on a visit to Honolulu around 1998 or 1999, he pulled off this same Widor piece on the Morton at Hawaii Theatre - and that Morton has no principal chorus or mixture!!!
@Ekel90 Once you have learnt it from the music, this piece is quite easy to remember. This is quite good but I notice quite a few mistakes because I know it very well, having said that I would have to practice it a lot even to play it as good as this performance as I am rather rusty.
At least playing it without music you don't have to do all the page turns.
Thank you for contacting me and for thus allowing me the joy of hearing you play Widor. Lew,,you have impeccable rhythm and your hands upon the keyboard are perfect (Virgil Fox would tell you). I hope organists noted you played from memory. The expressive instrument delivered the message in your hands,,bravo,,please keep in touch. Keep thrilling your audiences,,you thrilled me!Blessings,
I've seen Lew do this live at Organ Stop, and it is thrilling. Good tempo, really clean playing, and it builds up to a power level that'll almost push you over!
In my book, Lew ranks as the best and most versatile organist in the world. He not only plays flawlessly, but has the largest repertoire committed to memory of any organist that I am aware of.
IN my book, Lew ranks as the best and most versatile organist in the world. He not only plays flawlessly, but has the largest repertoire committed to memory of any organist that I am aware of.
Excellent.Probably played at the perfect tempo.Wasn't meant to be played at a hundered miles an hour,nor intended for a funeral march.Anyone who thinks it should be played at a hundred miles an hour should hear Widor himself play this piece.
I like the way in which the recording equipment has to duck for cover when the pedal comes in, as others have noted in past comments. Lew sure is some player - and note the way he presents himself - immaculate turn out. A class act!
Hi! What a wonderful BEAST! For someone else playing at what I regard to be the right tempo see "Ben Scott Widor". To some extent it also depends on the acoustic. Many organists ignore the acoustic as part of their instrument.
I forgot to say ....... note the sedate speed Lew is taking this. As it should be, most organists play it far to fast and blur it ......Way to go Lew. BT.
irkibby ........ if you listen, it's not the organ that has no power it's the recording device cutting back when the big bass comes in! Auto limiter etc. I can assure you having played that beast many times that it's awsome.......you only have to look at the cracks in the concrete floor to realise what the 32 diaphones are doing to the place! ........ You need to go there and see/hear it .......before making sweeping statements! BT.
The organ is a difficult instrument to record well, especially instruments with 32' and 64' stops. The Auto limiter with the severe bass cut is a leftover from vinyl. With today's 24-bit 192 kHz (Korg MR-1, Tascam DV-RA1000 HD), there is little reason to apply any compression or limiters, unless it will later be transferred to MP3. If the Earthworks QTC50 microphones are used, the Diaphone 32' would be recorded loud and clear, and even 64' stops, if any, would be clearly audible.
I see dear. I hadn't factored in the possibility of recording devices not cpaturing it correctly. I am used to recording bells, which don't really manage to do that sort of thing to recording equipment. As a numpty who likes his organ loud, it pains me to hear organs like the one at the church I ring at, which does indeed like an ant the morning after it has had a curry.
But If i turn up my base my landlord starts bitching. Can't win! Hopefully I will see it and feel it with my bowel one day.
the volume of the manuals is not matched in any way by the volume of the pedals... he needed some thundery floor vibrator as a pedal for this but for some reason he got an ant farting,,,
I can tell you as an organist and someone who frequented the Organ Stop that the pedal is quite ample for the room. You factor in the huge unelclosed 16' Tibia Clausa, the real Wood 16' Diaphones, the 16' Tuba...then add in the real 32' Tibia in the balcony, the REAL 32' Diaphone in the building plus the electronic 32' Bombarde....that ant fart is more like an elephant. Shakes my pitcher of beer nearly off the table in balcony right.
They've installed a real 32' Bombarde by Estey fairly recently, I understand about a year or a little over a year ago. Its last home was in the Hinsdale Theatre in Hinsdale, IL...talk about an elephant fart...Virgil Fox would have referred to it as "the big honk"...LOL I believe it's in the chamber with the 32' Diaphone (which rattles the building to the core)
This is it folks! The greatest organist, the greatest organ and the greatest piece for organ. How does it get any better than this? Make those pipes sing, brother! I'll come back to Organ Stop ASAP even though I'm 17 hours away.
