Pièce Héroïque César Franck

[kempedkemp]

The recording may not be the best but the performance/registration is fantastic. That is some nice organ in Katarina!

[gerardbedecarter]

i enjoyed this performance and the sonority. Yes, the recorded sound is  abit soft/muffled!

[PeterBerlinMitte]

I love dutch, altough Ilive in Germany. You should practice dutch it, is a very nice language.

[markb61]

The quality of the recording could be better but  the organ does come through and really does this piece justice.

[goncourt49]

It's a challenging work, and I appreciate your evident musicality and good 'ear'. Also think you may trust VdH to give you the palette wanted for Franck. If it is possible, may I suggest you acquire Piet Kee's Chandos recording of the Franck works. The original is from 1991, and offers not only the stoplist, but detailed registrations for each track. It's a veritable master class on disk, and hews very close to the interpretations of Litaize, DeKlerck, Labric and Schweitzer.

[GeorgiosZaimis]

Nice performance!

[Endeavour88]

Bravo! Very well played!

[japansekip]

all right, now in English.

I know this from A cd with the Eustachius organ Played by Jean Guilliou.For me a wonderfull and with all frequntie played used of the organ. A slow style of playing and you can hear what a big organ and a good acoustic can do.

On my PC i dont hear not the low pure frequentie,s ,il wish.

[japansekip]

Ik ken dit van het Eustach orgel. Voor mij een heerlijk en alle frequentie gebruik van een orgel.

Langzaam gespeeld hoor je dan wat een groot orgel en een goede akoustiek kan. OP mijn pc hoor ik niet het zo gewenste zuivere laag .

[tjugofyra]

I don't understand dutch!

Would you mind using English on youtube?

[JSC1401]

Allegro MAESTOSO - majestic.

Why not play eveyting at the tempo of the B major middle section?

Have you studied the phrase marks?

The swell box on this organ is very effective: check your use of it (to what degree, when to open and close).

Molto rit # encore plus lent.

Thanks for the dotted half note in the pedal 16 and 13 mesures before the end: I'd never noticed this before!

[tjugofyra]

Exactly, that is why I played this as majestetic as possible.

This tempo is 4 or 5 beats faster than I usually play it at.

Phrase marks? What's wroong with the phrasing? I'w studied it much.

This organs swellpedals are very very sensitive and a little uneven. There is nothing to guid you of how open/closed it is.

Glad you did then!

[JSC1401]

Phrasing: should show little breathing spaces.

I don't think your majestic corresponds to the French National Souvenir of all those men ("heros" => "héroïque") fallen in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870!

[tjugofyra]

How should I have played it then? Stricter?

[JSC1401]

Only a personal opinion (I don't claim to have absolute knowledge of Franck's intentions and do not wish to stultify performance by making them all the same!)

Slower => more majestic

The same tempo throughout until it is marked Più lento.

Phrasing is often linked to oratory and corresponds to where we mark time or take a breath. One effect in the art of oratory is to use two short statements followed by a long one. (Beginning of Beethoven 5th, or Mozart 40th).

Example here LH bars 4, 5, 6-7

[tjugofyra]

Slower means often more majestetic, yes but I wanted the expression being in focus and not the tempo. That might some strange but that's what I wanted. As I also said, I usually play this a tad slower. Personally, I really like this piece, it speaks to me.

I don't really see what's bad with my phrasing at 4, 5, 6-7. All I can say is that I wanted it to flow and that's maybe why you react! In my oppinion, this is more or less how Franck should be played. Are you an organist?

[JSC1401]

What are you expressing?

You're right for these bars, but it was only an example of my statement.

RH 8, 9, 10-11 is not so well done

RH 40-41, 42-43, 44-47.

RH 73, 74,75-76

(only the pedal is marked a continuous legato)

4 bars before the end, neither pedal nor hands begin a new phrase.

Your registration is pretty good (though a little bright perhaps for dead heros).

I am an organist.

[tjugofyra]

I'm expressing myself and Franck.

You are actually right in what you say about the right hand phrasing. It's not perfect. I was in a bit of a hurry and actualy also in pain (lol, back pain) so I couldn't focuse well enough. I should have gone back more to the original tempo 4 bars from the end. I know this piece better now. This recording device don't really give a perfect image of the sound. This organ is much louder and has more base. Bare in mind that i'm still an organ student!

Great!

[JSC1401]

No, I don't forget :)

Pianists and organists often get back-ache. Leaning the head forward to peer at scores or pore over finger technique puts a great strain on the spinal column.

Organbuilders are not always very thoughtful of ergonomics when designing their consoles.

