Bach Passacaglia in C minor BWV 582 on a Carillon (bell) 2/2

[Francis1930]

Brilliant, not heard BWV 582 like this before, for those listening on the outside who love Bach's music, this must have been a delight, excellent playing with such a hard piece to play as well, I can just about manage on the organ. Well done.

[Carillonnl]

A carilloneur plays the heaven! An organist just the roof of the church. I think Bach also had made a performance like this. The minor third in the bells give me a kick; especially when the bells are tuned in mean tone tuning like in this Amsterdam carillon. Wonderful! There are only 14 old bells by Hemony brothers left (basses). The smaller 33 are by Eijsbouts from Asten Netherlands; made in 1959. Shortly the low Bflat by Claude Fremy found in 1686 is coupled on a new keyboard in old style.

[Nobbi111]

Bach´s Musik ist einfach nicht kleinzubekommen. Selbst dieser Almauftrieb lässt erahnen, welch wunderbare Musik dahinter steckt. Aber bitte doch nicht so !!!

[Offshoreorganbuilder]

This brings tears to the eyes! Playing this on the ORGAN is a marathon, but on the CARILLON ...! I imagine you have no need to go to the gym regularly, as long as you keep this up. (And some buffoon gave this the thumbs down? They must have pressed the wrong button, by mistake.)

[GreeneHarmony]

SDG. Johann himself smiles. Beautiful, and the world is a better place because of your hard work.

[GreeneHarmony]

SDG. Johann himself smiles. Beautiful, and the world is a better place because of your hard work. Although I wasn't there, I thank you for letting that ring through the streets of wherever you were, I thank YouTube for allowing it to be heard, and hope that I can catch that energy on the waves of eternity.

[thegoddescomposer]

I really loved this, but i wonder did the people outside the street hear it too ?

because i love this kind of music when i walk down in amsterdam i always like to hear church music like this, sometime i hear it, but not alot of work of bach, and wish they play bach like this so long, because everybody need Bach

[cnmmnc8852]

Tour de force, I call that...

You kept the rhythm going forward, just hit the low C with the last note on the arpeggio to drive home that C major chord. Picture this piece as the climbing of a Saint up the tallest peak in the world. He reaches the top and looks out. He is staggered by the thought, not that he is distant from earth but that he is close to his Creator.

[crowman593]

All Saint's 2010, my Grandmother was called home this year and I was looking for a fitting tolling of the bells to post on my facebook pages in her memory and to celebrate with her in the communion of saints, and come across this video instead. "WOW!" as the young folks in attendance said. Simply amazing. I didn't know one could play a trill with bells! Thank you for this wonderful post.

[levitrabi]

Wonderfull!!!!!!!!!!!!I

[virginiaorganbuilder]

You do with your fist what many cannot do with their fingers! I would love to hear the music from the ground, rolling around the streets.

[LifeforArt]

'....they pay me by notes' .. LOL ! Great and unbeliveable performance Mr. Zwart !!

[iminsane84]

i love it

[twflightservicemgr78]

Beautiful! WOnderbar!!! Danke Schoen!

[juliengracq31]

All this bells to the glory of God.

Bach heard you and he's crying !

[basjo1987]

Geweldig gespeeld | superb played

[obxemt]

Absolutely amazing.

[baroquian1685]

because the camera does not show it, I must point out that he is using his feet too. Truly amazing.

[andressavidigal]

With the pardon of the words, holly fucking shit!hahahaha

It's hard not to say that this performance is amazing!

And I'm betting that the outside sound must had been much better!

And, cameras sound capture, and youtube sound quality really let us down on this, unfortunatelly...

but, well, congratulations!

[tuberman91kills]

Could be slower, improves clarity. Of course it may be the video. otherwise stunning virtuosity. Im wordless

[LorentzTheBest]

UAUUU!

very agreeable!

Congratulations

[robertgift]

Absolutely wonderful!

Can't imagine pulling this off on carillon.

Congratulations

Of course I prefer it on the organ, and must now listen to it on organ, but you have accomplished an amazing feat.

Thank you so much.

I cannot remove the smile from my face.

9-07-2008 Denver, Colorado USA

PS.

One must get used to the complex and unnatural harmonic content of carillon bells.

The minor tierce is especially troublesome. But love the timber it imparts to the bell.

[ZoeEGrace]

To those who say it sounded muddy, I think the problem here is that being so close to the bells causes them to be distorted on recording. I was astounded to see this performance which must have been physically exhausting. I have played small carillons so I know the effort involved. This looks harder than the old, tracker action organ I used to play. I would like to hear more but recorded out of doors where I think it would sound clear and pure. Well done! Bravo!

[Cindermakers]

Yes, I agree..

I am a carillon student, and when in a tower close to the bells, the sound you hear is very different from what you hear on the ground..

[ricetomare]

Great !!!

[Benswerts]

Bravo !

[kelsiejackson]

Stunning...seriously. Even when we've heard Bach on almost everything conceivable--a full carillon? Massive and magnificent. I would love to see this come out in a digital recording eventually. What an achievement!

[milkyleah]

I know I'm going to get blasted for saying this, and I certainly respect the physical and intellectual feat involved here, but the result is-- to MY ears anyway-- quite hideous. I freely admit, I'm no fan of carillon ever (what I take as the fog of sound produced, the sourness of tonality, the propensity to cacophony), but these qualities are made even more abrasive and unpleasant when there are rapid lines of close counterpoint and chromaticism... Again, just my opinion.

[spacedementia2008]

if this sounds like a cacophony to you then you just need to train your ear and try again. as far as the sound quality being bad...do you have any sort of quality speakers/preamp? if you are just using desktop speakers of course you wont be able to hear an instrument of this natural tonal complexity with any definition.

[tstepleton]

Dunno about "hideous", but I agree with milkyleah that the prolonged reverberation of the bells does make a "fog" that frustrates discernment of fine musical structure. I wouldn't want this to be my first introduction to the Passacaglia and Fugue, and indeed if I hadn't heard it so many times on more common instruments, I don't think I would have enjoyed or made as much sense of what I heard here.

I also doubt that hi-fi speakers will measurably improve low-fi Youtube video sound quality.

[tstepleton]

My other comment aside, this is a very admirable feat of musicianship.

[milkyleah]

I wasn't referring to sound quality. It's a timbre thing.

[linesofsight]

What a feat, unbelievable! Thank you.

[alra1975]

L'intonazione naturale conferisce un'aura sublime, ultraterrena... Meraviglioso.

[classicalmusic1mzrt]

Amazing! :-)

[cis84muz]

Wow! Bachs Passacaglia and Fuge on carillons? Its impresive :)

[theorix1983]

...grindionso....

[MichaelBramble]

Impressive! I can't even imagine playing the master works of bach on a carillon!

[MrRandomPerson]

never heard it played like that!! nice playing. dunno whether i prefer it this way or on the organ!

[1singlet]

Quite nice! "They pay me by the note!" haha

[be3eu]

very nice, I realy like the sound of the carillon, but I prefer to hear the pipe organ