@wljmrbill I'm trying to catalogue all the old pipe organ pizza parlors. Can you tell me any details about the one in Austin? Things on my list include: opening/closing dates, size (manuals/ranks), make (or makes, hybrids), console decoration, lift or not... Anything helps. I know one of the Texas ones had a Barton, but I know no other info. I've also seen some of the Texas ones referred to as "Pizza & Pipes", "Pipe Organ Pizza" and, bizarrely, "Scooby Doo's Pipe Organ Pizza".
It is amazing what happens when one turns off the trems! Any videos I have watched, Lew plays from memory. A virtuoso for sure!
JoRoAM1 1 month ago
Nice speed but to loud. This sould start out soft and not get lound until near the end.
danielmkubacki 2 months ago
on a visit to Honolulu around 1998 or 1999, he pulled off this same Widor piece on the Morton at Hawaii Theatre - and that Morton has no principal chorus or mixture!!!
steelersfanhawaii 3 months ago
How can somebody play this Masterpiece by heart ??!?!?!
Ekel90 6 months ago
@Ekel90 Once you have learnt it from the music, this piece is quite easy to remember. This is quite good but I notice quite a few mistakes because I know it very well, having said that I would have to practice it a lot even to play it as good as this performance as I am rather rusty.
At least playing it without music you don't have to do all the page turns.
goodchappy 5 months ago
@Ekel90 oliver latry can. do a search for him. but lew is no slouch either. he plays it quite well.
locke11216 2 months ago
lew needs a fan page on facebook :-)
hankia92 8 months ago
I wept....
mrbernried1 9 months ago
Comment removed
mrbernried1 9 months ago
Thank you for contacting me and for thus allowing me the joy of hearing you play Widor. Lew,,you have impeccable rhythm and your hands upon the keyboard are perfect (Virgil Fox would tell you). I hope organists noted you played from memory. The expressive instrument delivered the message in your hands,,bravo,,please keep in touch. Keep thrilling your audiences,,you thrilled me!Blessings,
David Snyder, Lumierist
DavidSnyderLumierist 10 months ago
I've seen Lew do this live at Organ Stop, and it is thrilling. Good tempo, really clean playing, and it builds up to a power level that'll almost push you over!
JonasClark 11 months ago
Fabulous performance - I've never heard this sound so good!
Widor would have approved.
bigcity233 1 year ago
Fabulous performance - I've never heard this sound so good!
bigcity233 1 year ago
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In my book, Lew ranks as the best and most versatile organist in the world. He not only plays flawlessly, but has the largest repertoire committed to memory of any organist that I am aware of.
greyantelope 1 year ago
IN my book, Lew ranks as the best and most versatile organist in the world. He not only plays flawlessly, but has the largest repertoire committed to memory of any organist that I am aware of.
greyantelope 1 year ago
Excellent.Probably played at the perfect tempo.Wasn't meant to be played at a hundered miles an hour,nor intended for a funeral march.Anyone who thinks it should be played at a hundred miles an hour should hear Widor himself play this piece.
superssjdan1 1 year ago
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Makes a change hearing a Wurlitzer played without the tremulants on ALL the time.
goodchappy 1 year ago
Makes a change hearing a Wurlitzer played without the tremulants on ALL the time.
goodchappy 1 year ago
any one know if organ stop pizza organ has any mixtures? how many?
steelersfanhawaii 1 year ago
@steelersfanhawaii One IV rank I believe.
ZambelliFireworks 1 year ago
I like the way in which the recording equipment has to duck for cover when the pedal comes in, as others have noted in past comments. Lew sure is some player - and note the way he presents himself - immaculate turn out. A class act!
Offshoreorganbuilder 1 year ago
Fantastico********
decimaquinta69 1 year ago
magnificat vos est... tua est gloria in eternum... secula seculorum
ppaajjeerroo 1 year ago
5*****
thanks for sharing....
