Sinfonia from Cantata 29

[steelersfanhawaii]

That is what the combination action is for.

[nimroid08]

I agree with the man who may comment, not that Paul Jacobs played it better, but the size and pipes formation in Macy's is totally different than Crystal Cathedral. Crystal cathedrals vastness a football field size, greatly out ranks, Oregon in Macy's. Although it does have 32 to 33,000 pipes; Crystal Cathedral has 17,000, and a total array of trumpets; precisely located. To give an excellent sound, when needed. The hazel right organ. Is designed into 3great parts ;

[daveman439]

Yeah, I'd visit this mall!

[Javier141145]

¡¡¡Enorme!!!

[DainGerrUsss]

The term for the person pulling the stops is CONSOLE ASSISTANT. OK, that said, there is something about Bach transcriptions that usually leave me cold. They CAN be written very well (such as those by Matthew Dirst) but most Bach organ transcriptions, this one included, just do not sound well. Maybe a brighter, lighter registration and a slightly slower tempo would help to project the work more convincingly. Don't get me wrong, I think that the performer's plays well.

[rudly]

Just the way I like this Cantata ya ya good job sirs

[TheKingOfAmazement]

how are you suppost to reach the stops up the top when you are playing like Paul Jacobs?

[xanski]

Fabulous! Thank you very much for this!!!

[19kevin58]

i've heard that person be called the stoptioner.

[jrcd123]

who did the arrangement for this sinfonia piece by bach? The arrangement that I have by Wolff is diferent from the one being played by Nick. Thanks much john

[ms103127]

@willowthebored Thank you for the insight and the comment - I appreciate it. I was thinking of the theme in general and not the rest - forgive me for that :-) Thanks again.

[jsrepasky]

Oh...some of these... some of those. Does it matter?

[Offshoreorganbuilder]

In reply to 'analyzingfunny,' the assistant who pulls out the stops (and turns the music, usually) is a registrant (NOT the pull stop dude!) It is not unknown to have 2 of them (one each side) for large organs built before pistons, etc.

[klingoncelt]

@Offshoreorganbuilder,

Thanks for the info. Back in my day we didn't know what term to use, so we called them page-turners.

[analyzingfunny]

@Offshoreorganbuilder Thanks for your comment. You did not reply to me, but I just found it a month later. Thank you. Thanks for the extra bit of info as well.

[MezzoDiva]

Hello analyzingfunny...I love your question...makes me laugh...I always call them organ minions just to be ridiculous! This is a great performance and brings back such fond memories of my time in Philly...I was in Curtis there...years...ago....althoug­h not all good times...there were lovely things about those years..and hearing this organ live was one of them!!

[analyzingfunny]

What is the title of the guy pulling the stops? And futhermore is there an old name for it? Like "pullstoppists" or "puller" "or plugger" or "pull stop dude" ??/

[Tom1980nj]

@analyzingfunny I don't even know how to reply to this!!?? The guy pulling the stops is Peter Conte, the Grand Court Organist. He was assisting Nick Bowden that day.

[bassoonabooma]

@Tom1980nj "registrante"

[steelersfanhawaii]

@Tom1980nj Hey, no need the combination action when you have Mr Conte as the assistant, you just play, kind of like driving a 18-speed tractor-trailor and the one sitting "shot-gun" shifts all the gears for you

[willowthebored]

@analyzingfunny

I think we're supposed to call stop-pullers and page-turners 'Registrants.' I call them 'Undergrad Students.' XD

[analyzingfunny]

@willowthebored Thank you!!!! Thank you very much. I really tried to find it. He really looks like he has a lot of work to do. That must be something to get all those stops correct.

[Fozzymaple]

@analyzingfunny Usually the title is stop puller or registrant, in this case, however, the registrant's title is Grand Court Organist.

[SuperElBorba]

@analyzingfunny - he would be called a "Registrant" . .

[PawPaw850]

@analyzingfunny

Registrant is the name I always heard.... because he is "registering" the organ.... Makking a registration on the organ usually means setting the stops

[menschmaschine5]

@analyzingfunny One who pulls stops is called a registrant. And as Tom1980nj said, the registrant this time is Peter Conte.

[radketim]

@analyzingfunny Umm, usally this person is a contortionist, and it's a stop puller/page turner. Usually they have to know the music almost as well as the organist. 

[radketim]

@analyzingfunny and he's making too many changes in the stops for Bach's music.

[analyzingfunny]

@radketim Thank you all for much for your replies. Very sincere and helpful, all of you.

[pordzio]

@analyzingfunny I think "stoppuller" is the best. Or "registrant" - a word used in Poland. I think very nice and, i don't know, respectful? In this case it's the court organist Peter Conte.

[1clarinet1981]

@analyzingfunny its an ancient italian term:

"officurito pullo stopperino"

:-) 

[analyzingfunny]

@1clarinet1981 Thats great. Thank you. I had no idea just one little comment (in good nature) could generate so many replies. I used to work for a player piano restoration company that did pipe organs too. "registrant" is cool. I think your Italian roughly translates to "Official Pull Stop Guy". lol awesome. History thanks you.

