Julius REUBKE - Sonata on the 94th Psalm - Allegro

[BaardTheLegoDude]

All call it Allegro, but it is Più Mosso.

[rsoares57]

Oh wow, my goodness thank you SO VERY much. Wonderful organ wonderful performance, best yet.  Sincerely, keep up forever.

[allevatovincenzo]

Grandioso!!!



[bfs1888]

truely amazing, all of it. How can anyone not appriciate this instrument

[trey782]

Wow great performance! I assume at the time of this recording the combination action was still non operational and the organ had been hand registered? 

[voixdelabime]

Impressive performance, I am speechless!

Bravo!

[thesam4051]

Really exciting performance, the organ does not detract from such a display of virtuosity!

[mcsw99]

A blistering performance, which is actually helped (rather than hindered) by the deficiencies in the organ. Bravo!

[emilytransex]

MIO DIO FA IMPRESSIONE QUEST' ORGANO! MERAVIGLIOSO!!!!!!!

[123portishead]

... awesome recording! one of the best reubke-interpretations i ever heard! don't listen to the organ's weakness ...

[heskethfortescue]

....schlechte Tonqualität, grauenhaft verstimmte Zungen, eine aus dem letzten Loch pfeifende Orgel? Völlig egal! Das ist der großartigste Reubke auf Youtube, in einem irrwitzigen Tempo, mit einer atemberaubenden Dramatik, die alle sonst hier aufrufbaren Versionen weit hinter sich läßt - grandios!

[organblower]

I have a cassette on the AEolian Skinner at St John the Divine, NYC which was located 35 years later and which I have posted. You can't bring the dead back to life but it sure is worth the effort. Thanks for posting.

[latribe]

Fantastic energy in this recording - thanks for posting. Once one tunes into the out of tuneness the energy of the music and the playing really takes over

[LJBSasha]

Obviously, the Choir/Brustwerk + Rückpositiv divisions would be floating, all played from 5-manual consoles (with 4 expressive + 4 non-expressive divisions including small non-expressive Récit).

After all - and especially with works like this (Elgar, Howells, Reger, Reubke and others like it): I've noticed a posting elsewhere stating one wants to allow such pieces with such an organ to be handled as if by an orchestral conductor & non-organ instruments +/or voices (e.g., Birgit Nilsson!)

[GJmusique]

Guess I'm more conservative than you on this one.

Bring back the Positif de Dos (Rückpositiv), YES, definately. More importantly, bring back the original console and restore it back to the Cavaillé-Coll instrument as it was. If further extended please do so with big respect to CC. Oh. Incorporate some of CC's ideas about his 6-manual organplans for the St. Peter @ Rome? Hmm?

[LJBSasha]

That's fair, 'de gustibus non disputandum est'.

At least we agree on bringing back the Rückpositiv - my wish is however that it NOT be put as to block the organist's view or to distort the sound balance for him. Hence my suggesting it's being put further down than a real such division (more like an Unterpositiv, with speakers and/or gratings being used if necessary so that he can hear the overall result of the entire organ).

Otherwise, I have made clear that his and other historic stops

[LJBSasha]

['his' = ACC] are to be scrupulously respected, with additions being made to work with and around his core - not the other way around. Finally, I could see having some of his ideas for what he wanted to do for San Pietro in Vaticano, Rome, incorporated for sure and certain.

As to the original console, given my wish for extra additions as described, that might be too much - however, having one of the 2 proposed consoles patterned in the manner thereof would be quite feasible (especially .

[LJBSasha]

if also equipped with the pistons i'd insist upon! - this way one could control things both the traditional AND the modern ways, and even blend them together!).

[GJmusique]

I'm not quite sure if the proposed Positif de Dos had any function other than decorate the balcony and hide the organist. Would have to check that in my archives. The current console already blocks the view of the organist into the nave, so that wouldn't be a problem for the Positif de Dos. Anyway, if it would block the view when the old console is back in place, it would be easier to put the console back on a raised platform so the organist can view into the nave ;-)

[LJBSasha]

My big beef with such "Back-Positives" is that they skew the organist's sound-picture by blasting into his ears while the rest of the organ's sound sails above him.

Most certainly I would expect any such division (aside from St. Sulpice, where the case is left empty!) to have not a few speaking stops including complete principal and reed choruses.

The big problem is putting back the old console, as that would mean returning the instrument completely to the state in which CC left it.

