Vierne at St. Patrick's Cathedral

[cnmmnc8852]

Does anybody remember John Grady? I miss his grandiose drama and the handfuls of wrong notes toward the end of his life notwithstanding.Donald Dumler was always the master of that organ but JG did have a very overt flair for the dramatic.

[notredameswarrior1]

needs to be more sped up.

[peteacher52]

Top quality sound pick-up for a non-professional camera! Most unexpected as most such cameras don't have anything like the bass response on this one.

Sure, the organ does not sound like a Cavaille-Coll, but it was not meant to in the first place! Let's celebrate the wonderful variety in organ design and playing in each nation.

[polsterj]

I can't agree with all those people saying american organs are rubbish. I'm european, but I respect american organ builders. Just think of the heavenley strings of ernest m skinner or the beautiful state trumpet in St John the Divine. And listen to the good recordings made by JAV, you'll see, this organ has a great sound! And you'll see that the acoustics of St. Patrick's are compareable to the european cathedrals, so the tempo is maybe a little slow, but it's OK!

[MegaDani141]

I think, that's the best Version of Luis Virenes Synfonie 1# 5*******

[limp1974]

Maestro42, Can you make your video of the Christmas Midnight Mass intro work again? So that it has sound to it?

Thanks!

[prosciaorg]

This is kimball's masterpiece. Every organ company should have a credit like this to their name. lucky is the company that maintains it. As is the custom in France, their historic instruments are cared for by professionals at no charge just to have the privilege of touching a bit of history.

[organist45]

@prosciaorg

It is not Kimball's masterpeice! It is Kilgen's masterpeice!

It was built by George Kilgen & Sons.

[dublincool86]

Cant beat America. You guys do everything perfectly. Fabulous!

[duffmancantsee]

When I see videos like this one, I wish I were Catholic.

[Organsk8er]

@duffmancantsee Not so difficult, you know...haha ;)

[MrClaudeholmes]

The sound is not that bad , considering the large acoustical space for a Large historic pipe organ.

[marston5000]

In response to Wurlitzer3. When I listen to the pipe organ at Saint Patricks Cathedral, Liverpool Cathedral, Or Washington Cathedral: May breath and stress of the day are all taken away because of the spectacular musical repertoire played.

Also, the above pipe organs have a reverberation. I'm sorry, I don't feel the same about the outdoor organ in San Diego Balboa Park. It's jjust not the same. No reverb. Just flat.

[qivory]

Nothing wrong with this tempo! Speed isn't everything, it is what you do with chosen tempo that counts.

[redletterchurch]

Perhaps the tempo is just right for those who are actually in the cathedral. The quality of the recording may be the real villian. kwitcherbichin!

[menschmaschine5]

Too slow...

Also, why are there two comments here that bash American instruments and performers (one's in German but yeah...)? I'd say we have some pretty great instruments and performers over here.

[Joerg122]

too slow... not good !

[Contrubas]

Who on earth is murdering this piece at this tempo? The pulse is quite obviously on every minim (half note) and not on every crotchet (quarter note). And what about the dynamic contrast just after the exposition? Too great. I'm hoping this is a young student.

[punkorganist]

It's interesting how people dislike negativity in organists.

[eameece]

Sometimes he plays too slow, and other times just right. Still, a great organ, and one of the best pieces ever composed; very close to my heart anyway. You can see Chorzempa's great version on you tube that I posted.

[speaks3703]

This organ and the space are both very well suited to this piece and it is played very well, but it is certainly a bit slow.

[marston5000]

Vierne, I can't get enough!! Especially from Saint Patricks Cathedral!!

San Diego does have the famous outdoor organ, but, it's NOT a Saint Patricks Cathedral Organ.

I'm planning a trip to New York City to visit Saint Patricks Cathedral.

Thank You Saint Patricks for having an excellent pipe organ!!! Doug

[marston5000]

I get very excited when I here Vierne performed on the Saint Patricks Cathedral Organ. Vierne, was performed on a pipe organ in San Diego; it was NOT THE SAME!! San Diego is not the city for pipe organ enthusiasts.

[wurlitzer3]

and yet San Diego has the Balboa Park outdoor Austin.

[cgabis04]

The way that outdoor environment eats up the sound, it sounds as if it is in a room with carpet covering everything. No reverb! As they say, the organ makes the room, and the room makes the organ.

[wurlitzer3]

my point was not about the lush reverb time of St. Patrick's but the fact that San Diego has a municipal organ lovingly cared for and played by name artists on a regular basis. SOMEBODY in the thousands who come to Balboa Park recitals must be a pipe organ enthusiast - I suspect quite a few are.

