Improvisation von Daniel Roth in St. Sulpice 2009

[Mackaronni]

Oh....to listen to Maestro Roth's playing is like being one step closer to Heaven without having to die....

[MegaDani141]

GENIAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[FromHolbergsTime]

A rich field of sound and an impressive sonic adventure unlike any other! This Cavaille-Coll speaks with such a magisterial voice, exuding fabulous orchestral color. Daniel Roth admirably shapes the improvisational dialogue in brilliant fashion, revealing his absolute mastery of this spectacular instrument. **********

Glenn

[unkastacky]

So magnificent. He's one of the all-time greats.

It's heretical of me to say it, I know, but I think it's time to update this magnificent instrument's mechanics. Leave the specification and voicing alone, but give this man a proper combination system and a programmable crescendo pedal! And retire the clacking barker machine. It has served magnificently now for 120 years, but we can do better now.

[BaboonArse]

@unkastacky . It is a testament to Cavaille Coll's ingenuity for the console to be still in service. I would rather play an instrument with its original mechanism as it is full of character than to have modern push button rubbish, They mutilated the Notre Dame organ by doing so with the hideous console there, which wont even last a quarter of the lifetime of the one it replaced now sitting on display. To modernise this organ would be like drinking a vintage wine out of a polystyrene beaker.

[unkastacky]

I'm sympathetic to this. Honestly, I am; even I was a bit conflicted at my own comment! But--in the spirit of friendly debate--if ND is "mutilated," surely it's because of tonal modifications, not the console, no? The buttons-vs-knobs--they're all just switches. I agree that the C-C barker machine and other technical bits were brilliant for their time, but no matter; a candlestick phone will outlast a cell phone as a communication device, but surely no one proposes we stick with them.

[okamilune]

@unkastacky in that case, replace the trackers. NOT with anything modern, just with more trackers. would that not get rid of the clank? I know the tracker I play doesn't sound like that. But modernization, definitely heresy. And I complete agree with BaboonArse, they DESTROYED ND. its like the grandest Frankenstein's creater of all organs. (No offense to Latry of course!!)

[BaboonArse]

@okamilune - I love the clacking sound of the barker levers, you know the organ is working and the keyboards are coupled by the visual movement of each tier. Surely it has to be easier to control especially the mimicking of the pedals in the key movements. I also noticed even on some theatre organs there are swell shoe indicators up at the top . It would be interesting today to see how many organs are built with the pneumatic tracker system compared to microswitches and computer LAN connections?

[okamilune]

@BaboonArse I like the sound to. I play a tracker and sometimes I leave the pipes off just to listen. What worries me is if the clacking is so loud that it is becasue of age. if that were the case, one day they might break, that could cause problems. as for the second question, in my area, I know of two or three. thats it. the rest are computer. so that is about two or three out of 30 or 40... pretty sad.

[GJmusique]

@unkastacky

I catch your drift.. but the console is part of the art of Cavaillé-Coll.

Everybody agrees that the ancient cathedrals look better than new ones... it's the same for these type of consoles. The Notre Dame console has no appeal to me at all. As for your analogy.. ND is like controling an old steam powered machine by means of a firewire connection... ;)

[musicaorganum]

@BaboonArse Great comment! I could not agree with you more.

[cliveso]

Daniel's got new spectacles!

[PipeQuest]

What is the name of this piece?

[polsterj]

It's an improvisation!

[PipeQuest]

Love this piece. The ending sounds mysterious. 6:20

[polsterj]

Absolutely awesome!

[PipeQuest]

It must be hard knowing when to push and pull those stops out.

[4candles]

This is absolutely mesmerising!

I found myself smiling out loud at the beauty of the music and how effortlessly Roth tames this massive instrument, never once losing concentration.

This is a true master at work.

I only wish I had an ounce of his skill and musicality!

[organstudent]

the strings on this organ are to die for! amazing! what a serene ending to a great improvisation! BRAVO mr roth

[willowthebored]

...Excellent.

[chwidder]

@advisorC101: It is true that Daniel Roth's performances of Widor's and Vierne's music are splendid, but as an *improviser* I'd rather view him as the *Tournemire* of our time (without the latter's bad temper), in the sense that even among the many fine improvisers of today, none manages to use Gregorian chant as effectively and beautifully as he does.

[Messjuh1]

Daniel Roth is one of the most brilliant organists around, but I have always held the view that improvisation is not his forte. Some of his compatriots do better at this, above all Olivier Latry and Pierre Pincemaille.

This improvisation, though, is really nice.

[AndreaPianoPlayer]

FANTASTIC! Daniel Roth is the finest organist in the world. A new Roth video on Youtube, GREAT! Thanks for posting this.