Elaguine81 1 year ago
Hi! What a wonderful BEAST! For someone else playing at what I regard to be the right tempo see "Ben Scott Widor". To some extent it also depends on the acoustic. Many organists ignore the acoustic as part of their instrument.
latribe 2 years ago 4
i would like to own a pipe organ like this. except put in a self playing organ (smart organ)
MR87IROCZ 2 years ago
I forgot to say ....... note the sedate speed Lew is taking this. As it should be, most organists play it far to fast and blur it ......Way to go Lew. BT.
9fq6z 2 years ago 7
Yeah Id say its the right speed, but not that slow really, i think asome people play it rediculously slow(and really fast)
krazykeys88 2 years ago
irkibby ........ if you listen, it's not the organ that has no power it's the recording device cutting back when the big bass comes in! Auto limiter etc. I can assure you having played that beast many times that it's awsome.......you only have to look at the cracks in the concrete floor to realise what the 32 diaphones are doing to the place! ........ You need to go there and see/hear it .......before making sweeping statements! BT.
9fq6z 2 years ago
The organ is a difficult instrument to record well, especially instruments with 32' and 64' stops. The Auto limiter with the severe bass cut is a leftover from vinyl. With today's 24-bit 192 kHz (Korg MR-1, Tascam DV-RA1000 HD), there is little reason to apply any compression or limiters, unless it will later be transferred to MP3. If the Earthworks QTC50 microphones are used, the Diaphone 32' would be recorded loud and clear, and even 64' stops, if any, would be clearly audible.
BayAreaBiker2001 2 years ago
I see dear. I hadn't factored in the possibility of recording devices not cpaturing it correctly. I am used to recording bells, which don't really manage to do that sort of thing to recording equipment. As a numpty who likes his organ loud, it pains me to hear organs like the one at the church I ring at, which does indeed like an ant the morning after it has had a curry.
But If i turn up my base my landlord starts bitching. Can't win! Hopefully I will see it and feel it with my bowel one day.
irkibby 2 years ago
the volume of the manuals is not matched in any way by the volume of the pedals... he needed some thundery floor vibrator as a pedal for this but for some reason he got an ant farting,,,
irkibby 2 years ago
I can tell you as an organist and someone who frequented the Organ Stop that the pedal is quite ample for the room. You factor in the huge unelclosed 16' Tibia Clausa, the real Wood 16' Diaphones, the 16' Tuba...then add in the real 32' Tibia in the balcony, the REAL 32' Diaphone in the building plus the electronic 32' Bombarde....that ant fart is more like an elephant. Shakes my pitcher of beer nearly off the table in balcony right.
12inchshell 2 years ago 2
ah ok. I shall turn my base speaker thing up in future to compensate.
irkibby 2 years ago
They've installed a real 32' Bombarde by Estey fairly recently, I understand about a year or a little over a year ago. Its last home was in the Hinsdale Theatre in Hinsdale, IL...talk about an elephant fart...Virgil Fox would have referred to it as "the big honk"...LOL I believe it's in the chamber with the 32' Diaphone (which rattles the building to the core)
Organsk8er 2 years ago
This is it folks! The greatest organist, the greatest organ and the greatest piece for organ. How does it get any better than this? Make those pipes sing, brother! I'll come back to Organ Stop ASAP even though I'm 17 hours away.
satsman56 2 years ago
Excellent.. love the sound of the old Instrument.. I played one at Pizza and Pipes in Austin, Texas years ago( 1980's). Great Fun
wljmrbill 2 years ago
@wljmrbill I'm trying to catalogue all the old pipe organ pizza parlors. Can you tell me any details about the one in Austin? Things on my list include: opening/closing dates, size (manuals/ranks), make (or makes, hybrids), console decoration, lift or not... Anything helps. I know one of the Texas ones had a Barton, but I know no other info. I've also seen some of the Texas ones referred to as "Pizza & Pipes", "Pipe Organ Pizza" and, bizarrely, "Scooby Doo's Pipe Organ Pizza".
JonasClark 11 months ago
absolutely superb !!!
wurlitzer62 3 years ago
I must say ,,, one of the best performances I've heard. And I've heard many.
tlb25303 3 years ago
Excellent.
PianoMan8912 3 years ago