[praisethelord333]

he is full out of the rythm. why find all poepel this playing goo? its ugly

[cpformerlycw]

In St. Pat's all pieces need to be slower for them to be as articulate as they can be. As for the clarity of this performance, it is impossible to tell unless you have perfect microphone placement because of the reverb in the room.

[pulvaris]

a tad too slow methinks

[willowthebored]

The Trompette en Chamade is just one of those things. Every one is different. Ideally you'll just have two different sets on different wind pressures :D I like the recording, it's got a nice resonance to it once you get used to the tempo.

[praisethelord333]

not very good. to slow and not a clear rythem.

[praisethelord333]

ja aber gespielt isses ned gut. hab die bischofsintronisation gesehn in new york die war auch kirchenmusikalisch gut!

[praisethelord333]

it is to slow! hear a verson played in france!

[merryweatherchannel]

Good sound for a camcorder, there must have been divine intervention!

[kropothkin]

Very nice preformance. For a videocamera recording it is very good. The tempo is okay, for a large space like this. (You can enjoy it longer). The is a whole discussion in the french organ scene about the use of en charmade trumpets / clairon. Olivier Latry (organist of Notre Dame, Paris) uses the en charmade during all the tutti part in his recording of the 2nd & 3rd symphonie by L. Vierne. As well the 32' contrabombarde. But that is something that depends on witch organ you are playing on.

[dwarrren9]

Anyone know how many ranks and pipes this organ is?

[glevantino]

5 manuals, 150 ranks, 177 stops, 9335 pipes.

[2468HOTROD]

Sounds like the microphones are too far away from the organ maybe? A great sounding instrument though!

[patrickkreeger]

it's slow because of the acoustics. That cathedral has an echo of at least 6-7 seconds...Whoever the organist was made a wise decision so everything could be heard, even though it was slow.

[34045]

St Pauls in London has 15 (or there abouts)

[cromorne]

I agree, the tempo was a bit slow, but a wise choice. Reverb is about 5 seconds, and if the organist used the choir organ located to the left of the chancel console it's nearly impossible to hear. I had a lucky chance to play this instrument once and sympathize with the organist on the speed. Great Video as well!

[bachprofessore]

I once played at a baroque basilica with a reverb of more than 7 seconds, and you have to be very careful that it doesn't wash in this great reverb. But this interpretation was a bit too slow. Maybe the organist is not used to long reverbs, so he is a bit too careful.

[simonsteam]

Too slow.

[organum74]

I agree, much too slow !!

Maybe the organist had to play slower cause of the reverberation, but anyway, compare with Pierre Cochereau at ND de Paris !

Sorry for my American friends...

[ihadaralf]

My general opinion about American performances are that they're self indulgent and the venues are usually as acoustically attractive as a toaster.

However, by following European principles, St. Patrick's is groovy.

[34045]

I agree!

[ihadaralf]

This is an American performance, on an American organ and yet, I like it, despite being from the U.K. I give it the thumbs up.

[TheMaestro42]

Well, I'm glad that you liked it. I am, however, confused as to why you had to make a point of saying that you like it EVEN THOUGH it is an "American" performance on an "American" organ....

[DHS11999]

@TheMaestro42 Can you say "European snobbery?"

[dublincool86]

@ihadaralf One of those British insults disguised as a complement! Hilarious =0)

[tjugofyra]

That is really slow, but the organ is fantstic...

[skyler6290]

Its funny to me that on the outset this performance seemed almost painfully slow, but as the piece went on it seemed to be just fine. Did love the way the organist brought out the "inner voices" of the composition throughout much of the performance as these so often get lost with much speed and overwrought registrations. I do find it odd that the en chamade was brought on there right at the closing, but who am I to say - - just seemed like full organ would have closed out the piece better.

[19lfm12]

I think this is a very good performance, although the vid + sound quality do not do it or the organ justice. Stately - indeed! Many ppl rush this piece. The use of the tonal colors here is good; and he "plays the room" well. Also the key reponse of this organ is a tad slow. But the main goal with such an organ + very live room is clarity. I think the Chamade is the wrong character for this organ - but its use here works!

[organ1029]

It just drags along. But what do I know, I'm not L. Vierne.

[fthiggins]

I think it is very dangerous to judge too much about the appropriate tempo for this performance based on a highly-compressed cell phone recording. Acoustics are the most significant determinant of tempo for organ music and this cathedral has a very long reverberation time.

