Easter 2011 - Widor Toccata Symphony #5 - Cathedral of St. John The Divine, NYC

[1JeanDeaux]

Thank you.

[ebp367]

Wonderful performance !!!

[09WestTexas]

wlimrbill. Absolutely right, most organist play it far too fast; Widor complained about it..they just seem to forget the value of acoustics in a huge building, for which this piece was written. Actually, you can hear Widor on YouTube playing the piece. Something I discovered about the Toccata, the opening line in the pedal creates a glissando effect employing the acoustics of the building. The pedal sounds the low/high notes and the the hands supply the inbetween notes. See if you hear it?

[HDBikerFL]

What a wonderful and inspiring performance!

[Chesterbarnes1]

Raymond Nagem should get a MEDAL! I watched this young man closely and he is indeed good! He puts himself into his ORGAN music.  Probably trained uner Gerre Hancock no doubt. My hat is off to him. May his tribe increase. Thank you Ray Nagem for your brilliant performance! Enjoyed!

[Mia1402K]

Very good! I'm a chorister there and the congregation is like that each Sunday!!!

[wljmrbill]

Very well done.like the tempo...most play it way to fast I believe even if a show piece.

[jvdurante84]

Great organ, good acoustics...

[hdbikerfl1]

Excellent tempo and performance!

[davlber221]

Yawn! Ho-hum!! Wasn't it about Easter? Or, an organ concert?

[robnfargo]

@davlber221: The event was most certainly about Easter! You are hearing and watching the ORGAN POSTLUDE to the 11am Solemn Mass of Easter Day, 2011. Most Solemn Masses have such organ pieces before and after the service.

[theremin137]

@davlber221 Oh, go back to rubbing your belly and quit trolling.

[davlber221]

@theremin137 It would be more exciting than that old lady performance of the Widor Toccata! Thats for sure! Oh by the way I got your troll swinging!

[davlber221]

Yawn! Ho-hum!! 

[southernboi59]

oops-Tocatta, my bad

[southernboi59]

BRAVO! As a church organist I must say the congregation would be quiet if they knew how much work we put into each week. On the 3/52 1922 Hook & Hastings I play there is an equalizer though, a Tuba Major on 18 inches of pressure. Shuts them right up. By the way, thanks for playing the Tocatta at a decent tempo.

[AeolianSkinner1983]

Great performance! I hope I get to play that organ some day.

[kooldavewarren]

Very nicely performed 

[bombarde1701a]

Do you happen to know when the Neswick CD from ProOrgano comes out?

[livzdave]

@bombarde1701a I was talking to Doug Hunt after the Easter service, and he said in a few more months. It should be a great recording!

[bombarde1701a]

Nice camera!

[eliotcantsing]

I like the tempo! You can really savor each note, but not get bored!

[drbobdrake]

A few liberties with the score. I prefer the Olivier Latry version on the Notre-Dame organ.