[tjugofyra]

Yes, but I played this without sheet music. Van den Heuvel are pretty good at making ergonomic consoles! I hade the bench to high and had carried a heavy bag all day! haha

[frater09]

terrific job.

[tjugofyra]

@frater09

Thank you very much!

[VonDuesenberg]

One of my favourite piece very well played on a very beautiful instrument!!! Many thanks for this recording. The Van den Heuvel organs are the best!!!

[tjugofyra]

@VonDuesenberg Thank you! Van den Heuvel organs are very well voiced. The actual quality of the instrument is questionable.

[passacaglia28]

It sucks that someone gave you only one star! I hope my five help. :D

[tjugofyra]

I think it helped! Thanks:)

[organman52]

I have a sneaking suspicion that the individual who gave it one star has a jealousy problem.

[advisorC101]

Either that or it's someone that really needs to get their ears checked.

[organman52]

No - I think it's jealousy. It usually is, after all.

[passacaglia28]

Johannes is excellent. No ifs, or buts. :D It is good to run into people like him here on You Tube.

[passacaglia28]

Heheh... I mean no "Ifs, ands or buts." I must be very tired.

[passacaglia28]

It is always good to hear your music, Johannes. :D

[tjugofyra]

Big thanks to the one who rated this 1 star!

[organman52]

What's not to be satisfied about? This is a pure, authentic performance. You should be very pleased. You really KNOW the music. Bravo.

[tjugofyra]

Thank you!

I'w heard some of your recordings and they are fantastic! You know the music well to! Bravo!

[NBurgmann]

I think you can be satisfied with your recording. I like the tempo very much. Congratulations!

[wljmrbill]

as to tempo..you are within the general guides of 7;20( M.C. Alan and Dupree can not be to far off ) to 9:11 it seems. I enjoyed it very much and found the tempo pleasing myself

[tjugofyra]

Indeed!

Dupré and Tournemire had written in their original scores when studying this piece, 82 bpm!

Thank you!

[Angultimmarik]

Quite fast, but I like the organ... especially the Plein Jeu... incredible that you in Sweden have such a Cavaille-Coll-like organ! The recording is not as bad...

[tjugofyra]

Thank you for the comment!

It's a bit faster than I usually play it but there is a reason for it. It was not on purpose. I'm glad you liked it alittle bit! lol

[idenstam]

Braaaavo! Really good playing. Smooth and powerful. Be proud! Best wishes, Gunnar Idenstam

[tjugofyra]

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!

Johannes

[jmeister321684]

Superb Johannes !!

Your interpretation is of a remarquable smothness !

I guess there are a few little things here and there you like less but still you shouldn't be that dissatisfied !

[organcomposer]

It's nicely performed; I Like it. Thanks

[tjugofyra]

Thank you Jean-Paul!

[BeFrSc]

Fantastic work Johannes, I really can't see why you aren't happy with it, neither can anyone else lol.

[tjugofyra]

Thank you very much Ben! I have practiced a lot on this piece! It's very easy to memorize and fun to play!

It's just that I got this terrible pain in my back when playing. I couldn't focuse after 1 hour of practicing/recording! This recording was made 2 hours after I came to the church.

Well, thank you! The organ sounds great!

[latribe]

Hi! Thanks for posting - very lovely - and very difficult to do recordings to achieve perfection. At this tempo there is a little loss of definition, perhaps of drama, but lovely nevertheless. Well done! I could not play it!

[tjugofyra]

I hade some problems when recording this! lol

Thank you! I feel also that the tempo should have been a little bit slower, but not much! This organ is very undramatic without the GO-reeds!

[chwidder]

One is *never* satisfied with one's own recordings.

But that's not important. The important thing is that *other* people are satisfied with it. Better that way than the other way round (as is so often the case on Youtube, alas...).

5* from me, too.

[tjugofyra]

I'm glad you see it that way! I agree!

Thank you!

[KB7777777]

Bravo Johannes! 5 *

[tjugofyra]

Thanks! :)

[larrytherangerdog]

awesome picture in the beginning! and as i said before, great recording! even if you aren't pleased with it, your musicianship is very obvious! :)

[tjugofyra]

Well, that last is the point right!

I'm still a bit unsure if "he" would like it! lol

Thank you Samuel!

[advisorC101]

Well I certainly am satisfied with it.. I love it in fact.

Nice work Johaness.

[tjugofyra]

Thank you James! I'm glad you liked it!

[mrSymphonic]

This was excellently played, Johannes!!! I don't see why you're not satisfied with it, this is brilliant!

[tjugofyra]

Thank you Dragan! I just feel that a could have done better if I haden't got this terrible pain in my back at the time. it was impossible to focus. After 1 hours and a half I couldn't play anymore.