Daniel Roth at St. Sulpice, Paris - Guilmant Andante

[meyerbeer13]

It's better to record an organ from downstairs where you can hear the real sound produced; of course then its hard to synchronize with the video! About Guilmant, he wrote many different types of pieces and his style evolved a lot too. He had an immense influence as a pedagogue and musicologist, and made Bach into the center of the organist's repertoire, where before Guilmant in the 19th century organists played more or less popular tunes of the day, he revived Bach and French classical organ..

[SuperBabel2]

Merci, monsieur Daniel Roth, remarquable interprétation, malgré tout, les redites de la partitions "auraient" dû être respectées D.BABEL

[eabernathy1]

WOW! What a wonderful historical record to have! How many opportunities does one have to stand next to Daneil Roth as he plays the Grande Orgue of St Sulpice!!!!! Just to even see AND HEAR the couplers doing their thing! I'm thrilled!

[HHellwig1]

Meisterhaft gespielt, Jedoch technisch minderwertig konserviert !

[HHellwig1]

@HHellwig1 

[ISE65]

What a lot of discussion has been stimulated by this little piece! Nobody would argue that it's great music, but it is quite wrong to dismiss it as worthless because, in someone's opinion, it isn't important in the history of music. It's warm, tuneful, sincere, well-crafted and appealing. And there's nothing wrong with that. Mr Roth, whom I respect as a musician, must think likewise as he chose to play it.

[Ntalikeris666]

Though we should not comfuse influencial characteristics with copying.

Also, don't forget that even Bach and many other Baroque or not composers "stole" partially at least fragments or ideas from other pieces.

Comparing Bach and Buxtehude with Guilmant is impossible. They are two completely different things. By the way, no offence, but Organman52 you have to accept other opinions as well. You have to right to believe whatever you want but this does not change that others have different opinions.

[OrganoAeternam]

Obviously Guilmant is good enough for Daniel Roth and good enough for me. I think Guilmant wrote from the heart and that is all a composer can do.

[Chesterbarnes1]

Watching his fingering is such an education for me. The Master player or Organist!

[Chesterbarnes1]

Wonderfully played, their is no equal to Daniel Roth. He is a professional organist par excellent!

[miauw777]

Guilmant did the best thing he could. He payed respect to the genious of Cavaille-Coll. The rest i don't bother. Its a testimony to the greatest organbuilder of all times.!

[Musicoholist]

This is one of my favorite pieces, and this is absolutely the best interpretation of this i have ever heard! I like very much that "solo" part that begins in 3:15 - in my notebook that part is written differently and it doesn't sound that good at all.

[okamilune]

i think its cute that he is mad about guilmant, when he uses Brahms as an example of originality when Brahms prided himself in playing music that did copycat the century before him... but you know guys, you only encourage him by commenting back to him... remember, without a banana the monkey goes away. :)

[organman52]

You idiot. Brahms never copied anything from anyone else. His unique genius made it possible to HONOR styles of the past but infuse them into his own. You will never understand anything about style, which in itself isn't a bad thing. What IS a bad thing is IGNORANCE - and that you have plenty of.

[okamilune]

Alrght, you may have me there. And before i say what i plan to say next, as a Christian, i must apologize for my own er'rs first. I am sorry that i called you a monkey, that was rude and inapropriate. I was simply frustrated about this conversation. That being said, you can call me ignorant all you want, but i would appreciate not being call an idiot. You have a right to your opinion and i must say, the Prose and Hymne from the Organiste Liturgiste do seem a little... Repetative.

[okamilune]

However, i must defend my original position further by saying that reguardless of the seemingly "unoriginal" nature of the music, i still think it is beautiful in its simplicity.

[organman52]

For me, one of the most important issues surrounding music is WHEN it was written. There has been a wonderful evolution of style since the days of Gregorian Chant. mr. guilmant does not add a thing to that evolutionary process. He couldn't, for the simple reason that he was not BORN to create music. The fact that he WANTED to doesn't make it good.

[organman52]

Let's face it - name calling is childish and we do it out of exasperation - at least I resort to it that way. That said, I respect your opinion re: guilmant. I truly hope that you reach the point where you can truly distinguish between a master composer and a master copycat. guilmant was simply not a composer - he wrote 'models' pieces, thinking to himself that it was musical creation. I wrote dozens of such pieces in my training - all of which have no artistic value, but serve technique well.

[Ntalikeris666]

@organman52

Though we should not comfuse influencial characteristics, with copying.

Also, don't forget that even Bach and many other Baroque or not composers "stole" partially at least fragments or ideas from other pieces.

[64ftContraBombarde]

organman52, seriously, just stop! Who cares if his music is unoriginal (although its COMPLETELY original), if people enjoy the music then what else matters? I play Guilmant at my church all the time and it always brings great compliments because it is so enjoyable! Anyway, find a piece that sounds like this and his other works, then call him unnoriginal! Just listen to that beautiful tune with a contrasting section at 3:13, stunning! What other composer wrote such beautiful music for organ?

