Calvary Grand Organ: Fox's Bach: Come Sweet Death

[dustermouse]

I love the rich sound that a pipe organ has, the wanamaker organ is top line, this one rocks!

[silverstartrucker]

I have Virgil Fox playing this piece on the Wanamaker and it is my most popular video. However; I do like this very much...

[Stefanomusicista]

non riesco ad esprimere altro che lacrime, è stupendamente meravigliosa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[plummlet]

Sublime !

[mixwizard2310]

Superb organ - superb organist - lets not cast aside the sheer Genious of J.S.Bach who brought so much human emotion of those feelings from within the soul - this piece of music must have carried him to the gates of heaven where God must have rewarded him with everlasting life......a fitting tribute.

[kb7dqh]

Did I read the stoplist correctly? Thought I saw something there in the Pedal department... a 64' Fagotto Cornet V perhaps? Yikes...

I knew I could hear (feel?) something in the "bottom"...

[kb7dqh]

@kb7dqh almost forgot the warning about "low bass" and being careful about playback volume!!! My home sound reproduction equipment can take it, but I don't know about the home... If ever there was "aural soul food" This is surely a feast.

[LJBSasha]

[Thank you so very much, Egestus18, for adding the extra German verses - YouTube can be so finicky and difficult to deal with, especially if one's trying to change an already-existing posting. Now, if you could copy the last two verses over here in English, that would be wonderful - somehow I was allowed to put verses 2 & 3 on here but not the last two...]

[LJBSasha]

2) Come, sweet death, come blessed rest! In Heaven it is better, with all happiness being far greater, therefore I at all times for the final farewell [to the world] am ready, I close my eyes. Come, blessed rest! 3) Come, sweet death, come blessed rest! O World, you torture-chamber, ah! Stay with your calamity, in this world of mourning, the Heavens [are what] please me, Death brings me there. Come, blessed rest!

[LJBSasha]

Having found the full 5-verse hymn-text, since you, Egestus18, have been so kind to alert me to its presence, I'm hereby posting all of them in both German and English (with my apologies for whatever inaccuracies and mistakes I've made in translating verses 2-4):

1) Komm süßer Tod! Komm sel'ge Ruh! Komm führe mich in Friede,

weil ich der Welt bin müde;

ach komm! Ich wart' auf dich,

komm bald und führe mich,

drück mir die Augen zu! Komm selge Ruh!

[Egestus18]

2)Komm süßer Tod, komm selge Ruh! Im Himmel ist es besser, da alle Lust viel größer, drum bin ich jederzeit schon zum Valet bereit, ich schließ die Augen zu. Komm selge Ruh! Komm süßer Tod, komm selge Ruh! 3)O Welt, du Marterkammer, ach! bleib mit deinem Jammer, auf dieser Trauerwelt, der Himmel mir gefällt, der Tod bringt mich darzu. Komm selge Ruh!

[Egestus18]

4)Komm süßer Tod, komm selge Ruh! O, dass ich doch schon wär Dort bei der Engel Heer,. Aus dieser schwarzen Welt Ins blaue Sternenzelt, hin nach dem Himmel zu. O selge Ruh! 5)Komm süßer Tod, komm selge Ruh! Ich will nun Jesum sehen Und bei den Engeln stehen. Es ist nunmehr vollbracht, drum Welt zu guter Nacht, mein Augen sind schon zu. Komm selge Ruh!

[LJBSasha]

Still, NOTHING can beat Virgil Fox's immortal recording (if such a thing can possibly be immortal) at the Wanamaker Organ (Wanamaker-Macy's Department Store, Philadelphia)!!

Also, the poster of this recording here missed the first verse of this 2-verse hymn:

1) Come, sweet death, come blessed rest!

Come lead me to peace,

For I am weary of the world,

Oh come! I wait for you,

Come soon and lead me,

Close my eyes. Come, blessed rest!

[Egestus18]

yes for me virgils recording at the wanamaker is really immortal, but this here comes as near as possible i think!

to be exactly the song in the original version in "Schemellis Gesangsbuch" has 5 verses, but i could only find the german original ...

the verse in the description is the fifth and yours LJBSasha is the first one.

I have the score of Mr. Fox's arrangement and there is nothing said about the text or what verse is meant etc.

[LJBSasha]

Not bad at all, though I felt the ending of the 2nd verse was too soft (especially in proportion to what preceded it). In fact, I could have wished for the 2nd verse overall to be louder (building all the way up to more of the plena than what Mr. Miller chose to use). Otherwise, this IS one of the great organs of the USA, no question about it. What a glorious finish to the career of the M.P.Möller organbuilding firm...

[abedbush]

STUNNING! Does anyone have the remaining tracks on this cd they could upload on here? I would LOVE to hear the variations on O God Our Help in Ages Past from this dedication concert!

[passacaglia28]

Beautiful trem at the begining

[advisorC101]

Nicely done!

[sheps999]

Incredible.

[csheff1014]

my sentiments exactly

[449GO]

just..........WOW, this organ seems to amaze me more and more, everytime i hear it...a true beauty!

[csheff1014]

thnx... a tribute goes out to Dan Miller, for getting all the milk out of this cow in this recording!

[HeadBangerHenry93]

This piece of music inspired the late Cliff Burton when writing the intro to the song Damage inc by Metallica

[csheff1014]

Really?! I didn't know that. Thanks for the info...I think that's neat!

[organEd]

My vicar wanted a moving, somber piece this Sunday for a prelude at our Episcopal Church. I am playing this arrangement. I just wish I had the resources of your organ. You play it beautifully, and your registrations are gorgeous. I was moved just by listening. Great job - I bet you are a recitalist.

[LJBSasha]

Good for you - and for your vicar!!!!!

I can't begin to tell you how so many, many, many priests and ministers insist on everything being "happy-clappy" at all costs, even though not only does the world's condition but much of the Bible call for everything but that kind of trash!!!!! More than enough to drive people out of the church-musician profession...

[organEd]

Amen to that my friend. The Episcopal Church, though, for the most part protects its high liturgical style, at least in large part. If people want the rah-rah type of praise music, let them go to Christian rock/musical concerts. As far as I am concerned that is not appropriate for the church setting, other than a once-in-awhile and once in a service 'special music' - perhaps.

[LJBSasha]

Good for you and to some extent them (they trip up on other things, alas, and may well end up in trouble here too if they try to be more "relevant"...). I know somebody in Canada who was being pushed by his rector (a guitarist and a "progressive" Commie) to go over to rock-n-roll against his will (and being even forbidden to play Bach's music, can you imagine that?!?!)!! At the end, if the rector hadn't left instead, that organist would have had to leave post-haste...