ST-SULPICE IN PARIS: XAVER VARNUS PLAYS FRANCK ON THE GREAT CAVAILLE-COLL ORGAN 2/2

[Fervorum]

0:12 What a scene! Is it night, day, a dream or a nightmare?

[searchfgold6789]

I do hope that that organ has something to help the couplers.

[accousticdecay]

Stunning performance. It's played in a church, and correctly so, for I feel the very presence of God Almighty.

[gerardbedecarter]

Exquisite performance. Extremely expressive.

[clamanus]

Cesar Franck had acromegaly which means he had unnatural big hands and feets. The reason is too much hormon from thyroid. It is sometimes very difficult to play his music (to catch intervals for ex. duodecima) because Franck could manage such distans in organ.

Besides, very good performance :))))

[miauw777]

Is that mrs cauchefer choplin at his side?

[tjugofyra]

Yes

[okamilune]

i have always heard that Franck was a much more strict executionist than this. But i do enjoy this organists skill.

[gerardbedecarter]

@okamilune ... Franck played his own organ works very freely.

[okamilune]

@gerardbedecarter you know, man. I wrote that so long ago I am not even sure what I meant by it...

[christianvs1]

O my Lord!!! What a human performance! The deep silence of the prelude overflows into the variations... the passion and emotion of the variations speak of a performer with a tremendous heart and soul; a man who has something special to communicate! Bravissimo brother organist!!

[organman52]

His tempo for the Variation is a good deal faster than the opening Prelude, but then, the excessive rubato/distortion resumes, as in the Prelude. The fugue sounded good, though.

[waihoong11]

So deep, so dark yet beautiful..The best interpretation I've ever heard.

[tjugofyra]

Cesar Franck was a genious. He´s music is very serious works of art. I think that Mr. Varnus delivers the sensitivity and seriosity that atleast I associate with Cesar Franck.

Very beautiful!

[joeyboi87]

I most certainly agree, there is not one piece of Franck that fails to impress me, the Prelude Fugue and Variations is just superb to play and at the moment Im actually doing the Choral in E Major

[skyler6290]

Exquisitely, beautifully played here - - ah, could listen to this over and over again. Marvelous!

[jasonc001]

Lovely. Lovely. Lovely.

[tjugofyra]

You can see some of the stops at 5.00, and one of them has nothing on it. (3 from left)

What is that stop used for?

[marsvltor2]

Looks like a typical 'Prepared For'!! Cavaille probably planned something, but it was not utilised - after the console had been completed, leaving an unused stop knob...

[md95065]

I believe that is the stop knob for the "Machine à grêle" which imitates the sound of a rain or hail storm.

[keraulophone]

It is indeed the "Machine à grêle" of the "Rècit Expressif". This accessory and the "Rossignol", which imitates a nightingale, were added to the organ in the 19th century when Léfebure-Wély was organist at St-Sulpice. They were removed when Widor was organist, but replaced in 1994, which explanes why there's nothing written on the stop knob. You can see the "Violonbasse" and the "Quintaton" of the "Positif", both 16', on the left and the "Clairon 4'" of the "Récit" on the right.

[petrof4056]

You are a great organist!

[ronanmurray]

Stunning!

[organimagister]

Dear Xaver, you're a real Organist. Congratulations...

[bastiegast]

Beautiful!

I love this piece, but I just couldn't find a good performance of it. Now I found one, but where's the first part?

[johannuscro]

Wonderful playing on wonderful organ!

[MonsieurOrgue]

The tempo in the prelude was slower than I have heard it previously, but I agree it was a sensitive and highly expressive performance. Tres Bien!

[IDFAFrans]

Nice perormance.

Sensitively played,...perhaps at the odd point a bit too much, but at least something's happening.

You wouldn't believe how many people only play a bunch of notes.

The Variation should have the same tempo as the prelude though.

[IDFAFrans]

Nice perormance.

Sensitively played,...perhaps at the odd point a bit too much, but at least something's happening.

You wouldn't believe how many people only play a bunch of notes.

The Variation should have the same tempo as the prelude though.

[giorgio9700]

GRANDE FAVOLOSO GRAZIE!!!

[agefreerk]

Wonderful performance! Thank you.