Prelude and Fugue in C (Luneburg)

[MdCeA]

Nice playing, glasses, and camerawork, not forgetting it.

[PerrrfictKats]

Don,t like the cropped and matted view...

[Silverdaddy101]

Most of these comments are ridiculous. Forget about whether it is exactly as Bach knew it. Make music, not banter and speculation.

[PraeludiumUndFuge]

I had to give up organ playing, being 6'3 and 360lbs just isn't feasible on a traditional console, LOL.

[hartleymartin]

@PraeludiumUndFuge - Both problems can be fixed. I'm 6'2" and I've found that I need to boost my organ bench height, rather conveniently by the same as the width of a hymnal (4 spare hymnals and my problem is solved). As for the latter problem, there are many ways to dealing with this, it is really up to you how much you want to. (I sympathise being about 265 lbs myself)

[Jame243]

Great!!!!!!! Viel Danken!!!!!!!!

[supaflyjohnson]

Heil Hitler!

[1401JSC]

English Translation Have mercy on me, O Lord God,

according to your great kindness.

Wash me, make clean my wrongdoing.

I confess my sin and repent;

I have sinned against you only.

I am constantly aware of it;

even the best may not stand in your sight,

You are just, though you condemn me.

[1401JSC]

Isn't the organ bench a little high?

Or is he one of those oganists who doesn't like to use his heels?

Does "occata" (actually "Prelude!) mean everything has to be staccato (even descending pedal scales?

One of my teachers at university played a Reger piece in army boots after I had asked him if you needed special shoes (like for ballroom dancing) at an earlier lesson.

I wish other countries than Britain, Canada and the USA would make ergonomic consoles. Sigh.

[tjugofyra]

The only reason not to use heels when playing bach is because he simply didn't use heels. It's often easier not to use heels on Baroque organs since the benches often are very high!

[1401JSC]

Hello, Johannes.

Bach didn't wear jeans either: should we all dress up in 18th century clothes to play, or put on 18th century shoes ?

Bach didn't use heels? How do you know?

He is reputed to have used the 5th finger more than his contemporaries, but Preller has left us his fingering for the 1st Variation on "Sei gegrüsset", which I find very strange.

Is it not simply because I don't have the same hands as Bach?

Do you think the Pedal Trompete at Luneburg is voiced as in Bach's day?

[tjugofyra]

Dear, 1401JSC.

I got to say that you sound a bit like a bordeliner rigth now. (lol, no offence!)

You do have acces to your feet but not always to 18th century clothes. I understand your point but I don't see why.

What has the voicing to the Trumpete have to do with anything? Revoicing the whole organ before playing Bach is just as excessive as using 18th century clothes!

[1401JSC]

18th century shoes had higher heels than 21st century Baskets!

You enjoy the performance on this video which you think perhaps authentic, but...is the trumpet voiced as it was for Bach to hear?

Surely we have to adapt our interpretations to present circumstances.

[tjugofyra]

Do you use Baskets when playing the organ? :P

It's not as authentic as it could be. I don't see why he ornamentates so much! He certainly doesn't play it like it's written!

I do enyoy hearing the peformance, even thoe I play it differently!

[Bachlives2]

Are you referring to the organ at Saint Johns in Luneberg if so it is not voiced that way because Von Beckerath Totally ruined that organ in the 50s and 70s. Almost no original pipe work is left of that organ whatsoever VB through it all away there arem some principal pipes and maybe a few of the Dulzian but that's it. Although there are several organs that have not been touched but preserved so we can here what Bach heard.

[1401JSC]

I dare say there were people who thought Bach ruined the Muhlhausen organ in his recommendations for the rebuild.

I don't think we can begin to weigh up Beckerath's work without knowing all the parameters, all his options.

Old is not alwyas the best choice, though becoming "politically correct".

Should you for instance keep the 5% originpipes

[1401JSC]

Should you for instance keep the 5% original pipes in an instrument and rebuild the "original organ" around them?

To play which repertoire?

Bach was traditional in his musical language, which he brought to a climax of perfecction, but was a modernist in encouraging equal temperament and trying out Simbermann's pianofortes!

[ccoraxfan]

@1401JSC

Bach did not encourage equal temperament, which was not used until the piano became stupidly popular more than a century after Bach. What he encouraged was "well temperament" which allowed the full range of keys to be played while still sounding good. In Bach's day, a variety of unequal temperaments were used which allowed this flexibility. I use one of them (Bach/Lehman) myself on my electronic organ at home, and it sounds MUCH better than equal temperament.