[LJBSasha]

For me, junking everything done since CC's time, given how much the things added since then have contributed to the organ, is an absolute NO-NO!!!! [In any case, CC never had the chance to put in a Rückpositiv - it was vetoed by the architect Viollet-le-Duc (the case thereof matched neither the restored early-Gothic décor nor the Louis-XIV-style Baroque main organ case!!)!!! Thus, you then wouldn't have it anyway...]

No, I'd have MY changes - and have a new Rückpositiv case to match the

[LJBSasha]

main case built - after all, I've stated repeatedly that they're meant to work with and around the untouched historic core-stops of the organ. [The historic Louis-XVI-style Rückpositiv case could be donated to another building and organ with which it would match better. It was its style that the the architect disliked, alas...]

After all, as we see, when (re-) building such an instrument, the visual as well as the aural characteristics have to be taken into consideration...

[LJBSasha]

As to consoles, why not look up the recently-built Casavant organ of Brick Presbyterian Church, New York City (very much a French-Romantic CC-style instrument and including a console patterned after his "consoles-en-amphithéatre") while still having everything else others like myself would want? [The French-Canadian firm of Casavant-Frères has always had a historical connection with Cavaillé-Coll both in terms of overall building (he was a strong influence!) as well as that a few of their

[LJBSasha]

organs (e.g., Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal) include several genuine CC pipe-ranks!]

[LJBSasha]

Finally, the current console is a new and supposedly much-improved one from the one Cochereau saddled upon the cathedral during his tenure.

One thing I'm most certainly opposed to is going back to any sort of pure tracker-action - having to cope with multiple coupled divisions is always a bad thing for an organist!! Besides, if one gets as many as a total of 9 divisions (including pedal) the way I'd like, trackers would simply be impractical.]

[ds1868]

The original Positif de Dos had the  following stops: Montre 8 Bourdon 8 Prestant 4 Flute 4 Nazard 2 2/3 Doublette 2 Quarte de Nazard 2 Tierce 1 3/5 Plein Jeu VII Cornet V Cromorne 8 Trompette 8 Clairon 4. Pierre Cochereau wanted to re-instated the Positif de Dos with the original casing, still stored in the Cathedral, with 12 stops following the original 'classical' design, but he passed away before his plans could be carried out.

[LJBSasha]

7) 2nd console at nave-floor level;

8) Grand-Choeur also to get some extra American Solo-type stops (while keeping everything else).

All this, of course, while scrupulously respecting and preserving the historic stops, having everything else designed to blend and work with that core of the instrument while truly being an all-purpose instrument. Now, let the flames begin!! :-)

[LJBSasha]

expression;

4) put complete reed chorus into the Interior-Positiv (British type, to contrast yet complement the rest of the French reeds, with greater power than Récit, with the Clarinette from there moved to the interior-Positiv allowing Plein-Jeu back into Récit);

5) add one more manual division (more delicate - combination of German Brustwerk + Anglo-American Choir with German and British reeds for echo-effects);

6) move extra pedal-mutations, extended, into manual divisions...

[LJBSasha]

Dare I, a minnow in spite of once upon a time being decent enough for an FRCO-equivalent, say what I would have had done with Notre-Dame de Paris?

1) extend the manual compass to 64 notes, with pedals becoming 37 (starting all stops at A instead of C, though C-nomenclature would remain for convenience);

2) bring back the Rückpositiv, mounted well under the balcony so as not to interfere with the sound of the rest of the instrument;

3) put the Grand-Choeur and interior-Positiv under

[LJBSasha]

WOW!!!! In spite of having only ONE expressive division (for this work - and I don't care what the 'purists' and HIPpies say!!!! - I'd want at least two, preferably three swelling-divisions on a FIVE-manual!!), extra-hot weather, a seriously-impaired organ in poor mechanical condition with out-of-tune reeds: very fine performance!!! 5 STARS!!!

[redbull101991]

It sounds so dark and mighty on those organs!

[chamade216]

This is among the last recording of my so much loved organ. In fact I can only listen to Notre-Dame, St.Ouen and the Toulouse and the Esztergom Cathedral organs :-(

This is a phenomenal playing and intrument even if it was a bit out of tune. Thanks God Cochereau modified that organ in the 1960s. I think it was the best from 1969 - 1989.

[tjugofyra]

Why didn't you couple the Chamades to pedals at 1:56 ?

Still an amazing recording!

[bombarde1701]

And they added more chamades in the restoration...

[lorbo77]

Tune the organ, please!! LOL

[codeman2008]

They completely rebuilt the entire organ the year after this recording was made, so I think the organ was much more than only tuned after this recording. lol.

