Virgil Fox Legacy | Symphonie Concertante | Allegro Molto

[mountainsong100]

The most important thing is Clarity ! ! ! ! listen to the inner voices and the articulation of the playing. Virgil was absolutely precise in that and his rhythm was impeccable. One could never fault on his sense of rhythm.

[19shea85]

One of the main organs on campus when I was an undergrad was a Karl Schuke about 30 ranks smaller than this. I more or less despised that organ for it's screaming quality and limited tonal colors; but it is amazing how every registration change that Fox utilizes makes a notable difference in sound, no matter how subtle it may be.

[bckm54]

Gawd, I love the organ! Especially when someone like Virgil Fox plays it... But, I know almost nothing about the organ (except that I love it!), so, what differentiates the five keyboards?

[lshurr]

Briefly, the keyboards and pedals control different "divisions" of the organ and each division has many "ranks" of pipes & other instruments such as bells. A moderately large organ may have 3 divisions: Great, Swell & Pedal and have two keyboards + pedals. This organ, therefore, has no less than 6 divisions! It's big. Which ranks are engaged are controlled by "stops", in this case, the buttons arrayed alongside the keyboards. Some stops also connect one division to another.

[tactilex]

Check out the online version of Pipedreams this week for a much higher-fidelity rendering of this performance. (No video, however, just audio.)

[julorg]

On September the 27th, Peter Richard Conte and The Philadelphia Orchestra will perform the Jongen Symphonie Concertante at Macy's, on the Wamanaker Organ !

[andyofvermont]

Fantastic performance by everyone, but it seems like the organ itself isn't quite up to the task. I wonder though if it is just that the mics are too close to the orchestra and too far from the organ.

[lshurr]

I suspect that it's the miking rather than the organ itself. The organ seems very restrained in this recording and I assume that the engineers were trying to balance the organ and orchestra. As you know, by intent, pipe organs are very dominating instruments. Perhaps a live listener in the hall gets a better, more balanced sound than the engineers managed in this recording.

[missionaryorganist]

Ah the Great Fox. He looks so natural there playing. The guy was absolutely comfortable at the organ.

I would recommend Jean Guillou recording of the Jongen on the Fisk organ at the Meyerson Center with Dallas Symphony

[JohnLeeJohnLee]

4candles wonders why it isn't performed more and the answer is it's a knucklebuster. A hugely difficult piece, though I agree it's one of my favorite modern musical inventions. Fox may have been the Liberace of the organ, but he was incredible. Watch his right hand in the last movement of this piece.

[4candles]

This is one of the most glorious pieces of music I have heard. I love the composer's harmonic language. I think the Saint-Saens 3rd Symphony with organ is overrated (obviously apart from the "Babe" movement). I cannot understand why this is not more well known and why it is not more often included in concerts - it is a show-stopper!

[4candles]

Personally I prefer the Michael Murray recording on Teldec (or Telarc?) but it is clear here that Fox is in love with the instrument!

[JorPove]

Efectivamente la interpretacion de Michael Murray,con la Orquesta Sinfonica de San Francisco (dirigida por Edo de Waart) es un "standard" para esta sinfonia concertante-practicamente desconocida. La casa disquera es Telarc (DDD) y la obra se publica en 1984.

Esta sinfonia ,al igual que las obras de Jongen (44 en total) solo son conocidas por los cultores del organo,no asi por el publico general.

[wurlitzer3]

I downloaded this from the Virgil Fox Legacy site (it's no longer there) and it was in stereo and sounded ever so much better than this. Still, it's a great performance by a master.

[joeyboi87]

Iave to be honest and say that that is onevery strange looking organ console....not to my liking!

[VassagoX66]

This and the Toccata are the most glorious things I've heard in a very long time. I know you said Virgil transcribed it, but who originally composed it? I NEED to know.

Thank you so much for this.

[mendax1773]

Joseph Jongen: Symphony Concertante. Fox recorded this in Paris in the 1960s and it's available on CD although it's now out-of-print (but I have it!) Fox's arrangement for organ alone is also available and in print. Other organists have recorded this as well. I would recommend Michael Murray's recording.

[iamrepete]

Joseph Jongen.Fox transcribed it for solo organ.

[TheShadowfox]

The unbelievable Virgil Fox. What more can I say.

[Rockyrog]

Today there are many great Organists. It's STILL very hard to try to compare THEIR talent to that that Virgil Fox had. He understood the King Of Instruments like nobody else does... in the whole world! And he played it like it should be played.. majestically and with authority. MUCH authority~!! Listen to him playing the ORGAN and ReJoice~!!! With him!!

[Aristede]

This is indeed a great performance by Virgil Fox! What energy and vivacity! Very few organist today can match his level of excitement.

[JRSoubasse]

Ah yes! The greatest organist that ever lived. I love that creative genious! I'm glad that he is still remembered so.

[ISpannonian]

Bach was the greatest organist that ever lived!

[tastenmensch12]

Thats right!

[Capricornboy]

WOW!!! Absolutly thrilling! Thanks for sharing that!