Liverpool Cathedral Pipe Organ Liszt Fugue on B-A-C-H

[DBGOGIRL]

A+ Clear tones..... from the organ! Great empo....Thanks Charlottesville, VA

[sarribel]

Liverpool, the pool of life

regards from Euskal Herria/Basque Country

[marston5000]

Again, to you, Noel Rawsthorne, excellent work. I always receive an emotional cleansing when I here this work. I love the echo in this cathedral.

I hope to get a chance to here this work in person.

[marston5000]

Where can I get a CD with Fantasy And Fugue On B.A.C.H.; Recorded by

Noel Rawsthorne at the Liverpool Cathedral.

Thank you for this Youtube recording....my favorite!!!!!

Doug Archer, San Diego marston5000@yahoo.com

[a55b47]

@marston5000 , I don't know if it's still available on CD. This is from an old (well, 1992) & long-out-of circulation CD produced by Klavier Records International. I don't think they're still in business.

[savinganangel]

As a pianist, having played this piece and never really understood it, this recording struck me dumb. It's amazing!!! Don't think I could ever appreciate it on a piano again.

In view of some comments below comparing to the Westminster instrument, this is certainly the more majestic and versatile of the two. The sound may not be so sharp as in a smaller acoustic, but the impeccable voicing and scale leave me speechless.

Superb recording!

[EccentricRichard]

God, this thing sounds big. Big, but not musical. It's hindered by having a vast space to speak into (Liverpool Anglican isn't that well-designed a cathedral - just ask the ringers!), and the organ is just lots of duplication of only a moderately large number of stops. The contemporary Willis at Westminster Cathedral is a heck of a lot better. Sorry, I know, here comes the flame war!

[bmhall100]

@EccentricRichard I think its a very nice organ, and just as musical as any other. That is personal opinion of course.

[rumpranger65]

I'm sorry. What was that?

[Alexjr1543]

I feel like I heard this before in a certain video game... Anyway, this is very nice and epic. Very interestting form of a tribute to Bach-- use the letters in his name for the theme.

[DirkStruan4]

@Alexjr1543 it feels like the legend of zelda (a link to the past) for super NES when link meets ganon

[mwcomposer]

'Tuba is raspy'.. After the pope's visit in '82, the tuba magna was moved. It has now been repositioned behind a large pillar at the front bottom right of the east case. It now sounds very musical (still on 50") and it is well balanced with the rest of the instrument. This organ has been very well cared for, but sadly these tuba pipes (and others) now need overhauling as they're slowly buckling under their own weight. Try to help out by donating to the appeal if you can.

[eschathologhy]

I think you'll find that the Tuba Magna is blowing nowhere near 50" wind.......it's actually around 30". This is a fact and a closely guarded secret!!!

In fact, you don't need big pressures to get big sounds.....the trompette militaire is on about 30" too.....it's loud because it was voiced by a fine reed voicer.

[bombarde1701]

What album is this from? I don't recall it being on any of my CDs from Liverpool

[a55b47]

An old Klavier CD from 1992 entitled Pipe Organ Spectacular. I don't think Klavier is in business any more -- at least I couldn't find any indication of it after an exahustive search.

[alazybear]

i don't agree with you TrompenCham167 I have played both Liverpool and Westminster Catherdal, and Liverpool in my opinion was by far finer. building against sounds i think!

[TrompenCham167]

There are two 32 foot reeds on this organ: Contra Trombone (20" wind in the swell) and Contra Bombarde (30" wind unenclosed). I would do anything to play this magnificent instrument; finest organ in the British Isles besides Westminster Cathedral, London. However, I do not like the Tuba Magna on 50" wind. It is too raspy and gristly.

[bluehachiroku]

I would have to agree, you gotta be in it to get it. Speakers just wouldn't cut it. I would like to see if one could record it in 5.1 so you get the background echoes etc..

I couldn't play it as loud as I'd have liked on my pc... I'll wait until midday perhaps..

A very good excuse to visit Liverpool!

Oh yes, the structure is amazing. Very clever the heavens beaming down above the middle archway.

[octave4]

Can there be a question of which is the King of Instruments. Of course it does take a building like this to do it up well. Magnificent. Can any electronic copycat ever do this? Not in a lifetime.

[a55b47]

I'm with you on that, Octave. There's absolutely no way the vibrations from a speaker can duplicate the sound of wind rushing through a pipe. You don't just HEAR a pipe organ -- you FEEL it.  It's literally a breathing beast.

[3dwurli]

@a55b47 I managed to get to a concert in April last year, and Ian Tracey played this peice. Even with the vastness of the cathedral (by far the largest in Britain, 3.5 million cubic feet in volume!) the building certainly did shake! It certainly made a lasting impression.

[Ntalikeris666]

as i have said many times before , never should you compare a digital organ with a Pipe organ.

[Nacho66]

Worlds are turning on the juice that makes this stuff.

[Nacho66]

Wow.

[JamesLiverpool76]

There is indeed an immaculate shiny red telephone box inside the cathedral; just outside the lift that takes you up to the tower. Actually, there are two separate lifts, which take you up to the heaviest and highest peal of bells in the world.

[CamelotShadow]

Sigh,,,,

It's heard right to heaven....

[eeread86]

It's amazing exactly how much louder it is than other Willis organs. There are some other beasts, but none quite like this. Fantastic . where is the recording from?

[westcath]

The only other Willis organ I think can match this for sheer excitement and volume of sound is that at Westminster Roman Catholic Cathedral, London. Have you heard it? Pedal reesds on 30 inches pressure in a considerably smaller building than Liverpool have a profound effect!!

[TrompenCh167]

I think that every stop on this organ is a gem in its own way - this is probably the finest Willis III organ ever made.

[TikhvinGarden]

The guy that designed Liverpool Cathedral also designed the iconic, blood red, British Phone box! There's one inside. I think that's great.

[BeFrSc]

I'm suspected to be a descendant of him, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.

[NiallMS]

Everything is so grand about this cathedral. The organ, the bells, the tower - everything!

[joeyboi87]

fantastic

[Reesman95]

I really like the case work. It's noticable, but doesn't stand out too much, not to showy