[Bachlives2]

We do no what the parameters were for the most part.Von Beckerath made that organ sound terrible. We have organs today with abut t75% of original Dropa pipes and from what I hear he is an absolute Genius! Almost that of Mr Arp Schnitger.

[Bachlives2]

I agree. Benches were to high and often the pedals were to short to use heel and you can't go as fast! Nor can you add crowns when using the heel so I think toes is the only way to go!

[Bachlives2]

Actually Whitely does use his Heels sometimes. We just don't see it. It just so happens that bench is quite high so he can't use heels here...

[bachkirche]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that about 30% of the pipework in this instrument is from the organ that Bach actually played. Also I have seen pictures of the keydesk of that instrument. It is on display somewhere. I would love to rest my fingers on those keys....

[claviergoren]

Nice pedal solo in the fugue. It's the

hardest part of the piece. Nicely done!!

[gjroest]

After a day of hard work this was what i needed. Well played! Nach dem arbeit war dieser Ausführing eine bemütigung für mich. Sehr gut gespielt!

[thomy753]

Perfect played!!!

[froth2008]

great instrument! perfect played! nice sunglasses :)

[tryagaintodo]

nice glases.

[Tazeruk]

Hey, what a beautiful organ !! Can somebody tell me who is its maker ?? And enventually the stops, if you know... thanks !

[Brandotuomikoski]

I think it is an Arp schnitger or something. look up the New Church in Arnstadt. this is their organ.

[Jitpring]

This is not at Luneburg. It's at the New Church in Arnstadt.

[dissonance666]

Signed!

[antlerose]

Rapa che non sei altro. Lu"nebrug è il nome del preludio e fuga. E' logico, deficiente, che tale chiesa sia ad Arnstadt, ove Bach fu anche organista.

[Funkypotat0]

The pedal introduction sounds far too basic to be Bach's work...Any reason for this?

[ForestChav]

Yes, it was written very early on when he was young, and wanted to show off what he could do.

Immature Bach, in other words.

[paul260478]

You know him so well to tell us all that?

Good advice.

[dissonance666]

Play basic well its also an Art. + its just a pedal solo before great poliphonic mix :P

[ForestChav]

Is that organ only IP?

[Brandotuomikoski]

I thhought that at first, but then I was not paying attention, its 2 manuals n pedal

[ForestChav]

Quite often it's the later parts which are more difficult, BWV 544 walks around a lot, 546 isn't really difficult technically but is quite difficult to keep the prelude under musical control, 547 and 548... Not like the ones with the runs which might be busy but are easy (549 for example).

[ForestChav]

Oh no ignore me, i just saw a 2nd manual.

[pipeorganDUDE]

is this realy the church that bach worked at?

[ForestChav]

He went to school in Luneburg, so presumably.

[MeZZosOpRaNOz]

by the way folks, i am pipeorganDUDE, i have just changed my name to MeZzOsOpRaNoz, as u can see

[JesseMartinez2]

It looks like the mafia is playing the organ:D

[alessiobach]

Magnifico

[wojtas98]

It is the J.S. Bach's Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 531, not completly described.

[ZachariasHildebrandt]

I think the 16 Posaune on this organ sounds like an old vacuum cleaner.

[alra1975]

Well, we cannot complain so much, at least this organ has a good temperament compared to other terrible restorations. Of course some voicing and reproduction of old pipes cannot be as the original ones...

[firebreathone2]

Yes, but it sounds fantastic doesn't it?

[Bachlives2]

It sorta does actually. I like Hildebrandt reeds the best they are so full and rich.

[Bachlives2]

Did you know that Bachs favorite stop on this organ was the 16' Posaune? Bach absolutley used it to deat on hymns and other things that reqired Plenum.

[alra1975]

Does anyone noticed the incredible resemblance in shape, between the hand (with pretty chubby, short fingers) of J.S.Whiteley and the one of J.S,Bach in His famous portraits by E.G.Haussmann (1746-48)?

[alra1975]

Whiteley recordings at Wender, Schnitger, Silbermann and Hildebrandt organs are very good; on the Muller of St.Bavo the performances are really boring, maybe due to the weight of the mechanics and to the sound more in the XIX century dark style than Baroque joyful spirit (Marcussen restoration faults).