[marquischadier]

@analyzingfunny The person who assists with the stops is called the "registrant". He helps the organist with the combination of stops, the combinations which are called "registrations".

[ahmelmahe]

@analyzingfunny "REGISTRANT"

[AlienofAndromeda]

@analyzingfunny I believe the position is known as "Registrant" since he is the one who changes the registration, and turns the music pages.

[AlienofAndromeda]

Oh lol everybody else already answered you, how silly of me

[aixart]

@analyzingfunny

In Germany we call them "Registrant".

[ToccataInF]

@analyzingfunny  Just call him the assistant (or the page turner doing double duty:))if you want to give him a title.

[DaddyD4you]

@analyzingfunny The person who pulls stops, etc., while the artist is playing is called a registrar. However, you won't hear that term used much these days. As persons doing what Peter Conte is doing is rare.

[DaddyD4you]

@analyzingfunny The title you are looking for is registrar. However, organ registrars are indeed rare these days. A registrar was generally also a well trained organists who turned pages, and pulled stops, etc., while the artist performed.

[Shenandoah58]

@analyzingfunny That job is called a "Console assistant."

[DrMangrove]

@analyzingfunny Registrant.

[mon3cz]

@analyzingfunny Peter Conte could be referred to as Bowden's "stop puller" or, more formerly, "registrant." It's always a tough job, assisting with registration is almost as important as playing the right notes!

[music0876]

@analyzingfunny The title is "stop puller" just so that you know for future reference.

[sciencoking]

@analyzingfunny "pull stop dude", I laughed so hard, made my day.

[JohnGaleLondon55]

@analyzingfunny In the UK they are called the 'Registrant'.

[Thijs1981NL]

@analyzingfunny It' s called a registrant. Very common on the traditional mechanical organs and even on the electro-pneumatic organs they are a great help. Especially the ones with ADHD :)

[valeriealmamarie]

Amazing indeed!

[BH061595]

SLOW IT DOWN!!!!!

[ms103127]

@BH061595 Are we playing this at a funeral? ;-)

[BH061595]

I want to tour this organ so bad!!!

[webusch3]

Very true, this piece was originally written for string orchestra. Only later was it transcribed to Organ. I believe it was even transcribed a Frenchman.

[willowthebored]

@webusch3

More than one Frenchman, actually. Dupre and Guilmant both have transcriptions, and I think a couple others.

[ny1news]

true mediocrity

[joeyboi87]

however I dont think the registration is very appropriate considering its baroque and he seems to have selected a more french style registration!

[willowthebored]

@joeyboi87

Calling this piece Baroque would be inappropriate. Bach did not arrange this for organ at any time - many people have made arrangements of this piece for organ, and the majority of them are either American or French - most notably Marcel Dupre - and *all* of them are best suited to a somewhat French registration (though whether it should be a neoclassic or a romantic registration is at the discretion of the performer and the capabilities of the instrument).

[joeyboi87]

of course its a baroqu, its a bach piece and bach is a composer of the baroque period, therefore it is a baroque piece.

[willowthebored]

@joeyboi87

Bach did not compose this piece. Bach composed the theme. Marcel Dupre and numerous others have arranged it for organ. Numerous pieces of music in the French reportoire are based on plainsong: Does that make, say the Variations on Puer Natus Est (the last movement of Widor's 9th symphony) Gregorian? I'd call it late classical. Same with this piece. Widor did a similar thing with Wachet Auf ruft uns de Stimme - the Marche de Vuellur Nuit is in no way a Baroque chorale.

[ms103127]

@willowthebored Um yeah, Bach did compose this piece, along with the other 300+ Cantatas that he had to compose for each Sunday of the Church year.... :-)

[willowthebored]

@ms103127

No, he didn't. Bach composed the Partitia in E and the Cantata 29 later using that theme for the Sinfonia; NEVER did Bach compose a solo organ version. This piece has been arranged for solo organ by several people; I think this one is Marcel Dupre's version, but it could also be Guilmant or a few others.

[menschmaschine5]

Dude, it's a transcription. You don't need transcriptions of Baroque orchestral pieces to sound like a baroque organ...

[apnijsse]

Cantate 29 is BWV 29

[bobmusick]

Whats the BWV number for this piece?

[TrinityUMCOrganist]

I love the wanamker organ sound. so nice. great piece.

[joeyboi87]

good organist but hes always making slip ups and little mistakes

[pordzio]

try playing anything with a 0,5 s delay (it may be an exaggeration, but Conte himself said it)

[gooseholla1]

Also you can't hear the sound but have to go by the clicks of the keys.

[Caezar460]

Are they mistakes or is that just the reverb?

[joeyboi87]

no there seemed to be a good few obvious mistakes in the manuals, and even one or two in the pedals, however fair play to him, its not an easy piece to play and on an organ of that size it would only be made harder!

[leonboelmann]

...e noi ...ci dobbiamo accontentare e venerare il restauro e restauratori delle nostre caccavelle!

sono polemico, ma ne ho ben d'onde!

Un particolare saluto agli organisti italiani.

[Grison5piston]

Where is this place ? C'est où cet endroit ?

