Bach: O Mensch, bewein' dein Suende gross - Bradley Lehman

[JeepnJae]

@organman52 if you think this performance is in poor taste, then thank you for sparing us your YouTube interpretation of this piece. I suppose it's much easier to criticize others' performances than to present your own for similar criticism.

[TheIzzoGuy]

Bach uses trills and mordants as motivic devices. When they are written in, they have to be played. Unfortunately, editors like to take away or add them. However, Baroque musicians ornamented all of the time. Many (if not all) of the Baroque composers hated that. If they wanted a trill, they'll add it in. They are thinking more of the flow of the music. In fact, Corelli put on one of the second movements of his pieces "do not ornament" b/c he wanted the music to be played as he wrote it.

[thebpl]

@hymnistic OK, thanks! But, this performance has nothing to do with French notes inegales....

[thebpl]

@hymnistic OK, thanks! But, this performance has nothing to do with French notes inegales....

[thebpl]

@hymnistic OK, thanks! But, this performance has nothing to do with French notes inegales....

[thebpl]

@hymnistic OK, thanks! But, this performance has nothing to do one way or another with French notes inegales.

[OrganNLou]

Ornamentation is what makes the music of Bach more interesting to listen to Organman52!

[IndependentScientist]

oh no, sorry..it´s absolutely GENIUS

[IndependentScientist]

awful...is that music or drowning a cat?

[pcstratmanB]

The trills and mordents in "O Mensch..." have a certain "Sprachgefiel," that is, a certain nuance to the musical language. They are best performed in a free manner while keeping the tempo of the accompanying voices constant. (Much as Dr. Lehman does here.) Programming the piece as a MIDI file with a strict tempo and measured trills will yield a very unmusical result.

[bluewingspress]

Play it the way it's written? The printed page is not "the music." It shows one what notes and rhythms, etc are needed to reproduce "the music." "The music" is what one hears. Issues of tempo, dynamic, phrasing, ornamentation, etc. are what give presence and personality to a performance. If you don;t like this performance find another or play it yourself. But speaking only for myself, if you were going to play something that I could just as easily read from an inert score, I'd rather not.

[yuehchopin]

schön langsam! Danke!

[Secularium]

Very good version!

[rgrasier]

Your interpretation is beautiful and very moving, Bradley. Thank you for sharing your music!

[byng51028]

Very poignant interpretation of this wonderful piece.

[orgeldude]

Very nice playing & love the ornamentation. I don't find the rhythm distorted at all. Good work!

[mudws]

Nice playing, Bradley. I was able to play this fine instrument a couple of years ago while visiting Goshen for the Sacred Harp singing in July. What a pleasure to play! -Warren

[organcomposer]

This music is wonderfuly performed, I do not agree with previous comment. When I listen this video I can imagine Bach himself is playing.

I add it at once to my favorites.

[organman52]

What's with all the rhythmic distortion? Can't you just PLAY the piece? Why do you have to DO so much with this gorgeous masterpiece? Bach's music doesn't need any of us to 'interpret' it. Stop it already.

[thebpl]

Google "playing from bach's fancy cd1003" to read the program notes of my companion CD to this. I included an essay detailing my interpretive reasons.

Sorry you didn't like this example.

[felixdevilliers1]

@thebpl The interpretation is absolutely beautiful. I'm surprised that this ideolgyy about not'interpreting Bach is still around. It is his music that asks for expression - the expression is his, not that of theperformer - the depth of sadness and joy, the Wagnerian chromaticism at the end - all this wants to be heard. I'll never forget the horror of a piano treacher who made me play one of the most beautiful Preludes from the 48 in a completely wooden way. 

[Rankett16]

If you really want to hear someone "just play the piece" you should be enthralled with Michael Murray's performance on the St. Bavo organ -- as impersonal and objective as you could wish. Unfortunately, it lacks any sign of comprehension of the emotional content of the piece, but I guess that's the trade-off you're willing to make.