I would not have chosed the chamade at the end simply because it seems to be out of tune.

The 32' Bombarde is awesome in person. No cellphone can do it justice.

[TheMaestro42]

Well, it wasn't a cell phone, but a camera...but your point remains.

[cromorne]

Those chamades are certainly in tune. The Peragallo company (who tunes the organ) is in there every Thursday tuning. And agreed, that 32' Contra Bombarde is earth-shattering!

[ThirtyTwoFoot]

Yes a bit slow. Rather stately in fact! All the notes are there though. I understand, from an advert I've seen recently, the whole organ is being rebuilt at the moment (or about to be). Please do something with those terrible loud chamades, they ruin full organ!

[TheMaestro42]

Well, understand, those chamades are not meant to be used as chorus reeds...they are meant for solos. And personally, I don't mind them used in those last chords.

[Organist44]

What about the trumpets on "God of our Fathers?"  Is it not appropriate to use the chamades then in chorus?

[cromorne]

If your talking about this particular instrument, absolutely not as the 8' Trompette En Chamade sits on 33" of wind and is INCREDIBLY loud. The French Trompettes on the Great can cover that pretty well. As to other smaller organs I can't see why not.

[lustful2]

I am inclined to agree the performance is ruined by the slow tempi and unusual change of direction in the registration. I don't the Cathedral Organ that well but I get the impression it's sounds like a really awful Electronic in the rather cavernous acoustic of the Cathedral.

[TheMaestro42]

Quite the opposite. The organ is in my opinion one of the finest, and when handled properly, really shows it's stuff. The main problem here, I think, is the recording device. A small camera doesn't exactly capture the majesty of such an instrument. If you want to hear what it truly sounds like, look for some recordings, or go to the Pipedreams radio program website; they've featured this organ several times.

[bombarde3229]

Yeah..this isn't Donald Dumler playing btw. Donald and I are very close, he being my mentor and first organ teacher would NEVER playing this piece that way it's being played here!! haha

[TheMaestro42]

Yeah, that's for sure.

[julorg]

Much too slow !

[fiddlegirl79]

Wonderful music. I love this cathedral. Our symphony just played there in November.

[joeyboi87]

the speed in which he plays wont make any different to acoustics. Besides I study organ at Edinburgh university and this is the slowest ive ever heard this piece played. Doesnt sound so grand

[octave4]

This is treu. The acoustics will not change with the speed of performance. BUT (there is always a but), The acoustics do affect the clarity of the performance. I suspect that the lack of Grand, is as much the recording as anything. JC, you can hear the 32'. It sounds OK to me but it is subjective.

[topper2142]

My favorite organ!!Nothing comes close!

[GlendaleJake]

It would have been nice if you could have slowly panned and shown some of the architectural details of the cathedral rather than just focusing on the organ case

[joeyboi87]

the organist is playing this far too slow, sounds gastly

[octave4]

He is playing for the acoustics of the building. All this is subjective. He can play at any speed he wants.

[Racmajunior]

I like the tempo here, but have you heard the cochereau's version to Notre-Dame de Paris ? he's not slave of the acoustic of the cathedral.

[TheMaestro42]

I agree that the playing was a bit slow, and trust me, you can play that organ fast without losing any sound. I think it was just the interpretation of the organist. In case anyone was wondering, the organist playing is actually the organist at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican...

[organmaster1969]

He actually plays the Toccata from Symphony #5 by Widor really slow too.

[iamrepete]

Thanks for all your videos,Maestro! Who was the organist playing the Finale from Vierne's Symphony #1 in the St.Patrick's video? I looked at all the comments,and couldn't find an actual name!

[TheMaestro42]

Dr. James Goettsche, the organist from Vatican City.

[Tuttiplaya]

wait.. i know this movie... thats anthony!! hahahaha

[TheMaestro42]

Yes, me too. The older fellow sitting two rows up is Donald Dumler, the organist there.

[octave4]

It must be interesting for him to hear the organ from there, though I suppose he has done so before. Has the organ been altered from what Kilgen originally built. Aside from additions?

[TheMaestro42]

Well like you said, there have been additions, and I believe the reeds were revoiced around that time too. But other than that, it's original.

[cromorne]

I believe the reeds were revoiced in the mid-1990's, and the twin console's were built by Robert M. Turner in 1998. The 32' Diapason is an E.M. Skinner. It's mostly the original organ though. The 32' Contra Bombarde is added at 7:19 and the Chamade is added at 7:26. That Bombarde comes at you from the left side too!

[Tuttiplaya]

yay one of my favorites!