Virgil Fox Toccata & Fugue in D minor Allen Touring Organ

[SadisticMagician54]

At leat the humming is in key? :P

[ShandyHall]

@SadisticMagician54 Yeah, I hate the hum but it was part of the recording. At least you get a flavor of a live Virgil concert.

[DrBeetleBubba]

This was Virgil Fox's personal high-end organ, with which he traveled the country and internationally to give concerts. It was phenomenal at the time, and the concerts were amazing. Give a listen to his ALBUM "Virgil Fox: Heavy Organ" (recorded live at Winterland in San Francisco) to hear a good representation of what this sounded like in reality. The audio on this You Tube video is as bad as listening to AM radio from a thousand miles away by comparison.

[ShandyHall]

@DrBeetleBubba Actually, the organ in the Heavy Organ recording at Winterland was the 3 manual Rodgers "Black Beauty", not the 4 manual Allen. And yes, the Allen was a wonderful instrument!!!!!!

[DrBeetleBubba]

@ShandyHall I obviously was misinformed on this - from years past - and now sit corrected! Thanks for setting the record straight!

[badkarmaiii]

I've been listening to this music since I was born and love it. This is the first time I've seen the master perform it and I'm speechless...

[AAFDirectors]

I SO aggree with the Shandy Hall, I KNOW ! First of all I know VIGIRl! I can't understand why he even AGGREED to sit at the console of this peice of mjess. It was cyphing and all. Sounded like a bull horn. Virgil must REALLY have been paid to do this on THIS peace of mess.

[ShandyHall]

@AAFDirectors The background noise is from the recording, not the Allen Organ. That Allen sounded fantastic and was the best thing out there in the late '70's. I remember well the first time I heard it at Wolf Trap. I was blown away with it. How I miss those Wolf Trap concerts,

[dustermouse]

All I can add to this music is WOW! I too wish Virgil Fox was alive today, I miss his work.

[carlpipes]

In the first place, the recording quality is horrible and no way represents what the instrument sounded like in person.

[19shea85]

This really is a pretty terrible organ, but I've heard much worse, sadly. You know it's a great musician when the poor quality of the organ goes un-noticed because of impeccable artistry. Also, does anyone know what that annoying humming sound in the background is?

[ShandyHall]

@19shea85 I hate that humming sound too. It seems to be in the recording. I know it did not come from the organ.

[DavidSnyderLumierist]

@ShandyHall I suspect the humming that ruins the video application is due to poor grounding in the video devise used by the person putting it out.I wish they had taken time to do it right,,but hey,,thanks anyway

[VD54K]

Cameron Carpenter is better.

[notredameswarrior1]

if virgil would see the digital organs today i think he would be amazed....the only other organist that plays like virgil is Felix Hell

[Chesterbarnes1]

Wonderful!

[aafdirector]

First of ALL , Virgil HATED this particular organ. He denounced it a few times. He said Allen made a sorry organ for him. Fox never played the same after "Black Beauty" The allen wasn't as bright as Fox would have loved.

[ShandyHall]

@aafdirector That is the first I ever heard of this.

Now, I have heard disparaging things about the Rodgers Royal V. I only heard him play that one once.

[DavidSnyderLumierist]

@aafdirector Like the Tuna Commercial said "Sorry Charlie" I say,,sorry charlie to you. Virgil loved his Allen, It was a joy to me just participating in its installations and experiencing its magnificent possibilities. Contrary sir,,"Black Beauty" was rented by him and replaced by Virgil ASAP. The technicians that created it for him from Allen were in my book artists in their own rite and thus Virgil finished his life playing the instruemnt he loved.

[ShandyHall]

@DavidSnyderLumierist David, thank you for this information. It is great to hear from the person who was very much involved.

[AufsMaul22]

the beginning can't be what bach has imagined... just horrible, that legato from cis to d o.O

[lycanthrope1962]

The sound quality is a bit shaky,

but after all, it's Virgil Fox!!! AWESOME!!!

