excellent, both technically and artistically.
As you say, no one is immune to criticism, for as they say, everyone is a critic.
But that doesn't mean that all criticism is valid or that all critics no what they're talking about.
wcbroccoli 3 years ago
This is true.
evolve749 3 years ago
You seem to be saying that if one plays this faster than YOU like to hear it, then the performance will inevitably lack "sensitivity and dramatic arc".
Yet this tempo sound fine to me. The Richter tempo is too slow.
I'll bet you hate the fast, historically informed performances of Pachelbel's Canon in D for 3 violins and b.c. and prefer to hear it played like a Brahms's lullaby by 100 strings with harps and pizzicato accompaniment.
wcbroccoli 3 years ago
"I'll bet you hate the fast, historically informed performances of Pachelbel's Canon in D for 3 violins and b.c. and prefer to hear it played like a Brahms's lullaby by 100 strings with harps and pizzicato accompaniment."
You bet wrong. Some of my favorite ensembles are period instrument ensembles, i.e. Musica Antique Koln, Tafelmusic, Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, The English Baroque Soloists, etc....
And your beginning to sound like an elitist ass.
evolve749 3 years ago
Interesting that you favor Musica Antiqua Koeln, which is known for very fast tempos.
wcbroccoli 3 years ago
Believe me, nothing is more yawn/cringe inducing to me than a ponderous, self-concious performance of a baroque masterpiece. It's like watching a fat guy play basketball. But even Musica Antique Koln recognizes the need for sensitivity and lyricism. Case and point, the slow movements of the 5th and 6th Brandeburgs. Unfortunately, even composers such as Beethoven and Brahms are often approached anachronistically. Hence my fondness for John Eliot Gardiner.
evolve749 3 years ago
He just took first place at the Leipzig Bach festival bi-annual organ competition. Bravo!
accelerator76 3 years ago
I'm sure Bach loves this performance and smiles in heaven. Best version I ever heard! You LIVE Bach, thanks for sharing!
THyperon 3 years ago
The higher pitches are drowned by the pedal board and the lower pitches. That predisposes me to believe that the one being played is an electric organ.
pipeorganloverNJP 3 years ago
I don't hear anything being "drowned out".
The sound is clear. And pipe or electric, adding a 4' stop to the pedal reg. would have the same effect.