Fantasy and Fugue in C Minor BWV 537 J. S. Bach

[soriano1caesar]

Amen to that Mr Bachenstein! I think the organist did a great job, period!

[MrBachenstein]

OK everyone. For all you people who think you know what the $%^& you are talking about... everyone has their own interpretations of music. There is no correct way of playing... constructive criticism is good. Acting like you are better than the performer or spewing you intellectual nonsense is absolutely inappropriate for Bach's music. Please, do yourself a favor and understand the music for what it is.. Technicality aside, Bach's music is meant to uplift the soul and spread the glory of god.

[KellyBHV]

Hi ! Its great to hear you playing :-D i am organist in Germany and i guess both we like these kind of music. You perform it very great. Its a Pleasure to enjoy by listening. Kepp it on.

Greetings

F.Kellermann

[MusicPredominates]

ｌｉｋｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｗａｙ　ｔｈａｔ　ｙｏｕ　ｃｏｕｎｔ　ｙｏｕｒ　ｗａｙ　ｉｎ　ｍｉｓｔｅｒ

[tenor175]

BRAVO!!!!!! Tres Manufique!!

[colinmacknight]

put the fugue to a metronome.  and get your right foot off of that shelf. you could really use it around 5:07. playing those 3 or 4 notes in the left foot chops it up, especially when you jump to the b flat.

[AAHinsz]

Mooi orgel, maar saai gespeeld.

[keraulophone]

Hoe had jij het dan gewild?

[secons83]

povera fuga !!!

[trenoespresso]

E perchè mai???

[secons83]

non la suona molto bene.sopratutto lultima parte.Ti metto un link ove c'è uno ke la suona perfettamente, le voci sono sciolte e distinte fra loro.

"J.S. Bach Fuga BWV 537, Aare-Paul Lattik Organ, Orgue"

[trenoespresso]

Ti ringrazio per la segnalazione... tuttavia preferisco nettamente questa: quella che mi segnali è troppo veloce e, soprattutto, troppo legata. Non mi sembra affatto che le voci siano sciolte e distinte tra loro, anzi è tutto un po' confuso... (del resto l'uso di talloni non favorisce certo la pulizia, anche se non la esclude). Grazie comunque... sono entrambe due belle esecuzioni!

[altpapapi]

Practice, practice, practice. Although I did not dislike this performance, I do feel the beauty of the organ's speaking voice helps overcome some of the difficulty this young artist has with execution. The fugue is too slow, the fantasy is too fast. Practice, practice, practice.

[trenoespresso]

Are you sure that the fugue is TOO SLOW?? In my opinion it's almost TOO FAST!! Bach was not a VIRTUOSO!!! If you play too fast, you would not appreciate his compositions... Bye!

[ClandOp]

Bach was not a virtuoso? That would certainly come as news to his contemporaries. Before he was appreciated as a great composer, his reputation was primarily that of an organ virtuoso.

[Contratrombone64]

@trenoespresso You sir, are an ill-informed idiot. Any biographies written about the great man states unequivocally that he was indeed the finest organ virtuoso of his time. Instead of making comments that are false and stupid, check your facts.

[trenoespresso]

@Contratrombone64 It's not necessary to insult: your comments is really stupid if is made to insult! I mean that Bach is not to be played as "virtuoso" music but in order to show the magnificience of his compositions as they are written. Of course, this is my opinion (ad of many others, as you can see). No doubts about the fact that Bach, at his time, was a "virtuoso". Anyway, nobody is obliged to agree with me: please just don't insult.

[trenoespresso]

I beg your pardon... it doesn't matter if he moves a lot: this is a marvellous, PHILOLOGICAL interpretation, on the right organ and with excellent stops... Pay attention to accents, rubato: this is baroque music!!

[debartzen]

Excelente.Un agradable hallazgo.

10 sobre 10.

[robertgift]

Don't like the break between the first G and E-flat. Should always be tied.

Pedal reed at the beginning is too much.

No reed in manuals = no reed in pedal.

Nice phrasing.

16' in manual for fugue is wrong, especially at the beginning.

Again, go to Oberwerke for the chromatic section and allow welcome contrast and relief.

You don't have to "yell" the entire work.

Why is pedal often a little late?

Disrupts the rhythmic impetus.

Let's hear his well-deserved applause.