[GJmusique]

read the description: it was recorded on a very hot sunday.. that explains why its a bit out of tune (not too bad tho)

[codeman2008]

Of course with the hot weather, especially in the afternoon, the organ will be out of tune. I wasn't saying the organ needed to be tuned, I was just saying that 'lorbo77' didn't know what he was talking about when he said "Tune the organ, please!! LOL" As if they don't take good care of this organ...

[GJmusique]

i know, i was actually responding to him.

as for the actual organ, too bad they didn't go with cochereau's original plan to revamp the original console and bring back the 'positif de dos'... it's ruined and way over the top as it is now.

[codeman2008]

Oh! Sorry, I thought you were responding to me... lol.

I completely agree, I don't think the 1990 renovation did the organ much justice! By normal standards it's still a fantastic organ, but compared to 1. What it used to be, and 2. What it could've been... not so much.

[GJmusique]

... and then to know Cochereau was Dupré's replacement at St. Sulpice for several years... luckily that organ didn't get ruined under his hands... o.O

[LJBSasha]

Apparently, St. Sulpice was - and is - in better shape as the 'museum-piece' that it now is. Besides, Cochereau was still reporting to Dupré, who was mercilessly scrupulous about keeping the instrument in its original condition.

It was a different state of affairs for Notre-Dame de Paris: already damaged by war, changed by Vierne, etc. Besides, that Cochereau was already wishing to change what he had earlier implemented tells you something...

[kmdpiano25]

Do you have the first part of this recording? I would love to hear it!

[AggieMaestro]

So, I'd like an mp3 of this also... if at all possible.

[chamade216]

This sound is the greates on Earth. Thank you for posting this video.

[smb12321]

A hyper-virtuoso performance like this screams for actual video. The sound of the incredible Cavaillé-Coll instrument puts this in a class all by itself.  Bravo!!!

[bombarde1701]

is there a way u can send me an mp3 of this? I keep listening to this its great!

[mlevitt]

WOW! Stunning performance! Best I've ever heard of this work.

[polsterj]

What a brilliant sound! You forget the bad confidence over this grand sound! It's so sad that they ruined it by the 1990-conversion (you can't really call it "restoration"), I never had the chance to experience the great, original sound of the organ. Thanks for posting videos of Cochereau and this one!

[ds1868]

I heard the great Pierre Cochereau give a spectacular postlude at an afternoon special service in September 1983commemorating the French Revolution and the American War of Independence. As the Great West Doors were opened and the Archbishop of Paris departed Cochereau gave a dramatic rendition of the American National Anthem, full chamades manuals to Pedal, full tutti with 32' Bombarde. Everyone was dumbstruck with awe. Totally unbelievable. I can still hear that performance in my mind today!

[bombarde1701]

Too bad THAT wasnt recorded!

[ds1868]

Yes but I think it was covered by TV, perhaps they have a VHS tape somewhere. All the army personnel were in period late 18th Century dress, it was very dramatic. With the Great West doors open (which is rare) the building took on a different personality and the organ was devastating - the congregation I'm sure had never heard anything like it. Something to think about as I took the train soon after to journey across Europe to the Greek islands. Those were the days!

[iaidokafu]

excellent, je prefere le grand orgue avant sa restauration, mais de la a dire qu'il s'agit aujourd'hui d'un instrument anglo americain il faut pas pousser il reste un des plus celebre et beaux instrument au monde !

[NaNoMetr2333]

The best organ piece & the best performance

[micbel69]

esecuzione magistrale per un opera meravigliosa .

[bombarde1701]

This is great! Too bad there isnt a CD of this out there..

[a55b47]

An under-tuned CC sounds better than about 99 of the world's organs in a perfectly-tuned state. Superb performance of this fiendishly-difficult piece.

[tjugofyra]

Most of the CC organs are tunded in 435 Hz!

[vincenzomusica]

Grande esecuzione!

[bachprofessore]

Well, that's Cavaillé-Coll, not the anglo-american Organ we have since 1992!

[ds1868]

Go along with that, he's playing very well and has the measure of this instrument.

[chrisgower]

I love this recording, it sounds so raw and passionate :)

[ds1868]

Some credit must go to the organ pre-1990 restoration I think, sine it ain't got any passion today, rather a pseudo-Anglo-American hotchpotch that doesn't work at all. Oh well, at least we have the recordings........

[ds1868]

Well that sounds ok to me! Preferred the organ pre-1990 restoration anyway! Today, it sounds like a typical Anglo-American organ, even the Boisseau chamades have been ruined! Thanks for posting this historic recording!!

[JFSnail]

magnificent! Very well played and the sound quality was fine :-)

[ILsupremo91]

già un bell'organo anche all'epoca!!!! :-)