J.S. Bach. BWV 547. Prelude and Fugue in C major. Marie-Claire Alain.

[JUBILEUM2000]

Come sempre MARIE CLAIRE ALAIN, è sorprendente, fantastica, eccezionale, meravigliosa!!!



[alainlazaro1998]

Me llamo Alain.

[jpgarantes]

We call " The Art of Registration "

[mensak10]

Es grandioso, Dios mio... que maravilla de pieza musical ! 

[paradoxicus]

¡Extraordinaria interpretación!.Es cierto que hay cierta reverberación y posiblemente que toca sin partitura.Se adecua con una precisión increíble al órgano.Es cierto que el tempo lo marca ella de acuerdo a las condiciones del templo y el órgano.

Consigue con el pedal y las líneas graves y los silencios un "tempo",a mi humilde parecer,perfecto.

[johnlcharles]

Indeed a good tempo and fine performance but before she changed her technique to reflect early performance practice.

[macanudo1808]

tiene buen sonido ,ya era hora.

[MarkHarmer]

@gjlander100 I didn't know she played from memory, but I wish more musicians would. It really irks me to see people on stage with a huge barrier of sheet music in front of them. I know it doesn't matter visually for most organists (unless they're visible) but I think playing from memory makes a huge difference - you really have to understand and get inside the music in order to be able to do it, and it makes a big difference IMO to the musicality of a performance.

[1banders]

@MarkHarmer The "trick" of playing from memory was rarely performed & never expected until Listz began wowing his concert audiences with a dog-and-pony show in which he played HIS OWN trashy music from memory (who would know if he made a mistake!), Not to be outshined, other concert performers began playing from memory to wow their own audiences. This silly 19th century notion that you MUST play from memory is now taught in music schools and expected by concert audiences.

[543693The]

Marie-Claire ALAIN est née dans un orgue ....elle est rayonnante :) Comment peut-on ne pas aimer??

Quand je passe près d'une église, compris aussi dans un village... si j'entends le chant d'un orgue , j'entre : mon être oublie tout, se laisse aller !! l'orgue peut beaucoup faire sur l'âme...

Quant à la musique ici , c'est grandiose et exaltant pour moi : Prélude et Fugue !

Merci infiniment Raphael :)

[redoler]

Very elaborate organ.

Stern and soothing performance.

All most beautiful.

Grazie.

[Broodjebrood]

Beautiful tempo, a magnificent piece and a even greater composer J.S. Bach, and a great organist!

[christianvs1]

A most grandiose tempo, befitting the glory of this instrument and the ornaments Bach took the pains to write into his MS. An agreeable and pleasant experience indeed, thanks! :)

[gjlander100]

Yes, this is the "right" tempo. Too many (especially younger male) organists feel the need for speeeed. I have never heard Marie Claire play anything too fast. Impeccable musician. And it's all from memory..... I think she is no longer with us, sadly.

[Ysengrin00]

@gjlander100 She is still with us ! (born August 10th, 1926)

[rotimmi]

When it comes to speed, a lot of people think that the acoustics have to dictate the tempo, which is fairly true but not always. Some composers try to create other 'impressions' by composing a fast piece in an extremely acoustic space....that's why a lot of french master works have a driving pedal line to bring a kind of timing and rhythm to the upper rushing notes. Baroque music however is all about the counterpoint which has to be heard.

[amellov65]

schitterrend.amellov65.

[kyotokid4]

..I had the pleasure both of hearing and meeting Mme. Alain back in 1985 for tricentennial concert at the magnificent Flentrop St Marks in Seattle. One of the works on the programme (which I have signed) was my favourite, the Tocatta and Fuge in F. I love her interpretations of Mr. Bach's work.

[organboi]

Way too slow. The piece is not in 3/4.

[shirtale]

@organboi There is no too fast or too slow if you are playing a church organ, you have to play to the church acoustic, the organ weight, and I mean the weight of action relative to the registration chosen, winding etc. If you follow these rules then you find that the music has a natural speed which comes across beautifully as in this recording.

[geminian7846]

@organboi I agree entirely with "shirtale". There is clearly a fairly lengthy reverberation in this church, and to have played it any faster would have resulted in a confused mush of sound. I'm not a player, but I'm an avid listener, and I'm sorry if I sound selfish, but to me it's more important to be able to hear the music, not to know how fast the player can play.

[ccoraxfan]

@organboi It's not too slow at all. I've listened to various people perform this piece, and most do it at around this speed, because it is natural to play it this fast. Bach didn't specify the tempo, but I find there is a natural tempo for each of his works. This sounds just right.

[downtown1961]

Wonderful performance. For once the great lady doesn't play something too fast. What a great instrument, too.

[GilbertoGuarino]

@downtown1961 A wonderful tempo, able to convey the counterpoint and the harmony. I am presently at Frankfurt am Main Airport, coming from Hamburg and awaiting my delayed flight to Amsterdam (strong winds up there), and I can remember the gorgeous instrument in Groningen, one of the wonders created by Arp Schnitger. As for Marie-Claire Alain, she is above common parameters. The only doubt I have is the breaking of the pulse between the prelude (which is in known perfect tempo) and the fugue.

[passacaglia28]

She is a great organist! Thank you for posting this.

[2306Punky]

I love your channel,I'm a great fan music classic.

Goodbye from France.

Sylvie.