[TreblRebl]

how the hell do you tie a G to an E-flat?

[robertgift]

Connecthe two notes without any break between them. (Slur)

Upon 2nd listen, I would separate the repeated Gs more to make them clearer.

Playing this piece from memory, I may "hear" breaks in my mind that the audience is not hearing. (As one who mumbles understands what he is saying, though no onelse understands.)

Pipe speech is not causing the delayed pedal. Lower pitched pipes take longer to set up resonance, and therefore speak more slowly. Buthe higher pitched ranks speak right up.

[riverscuomo06]

why do you go around telling people how to play as if you know the exact "right" way to play things. if anything, this guy knows how to play bach better than you. check out his wikipedia page. he's won more competitions than you ever will, including first prize at the international JS Bach competition in Leipzig. he knows how to play bach.

[robertgift]

He knows?

Why the break between the first G and E-flat?

Why the unbalance of pedal reed when no reed in manuals?

Why 16' in manuals at the beginning of the fugue making it muddy.

Why play pedal notes late?

Why not connect the pedal notes (except for phrasing)?

Why no welcome relief and contrast by going to the Oberwerke?

Why the repeated Gs not a litte more separated to make them clear?

Yaah. He "knows".

[riverscuomo06]

well, the Germans that declared him the winner of the JS Bach Competition in Leipzig thought he was doing it right...and i think it's safe to say they're a little more qualified than whoever you are.

[robertgift]

Listen critically. (Meaning carefully, not disapprovingly.)

They can be wrong, also.

Or is this decided by popular vote?

This remains a wonderful performance.

Just saying what I would do differently and revealing the disturbing distractions.

Like why does he hold the A-flat at 4:44 too long?

[riverscuomo06]

i do listen critically, and i even disagree with my teacher on things and he's ok with it. that might mean more to you if you knew who my teacher was.

and you're not "just saying" what you'd do differently, you've typing out a laundry list of things he needs to change to make it just how you play it. for instance, you even said the 16' in the manual was "wrong."

[robertgift]

Who is your teacher?

Regardless, I would disagree if he played this as performed.

Please, you are welcome to post a rebuttal to each of the items on my list.

Yes, the 16' in manual is wrong for two reasons:

1) it's muddy and thick. (Inappropriate at the beginning of this fugue where clarity is most important.)

2) if there is no 32' in pedal at the time.

(I doubt this instrument has a 32' stop.)

Is there any Bach work where a 16' manual stop is acceptable?

[riverscuomo06]

my teacher is doug marshall.

i'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, i just think the way you're going about commenting is extremely rude. you can say how you think something might sound better, but nobody appreciates a laundry list telling them how to play something one specific way.

[robertgift]

I'm direct and to the point.

[riverscuomo06]

umm..i guess that's one way to look at it. too bad it just makes you look like a dick.

[robertgift]

Who cares what I look like?

It is the issue that matters.

So what are YOUR thoughts on the performance and the "list"?

Nice performance despite the little distractions.

My wife (not organist) and I find displeasing the many broken pedal notes. When not connected (other than for phrasing), they do not sing a musical line.

We also hate overly exaggerated rubato.

[1401JSC]

Well Bach marks "Fagotto" in the left hand part of Ein Feste Burg.

He also writes 16' for the LH in Wo soll ich Fliehen (Schübler).

Not all baroque organs that had 16' manual stops had a complementary 32' in the pedal and theorists of the times speak of the "gravity" of the 16' added in manual parts.

[organum74]

I agree with all your remarks, robergift.

His performance is schoolish, and I find it hard, painful, tiring...

And why this guy is moving so much ? He looks umcomfortable.

[robertgift]

What would you say of Helmut Walcha's performance?

I mimic Walcha, except for a little faster and failure to accomplish all the details Helmut performs.

I never noticed. While typing in the comment box I cannot see the picture. (I tried to ask YouTube to locate the box directly beneath the picture.)

His expression is strange considering an organ note is either on or off. Not like a piano or violin where each note can be contoured.

Organ IS uncomfortable.

Carillon even worse.

[organum74]

Walcha and Richter, stars of the Deutsch Grammophon organ LPs when I was young !

I find Richter more academic, but I still love them both.

They brought me a lot of joy, souvenirs, souvenirs ( I am French) !

[advisorC101]

Richter does an outstanding job of anything he plays. I'm not so familiar with Walcha but from what I've heard I must say I like his playing very much.