[alra1975]

On Beckerath and Beard instruments the performances are ruined by the awful modern organ sound. Let's hope for more true Baroque instruments in the future recordings (Waalse-Kerk Amsterdam and Grote-Kerk Leeuwarden C.Muller organs, more Schnitger, more Silbermann family, Wagner, Hinsz, Riepp, Trost, Gabler, modern copies by J.Ahrend and many more instruments restored to their real original Baroque conditions)

[ZachariasHildebrandt]

Yes, the tuning was a touch too equal and it's known that standard equal tuning causes fast passages to become blurry, especially in such a large space.

[alra1975]

I absolutely agree with You, the temperament and pitch are among the most essentials elements in ancient instruments; I cannot accept those restorations that permit compromises just to make possible to play silly little Romantic music in Baroque instruments. Modern music was written for modern giant monsters and honestly, modern organs and aesthetic are exactly opposite to Baroque and Renaissance, so to why to force a "prince to play music for plebeians?"

[ArpSchnitger]

This is from the two volumes (four DVDs) of the first part of "21st Century Bach", played by John Scott Whiteley, and made by Associated-Rediffusion for the BBC. It's an long project to film all Bach's organ music on authentic instruments. The discs (with true 5.1 surround sound and a decent stereo mixdown) are on sale from Amazon and others. Freiberg, Naumburg, Arnstat, Neuenfelde, the Jakobikirche in Hamburg, Haarlem and Luneberg are all on the discs on sale, much more is to come.

[ZachariasHildebrandt]

I wonder where they'll film the rest. They've still got BWV 538, 544,768,545,566 as large scale works to do as far as i know. The Sei Gegrusset variations should be good as i've heard him perform them elsewhere and they were very well played. I'd like to see them film some on a Trost instrument.

[Johwood]

It's Bach's organ!! :-)

[yakedo]

that must be confuzing playing with your feet as well as your fingers..i'm a pianist and i'm sure that if i had to move my feet arond like that i would be confuzed as hell ^-^

[ZawiahSaki]

And yet this is one of the easiest pedal parts in Bach, belonging to BAch's apprenticeship period, well before he 'found his feet' and gave us such stunning pedalwork as that in the Toccata in F. If you want to really be confused ;) have a look for this Toccata BWV 540. There's at least one video on YouTube

[ZawiahSaki]

In the fugue, for instance, Bach only manages two, weak entries of the pedal and a counterpoint is beyond him; he just punctuates the more competent manual counterpoint with occasional grunts. In this work he certainly fell short of his models; Bohm, Walther, Buxtehude etc. Zoe

[ZachariasHildebrandt]

It's really just an early work with a little experimentation. I think the fugue in G bwv 541 is quite busy in the pedal as is the Prelude and Fugue in D 531.

[Bachlives2]

Yes, I think you mean BWV 532 if you had to chose between this piece and 532 what would it be? What organ would it be played on?

[Bachlives2]

I think Bach had more difficult pedal parts than 540 take an wusserflussen babylon that has double pedal 95% of the time!

---Bachlives2

[ForestChav]

Only in the earlier version (653b). JSB himself recasted that as a single pedal part (653). Aus Tiefer Not from the CUiii is in six parts but again, the pedal writing isn't conceptually difficult, just because it's double pedalling. 540's pedal part is quite easy too, 564 is graded harder by the AB, but even that's not too difficult. You're probably looking at the fugue of 582 to find the most difficult, but that's only exacerbated by the manuals being busy too.

[Bachlives2]

What is BWV 540 and 582? I personally think the hardest art out of bach is the pedal part from the BWV 532

[ZachariasHildebrandt]

Yes but it's not that difficult given the repetitive nature of the theme. Plus the Passacaglia theme comes in which is easy.

[Bachlives2]

Yes. You do have a point. The Pedaliter pieces are probably harder than most of the stuff.

[mllcg]

omg... nice foot work

[ZachariasHildebrandt]

He seems to have an array of different pedalling shoes throughout the series. So long as they're leather soled i suppose it doesn't matter.

[badon20]

I think the keys looks so little, am I seeing this correctly? They look very new also. The pipe organ I play on is old but the keys arent that small. The organ I play on was built in 1867.

[paulbinko]

What compass are the maunuals? It looks like 49 notes and not 61. Oh, wait - I just saw a shot of the entire keyboard - never mind. Amazing pedalwork considering no organ master shoes used here!

[philpeer]

This is GREAT! Where did this video come from? Is the whole thing for sale somewhere?

[spectrum3]

Thank you for sharing this fab video!!!!

[ZachariasHildebrandt]

about 300 years old, although it was ruined a couple of times when musical tastes changed and has recently been completely restored.