[organman52]

Yes - you probably have 5 doctoral degrees. Thus, I admire you greatly. As for those who 'enjoyed' this video - what exactly did you like about it? As for kindly leaving - no can do - my mission is to expose - but never end - fraud.

[billypilgrim782001]

you are incredibly tedious :)

[Lopear27]

Admittedly, Franck was much more dramatic in his writting but the seriousness of purpose was still there, as it was for Guilmant, and even Widor too. Their music brought some dignity back to organ music, and laid a foundation for others to build upon. Without these composers, we would have had no Vierne, no Messiaen, no Dupre....need I list further?

[organman52]

If you wish to include Guilmant with the others, then you really need to study the music of the master composers in more detail. You say 'more dramatic' and speak of 'seriousness of purpose'. Just what do you know about what makes great music great? Without specific answers, we have no discussion.

[Lopear27]

You have no place to question what I know about great music, I can guarantee it's far more than you'll ever know. I think everyone who enjoyed this video is tired of your arrogant comment. Kindly leave, and take your obnoxious self somewhere where you'll be better appreciated.

[organman52]

"I can guarantee it's far more than you'll ever know." - Lopear27, July 2009.

Of course, my her/his mere say so, we not only believe this to be true, but we recognize her/his modesty and understand that this is a gross understatement, not to mention an exercise in humility.

[marsvltor2]

Remember that prior to Cesar Franck, we he the genius (!) of Lefebvre-Wely as the greatest French composer of his era...

[organman52]

To me, all of Guilmant sounds the same. He lacks originality and inspiration. But this particular piece is the most original I have yet to hear. How can a person of the late 19th/early 20th century call themselves a composer if all they do is write music that dates from 100 years earlier? And shame on the fine organists who play this drivel.

[organman52]

Forgive my typo - I meant UNoriginal in my previous comment. And shame on Mr. Roth for including this piece of crap in his repertoire.

[64ftContraBombarde]

Guilmant was indeed a 19th/20th century composer (mainly 19th) and this music is entirely characteristic of this era, the ROMANTIC era. This piece is (aswell as all of his others) is ENTIRELY ORIGINAL! This music does not date from one 100 years earlier, that would be baroque/classical you plank! Listen to Mozart and then compare it to this beautiful, warm, ROMANTIC music! (not that Mozart isn't!) Oh and by the way, If this 'drivel' is played by M.Roth, then it is certainly no 'drivel.'

[organman52]

It figures - another organist who believes that Guilmant is original. As for your assertion that his 'music' is entirely characteristic of the era - 1] you are repeating that which you have heard said by others and 2] you can't possibly know the first thing about the music of Liszt, Franck, Dvorak, Saint-Saens, Gounod, Grieg, Brahms, Verdi and Wagner. Folks like you only hear superficially - you have no concept of the magic of thematic unity and diversity - if you did, you would reject Guilmant.

[64ftContraBombarde]

I suppose you have your own opinion, the rest of us have ours too... I think i'll leave it at that, i don't want to be a youtube arguer!

[Lopear27]

Good on you 64ftContraBombarde. He he clearly hear to wind people up. If he hates this music so music he should just go elsewhere. Personally, I am sick of hearing him.

[organman52]

No - you're sick of hearing the truth.

[codeman2008]

Exactly. Guilmant does not fit among these other composers of his era. As for music of the Romantic movement, the music of Guilmant is nothing like Dvorak, Saint-Saens, Brahms, Liszt, Franck. Likewise each of these composers has huge variety from each other and in their own pieces! Why play Guilmant if you can play the works of these superior composers? This Guilmant works fine as filler in a church service like this, but other than that it's pretty dry music and lacking dynamics.

[organman52]

Right on, codeman. The 'music' of guilmant is completely empty. I don't even use his crap for preludes, postludes, etc. Why do that, when there is all that great Bach, Buxtehude, etc.? The worst problem, though, is that his 'music' is regarded as legitimate, albeit by a bunch of ignoramuses, simply because it was printed on paper, bound and published. Glad to know you.

[Aeoline91]

What's that for a rubbish, you're talking?

Guilmant was more based on classic style and harmony instead of the current style. Though, it's excellent music?!

[organman52]

In your opinion, what exactly makes this 'excellent'?

[Ntalikeris666]

Though we should not comfuse influencial characteristics with copying.

Also, don't forget that even Bach and many other Baroque or not composers "stole" partially at least fragments or ideas from other pieces.

Comparing Bach and Buxtehude with Guilmant is impossible. They are two completely different things. By the way, no offence, but Organman52 you have to accept other opinions as well. You have to right to believe whatever you want but this does not change that others have different opinions.