[1401JSC]

Organo pleno demands a pedal reed against manuals to mixtures! (But this piece is not so marked). The organ only has 24 stops with 3 more prepared for. There's no OW, but a small scale Rückpoositif. Gedackt 8 Principal 4 Rohrflöte 4 Waldflöte 2 Quinte 3 / Sesquialtera II Scharff V Dulcian 16 Krummhorn 8

[davidazzoo]

very very very good!

you're one of the best organists i've ever heard!

magnific tecnique and deep insipiration.

[XYZ8]

Simply marvellous... I just adore Bach's music...

[marsvltor2]

Great stuff - but Sophie's footwear is better lol. Seriously, this confirms what I said re French Bach: it's the musicianship that counts far more than the instrument...

[marsvltor2]

Koopman is a lovable madman: wonderful playing, but to watch... lolol

[rttipton]

Ignore these stiff-necked "purist" whose comments reflect that Bach has to be choppy and mechanical. It is great to hear and see a young organist with a little "soul" and passion for the music. You are refreshing and a great talent. Keep up the good playing!! Bach would have approved of your playing.

[pepitho]

@rttipton good comment; inteligent

[AlainLeboeuf]

votre régistration pédale "écrase " un peu la clarté de vos claviers ,(une anche plus légère peut -être ?) le rubato dont parle notre confrère est en effet précis , mais reste sur un phrasé dont on n' a pas tout à fait la preuve qu'il était exigé de JS Bach , à moins que je l'ignore mais merci de m'en faire part dans ce cas ,

PS j'aime bien au final votre façon d'embrasser le clavier comme pour le remercier .

A.Leboeuf

[1401JSC]

Le choix de registres est limité dans un instrument de 24 tirants!

Pourtant la possibilité existe d'utiliser le 8' Krummhorn ou 16' Dulzian du Rückpositif à la Pédale. La sonorité de ces jeux ne sera point "autentique" et la séparation physique de ces tuyaux - derrière l'organiste - et ceux de la Pédale risque un décalage pour le public dans une acoustique plutôt sèche.

[brestull]

This is a pretty nice interpretation, however, I personally prefer Sophie-Véronique Choplin's interpretation.

[trenoespresso]

Really excellent! There are many videos where you can listen Bach still played in a romantic way... but in 2008 that's no more acceptable!! Mr.Karosi is really pleasant to listen... And don't take care of the "body": just listen... everyone has his way to use body while playing, that's not really important! The touch, the "rubato", the baroque playing... those are important!

[GilbertoGuarino]

Very, very good! Excellent, actually. As for the "animation" I consider it to be perfectly understandable and justifiable. I think there are great musicians who just need to let their whole bodies be part of the music they are playng... (otherwhise they will not be able... to play! Koopman can be seen as an achetype in this matter); and others who just need to keep steady (otherwise they will not be able to play either!)

[Bachlives2]

Very nice but, the animation of the organist can be quite distracting. You don't need to conduct yourself. Maybe at the beginning before you play to set the tempo but not when a hand is free. You should always be prepared before the passage comes when your hand is free...

[blackberriestastegoo]

um...i looked at some of your videos and it's obvious you're an amateur organist. a good one, but still an amateur. idk why you are giving advice to this professional organist. obviously he knows what he's doing

[blackberriestastegoo]

i should restate that - you have every right to critique him, but what you said is a thing you say to beginning organists who need to know the "correct" way to play. kinda like the knees together thing :/

[ccoraxfan]

blackberriestastegoo[d?]: Your knees are supposed to be together? You mean I've been doing it wrong all this time? And here I thought that by doing it the way Daniel Roth does it, I couldn't go wrong!

[blackberriestastegoo]

it's the way you're "supposed" to play according to some people anyways

[ccoraxfan]

I find that I have to play the way that works for me, which usually means knees apart and, for Bach, toes only. I'm sure you'll agree there is no one right way of doing it!

[blackberriestastegoo]

yes..

that's why i put quotation marks around "correct" way of playing lol

[ForestChav]

Look at him on wikipedia, he's studied with Lionel Rogg, I'm sure he knows how to play the organ :)

[ShackledMaidens]

Just excellent

[organistedejazz]

jo napot!

Beautiful and well-balanced performance.

Thanks for posting it