[alisardu]

Vero sul fatto che siano esecuzionin macabre, ma hanno una solennità incredibile. Di sicuro Bach avrebbe storto il naso, ma a me non dispiace questo tipo di suono che a tratti si tramuta - per la verità - in frastuono...

[ShandyHall]

I don't think any of us in the 21st Century can ever figure out what Bach would have liked or not. No one alive for well over a hundred and fifty years ever knew him. We put our own interpretations as to what he would have liked or not have liked. We should not speak for others.

[OrganistGreg]

Wish Virgil was alive today!

[DavidSnyderLumierist]

@OrganistGreg So do I my friend. Blessings to you

[rjaustingrt]

Allen organ company didn't start building and selling digital organs until late 1971/early 1972. I consider the first two generations of digital - as not very good organs. Most of the analogs of the era sounded better overall. Mr. Fox's Allen organ was delivered in the fall of 1977. it is either the third or fourth generation digital - and it sounds pretty good. Today's digital organs are just that much better. How much have other fields of electronics improved in the last 30 years?

[pordzio]

Are there any CD/LP recordings of Virgil Fox playing this Allen Organ? I would like to compare the sound of Allen and the Black Beauty

[Werckstarck]

Virgil Fox era abbastanza incompetente in fatto di musica barocca. Le sue registrazioni sono come macabre curiosità da non seguire come esempio.

[bombarde1701]

What is that horrible drone sound in the background? Sounds like an electronic cipher. And this was when Virgil went over to Allen after Rodgers wouldnt sell him Black Beauty. He eventually went back to Rodgers.

[ShandyHall]

The drone is in the recording, not the organ.  Where did you hear he went back to Rodgers? That is news to me.

[DavidSnyderLumierist]

@bombarde1701 Virgil never tried to buy the Rogers he rented and never went back to them after he purchased his own instruemnt which he loved from Allen. I know,,I was there through it all.

[cosmicbeam]

I was fortunate enough to meet Virgil Fox and see him in concert 4 times. Bach's " Toccata & Fugue in d minor" is my favorite song, the pipe organ is the greatest of man's creations, and Virgil's interpretation is the best that I have heard. I know the Allen isn't a pipe organ, but you can't tour with the Wanamaker. Virgil makes it sound just fine. Thank you so much for posting this video. I have a number of his recordings, but now I can relive the man and his showmanship.

[billyguns2]

This is a magnificent performance, filled with Baroque mystery and fabulous rhetoric. What is that HORRIBLE humming sound on one pitch in the background? I also don't like the sound of this instrument.

[mullah06]

Saw this tour in 1970 in Portland OR, believe me the interference wasn't there, and you would have thought you were listening to a Flentrop tracker pipe organ!

[morgulddt]

Mmmm.... demasiado largas las semicorcheas en las cuales cae luego del descenso (Re) en los primeros 2 compases. Eso hace a mi juicio que la pieza pierda estilo (tipo tenebroso).

[rodeoclown3579]

There are some organist that can't maximize an electric organ to its full potential and you can tell the difference. This master of the king of instruments does one of the greatest jobs of masking the fact that this isn't a traditional organ

[rohrgedackt8]

By traditional, you mean a pipe organ. This is a traditional organ, just in electronic form. And I agree with you, but you know there are organists that can't maximize a pipe organ either. For the quality of the recording (not the fault of the poster), this is very convincing. I wouldn't have necessarily heard it as an electronic if I hadn't been told!

[A121273]

Allen Organ are as close as you can get to the real thing... at least that`s what I`ve been told! lol

[rohrgedackt8]

Not exactly, there are other digital options which come close. Any of the digitals are better than the old analogs!

[caddyorganist]

Rodgers is much better!

[bigcat0615]

My dad introduced me to Virgil Fox years ago with an album of him playing live at the Fox Theatre, but I forget where. the album had a picture of him walking a tightrope over a waterfall or something to that effect. Anyway...I love to listen to him play. He's the best organist I've ever heard....simply brilliant!

[Boyyxx1]

Really great! He is perfect!

[lady0basket0case]

amazing. simply amazing

[Brandotuomikoski]

true but this one is much better than black beauty. this was made in the 1970's and beauty was made in the 60s.