[Tom1980nj]

Wanamakers Dept Store now Macy's in Center City Philadelphia PA.

[GUSftw]

@Tom1980nj Are regular people, such as I, permitted to go play that organ? I live in PA myself and was wondering.

[baroquefort]

thrilling and inspiring--would have loved to have been there

[crediama]

bravissimo organista

[kensingtonpalace]

can both consols be played at the same time?

[Tom1980nj]

There is only one Wanamaker Organ console, the other ones you see in the video were just there for the event, they are Allen Organs.

[kensingtonpalace]

i see, thank you.

[sheepfokker1]

You certainly had the Wanamaker at its very best, fully tuned for the Jongen event the day before. I was there, and blown away!

[Lochdiamont123]

nice but paul jacobs in the crystal cathedral played better.

[Caezar460]

I agree but perhaps we should take the insane reverb into account?

[codeman2008]

Yes and because the divisions are so far from the console, the delay makes it harder to play accurately, Nick did a FABULOUS job!

[celticears]

LOL, there is always someone 'better' just like there is always someone more attractive, richer, thinner, smarter. As if it had anything to do with that.  Bravo Nick.

[ms103127]

@Lochdiamont123 ....and I could tell you Madame Alain, or Diane Bish, or Fred Swann played it better can't I? It's all in a manner of personal preference.... :-)

[Dendiol]

@Lochdiamont123 And from memory as well which made it even more amazing.

[Contratrombone64]

Nicholas Bowden's playing is dreamy.

[decimaquinta69]

Fantastico

[Tom1980nj]

Thanks for the translation.

[SteigmiraufsDach]

Die gößte Orgel überhaupt.

wau. einfach nur geil

[Tom1980nj]

I wish I knew what this said ;-) ?? !!

[ThePianoManThomas]

It means, thats this organ the biggest organ in the world is..

and that its wonderful..

[brittmusic]

Awesome!  How Magnificent!!!

[Calr44]

Who's playing.  It looks like Peter Conte is changing stops, but who is at the keyboard?

[Tom1980nj]

That would be Nicholas Bowden playing.

[ny1news]

or rather, trying to play.

[Tom1980nj]

it sure is!

[Guilloufan]

is this THE Wanamaker organ in Philadelphia ?

[SuperElBorba]

Wow - Nice - Thanks for posting these

[Tom1980nj]

It's fun to share!

[nameramthgin]

well done.

[tubamaxima]

I played the Wanamaker organ a few years ago. I had to play it early in the morning before the store opened because full organ shakes the whole building. Phenomenal sound. 28,000 pipes. The recent renovations have made it better than when it was first installted. Some of the pipe chambers were too cramped. That has been improved.

[willowthebored]

I can't say I like the way he starts it-it's a little too drawn out, and the ending is underwhelming-but just hearing it on the most capable instrument in the world is a real treat. Keith Chapman played it better, though.

[paulbinko]

Very nice playing! Do I see a secondary console near the facade?

[Tom1980nj]

No, it was for the big "Organ Day" they brought in 3 Allen's to play along with the biggie.

[octavebasse8]

This doesn't look like the original Wanamaker console. Why is there a dirrerent one in it's place?

[Tom1980nj]

It's the only 6 manual console that has been there. The case is off it because it was out being re-finished so they put cardboard around it.

[octavebasse8]

Ahhh...That would explain it.

[JonasClark]

To play the Wanamaker Grand Court Organ with Peter Conte as your registrant? Wow...

[48MSMUMR52]

Registrant! Thank you JonasClark. I knew there had to be a name for the person with such an important part to play. Wow, that person could make or break the success of the performance. Not a job for a person with a faulty short term memory.

[JonasClark]

Yup. Interesting job. I suppose if Mr, Bowden doesn't know this instrument intimately, a general knowledge of what will be on which manual at which times would suffice, leaving house organist Mr. Conte to really know what is where on the jambs. I'm used to seeing organists register this piece themselves, especially during the two identical parts (first starts at 0:42) in which stops on one manual are shut off one at a time, letting one part become gentler to make the other seem to come forward.

[latribe]

Oh what bliss! What and instrument! (And wonderful playing too!)

Thanks so much for posting this video and providing the privilege of seeing this console in action.

[davdee103]

fantastic- i heard peter conte

play this organ about five years ago when

visiting the usa  (what a holiday) !!

[julorg]

Thank you again Tom !

[RobCharles1981]

omg what an organ!! I certainly agree with you to mate - "Help Stops!!" Where is this organ located ???

[bill08033]

This magnificent organ is located in the Macy's Department Store in Philadelphia PA USA. Short concerts are held daily with major lengthy programs on special occasions.

[RobCharles1981]

Ile have that in my Church anyday to replace my Johannus Organ!!

[willowthebored]

No. You won't. XD

Especially considering it'd probably vibrate the building to the floor...

[organist08]

Lord and Taylor Department Store Philadelphia

[deancook652]

Now owned by Macy's.

[accousticdecay]

It takes guts to sit down in front of this monster, even with a helper! Bravo for a sterling performance!

[dougjensen]

It appears that his "helper" is Peter Conte, twho has been the organist for this organ for 20 years.