[organman52]

Oh please.

[organman52]

Thank you so much. I'll look into it.

[organboi]

hey rankett, how could you possibly say that Murray's pure performance of the piece lacks comprehension of the emotional content? you are then saying that Bach lacked the same comprehension. Bach would never have wanted anyone to mess with the rhythms of his music and distort them. you are totally missing the point of organman's comment. no artist ever makes any trade-off. by playing what is on the page you automatically create the emotion. you destroy the emotion by messing with it. GET REAL.

[stanleyworkman]

@organman52 - I have to disagree with you, organman52. To play this particular type, a very melodically-based chorale preludes, in a strict, rhythmic style would render them meaningless. They were, if you think about it, written down improvisations on the chorale, and, as in this case and others, loosely based on the operatic style of ornamented melody, which was all the rage then. Singers, btw, do not negotiate these ornaments in strict tempo; thus, the basis for tempi flexibility.

[organman52]

@stanleyworkman I am not saying it should be played metrenomically. But there is a limit to how much freedom is taken before the actual notation becomes unrecognizable. If this were an ensemble piece, such freedom would be impossible.

[stanleyworkman]

@organman52 True, but it isn't.  It's a piece designed as a prelude or meditation on the chorale. As having played this many times, I frankly don't find this interpretation that out of the realm of normal/reasonable. From Albert Schweitzer, Marcel Dupre, Peter Hurford, Marie Claire Alain, and Ton Koopman, you are certainly going to find a wide range of interpretation. It's matter of interpretation and style, and personally, I think Lehmann's performance is in the right range of acceptable.

[organman52]

@stanleyworkman What exactly is there to 'interpret?' I believe that if one understands the structure of the music, one can play or sing music beautifully. I contend that 'interpretation' is a substitute for knowledge. I would know - I taught in a conservatory for over 30 years and know full well that most graduates know very little about musical organization. Therefore, the resort to what you refer to as 'interpretation.'

[stanleyworkman]

@organman52 I am a teacher as well, with a doctorate in music, and I can tell you that I fully understand the structure and the context of this piece. You seem to be saying that there is only one way of playing this music, and if you go down the line and listen to all the various great organists, you will notice that there is a different reading from all of them, so obviously, there isn't. I am not saying that we superimpose an interpretation that isn't there.

[organman52]

@stanleyworkman This is a pointless discussion, one which I have had countless times. Do you believe that Bach - the master who CREATED this piece - had an idea in mind as to how it should sound? Or do you believe - as most do - that he simply notated the pitches and rhythms and then left everything else to the performer. 'Interpretation,' in my view, involves a lack of reverence for the master composer and a lot of ego. Please, let us not continue this. I am a very busy person.

[organman52]

@stanleyworkman I hasten to add that easily more than 80% of the students I graduated - undergraduate and graduate - knew very little about musical structure and organization. So, doctorate or not, I have no way of knowing what you do or do not know about this topic. I do, on the other hand, know exactly what I know on the subject - and it is enormous. But you do not have to believe any of that.

[felixdevilliers1]

@organman52 there is no rhthmic disorder, only expression.of the deppest sorrows and joys of mankind. An absolutely perfect performance.

[bartonbuster]

Exqusite playing with a delicate treatment.

The piece is presented in a comfortable and warm style .... showing the pipe organ to it's best advantage. Bravo !!

[oledino]

Note that this organ is tuned in the so-called Bach tuning. Google for articles by Mr. Lehman on the topic.

[thebpl]

Right, I've added links to that in the "More info" section near the top of the YouTube page. A link to buy the CD, too, helping us recover our recording costs! :)

[legroc]

Nice registration, beautiful sound. Played with an intens feeling.

[Principaal]

Very nice playing, on one of my favourite organs (even though I come from Holland and never played it). Thank you for posting. Its really focused and with nice ornamentations, I defenitely do agree:)

[cembalist]

emotionally focused