[Ntalikeris666]

@organman52

We should not comfuse influences with copying.

Also, don't forget that even Bach and many other Baroque or not composers "stole" partially at least fragments or ideas from other pieces.

Comparing Bach and Buxtehude with Guilmant is impossible. They are two completely different things. By the way, no offence, but Organman52 you have to accept other opinions as well. You have to right to believe whatever you want but this does not change that others have different opinions

[organman52]

@Ntalikeris666 guilmant contributed less than nothing toward the evolution of musical style. Therefore, I ask, how can you bring the master composers Bach and Buxtehude into this discussion? You obviously don't understand a number of key issues regarding style. The music world could not have done without Bach or Buxtehude, but guilmant would never be missed. He was an empty shell.

[goodguysdoll]

organman, you are my hero. finally, someone who tells the truth. horrible crap indeed. and this is indeed the most unoriginal i have yet to hear as well. guilmant was uninspired, true trash. and to think that so many organists play it because they are afraid to break away from the norm. same thing with reger. god, such crap. just listen to that. shame of roth.

[Jsbfugue1]

One of the saddest things about Youtube is people like you that write stupid comments!

You sound like the typical AGO member!

[organman52]

Rather than making false assumptions about my membership in that inane organization, why don't you do some research as to why I assert that Guilmant's music is of no value? Now THAT would be a wise use of your time.

[PvdH65]

Hmm, maybe he just wasn't that good. Maybe he just wasnt the kind of genius that some other composers are.

But then again, what is wrong with that?

I must admit: I like his music. I am glad he wrote it. But well, i am no genius either.

[organman52]

Come on - don't knock yourself. There was a time, particularly before I studied with Nadia Boulanger, that I thought any music that was printed on music paper was great. Slowly over time, I realized that is definitely not the case. The 'copycat syndrome' started at the end of the 18th century and 'progessed' into the 19th with the likes of spohr and hummel. They simply poured new notes into existing forms. That's not music, it's exercise. I believe Guilmant is the same, only a little later.

[Lopear27]

Prick!

[organman52]

Thank you for the compliment, friend.

[violaguy312]

I LOVE that clicking sound the keys make.

Also, his fingers seem to never make a mistake. Ever.

[druss56]

hey kinda looks like gary busy

[goodguysdoll]

druss. you're right. he's totally gary busey. someone should put him on "Entourage."

[Organistcomposer21]

Wow. Great "behind the scenes" video. Thanks!

[BeFrSc]

it is most, if not all the foundations of the Organ, so Diapasons, and Principals and he uses flutes as well.

[bartk07]

E, judging from the video.

[BeFrSc]

it is in E, its not to difficult either.

[geheimnisvolle]

I played the first part of the piece, the prelude, 4 years ago, in my 5th grade exam! I was looking for this piece months ago and I didn't find it. Now I found it and I was not expecting at all ...

[maxouf1]

It's funny how he's not aware when to start playing ("euhhh.. j'y vais là ?")or what's going on after ("et ils font pas de chant de communion après ?" the other guy "je sais pas" :D). I did play many times organ at church when I was in high school and after few times you know when to play, etc, and you have in mind before the mass to ask the program and check everything needed. And it's not my job. Roth is a professional.. But yes, otherwise he plays perfectly well.

[elsenp]

The problem for Daniel Roth is, that he has no view to the churchroom. In front of the console there are a lot of (not sounding) 8'-pipes, which are closed with a thick red courtain. So he needs help from the people (mostly they are his students) near him, to get information about the service. A other fact is a permant coming and going from people, who want to take a look on the console and Mr. Roth, so he is often disturbed in his (very good!) work.

[BeFrSc]

He has a TV screen to see the nave, which helps sometimes, but not very much.

[bachprofessore]

Doesn't he close the organ gallery with the beginning of the masses? The organists I know let the peolpe on the gallery and lock it before the masses or concerts begin.

[NiallMS]

Very gentle for a French composer!

[accousticdecay]

This is my idea of worship music.

[bheintze]

Can anybody tell me where I can get the sheet of music for this ?

[Fozzymaple]

great piece, fabulous organ and organist (of course, you don't end up being titulaire at St. Sulpice without being a good organist) but the console sounds like an adding machine, is that the Barker Levers?

[Sulpice1863]

Much of the mechanical noise, from the vantage point of the console (where the built-in mikes of the video camera were situated), are the Barker Machine pneumatics. They are located behind the organ case at the same level as the console.

[GJ1986]

And the keys, stops and foot pistons themselves rattle quite, quite a lot too. I can tell, I played this one... :)

[BeFrSc]

Does anyone have the sheet music for this?

[NiallMS]

Yes, Daniel Roth has!!

[NiallMS]

Bon!

[MonsieurOrgue]

Such elegance in both the composition by M. Guilmant and the performance by M. Roth. Thanks for posting this Sulpice1863, tres bien!