Ride of the Valkyries at St. John the Divine

[2394040]

I don't know if this is mentioned anywhere, but the record jacket mentioned that Newman had some help playing this. One fellow actually crawled inside the console to play (if I remember correctly) some of the pedal passages--by hand!. A couple of others pulled stops and turned pages (not all that unusual). But the guy inside the console---what a trip!

[RailRoadWorker18]

where is this church located? Also I LOVE THIS MUSIC!

[fml1953]

Before

[kiqw]

Just curious...was this before the fire or after?

[banmen0w]

Too fast but nice.

[Offshoreorganbuilder]

Amazing - the brassy effects of the reed(s) is unreal. Many thanks.

[xenigirl]

Hojotoho!

[godzilloid]

the audience is now deaf

[flybear23]

Just a wonderful piece of music to be played on an outstanding instrument!

[An0niempje]

One of the greatest pieces of music (though i like the original better) played on the most powerful organ in the world? Pure awesomeness.

[redleg56]

kill the wabbit!  Kill the wabbitt!

[cnmmnc8852]

Do you know there were 5 people manhandling at the console during this recording? Mr. Newman wasn't doing it all himself.

[DBGOGIRL]

At first I thought this piece was rushed ...No, I love it!! I give you an A+ USA

[phonofaninfl]

I would love to SEE this played . Since it takes about SIX people at the concole,as per Anthony Newman.

[oron1977]

Oh my god, frigging awesome. I want to conquer Poland right now (spasmic shudder)!!! Well, just kidding with the POland conquereror fantasies!

[picardkid]

What stop is used for the melody at 0:30?

[dw154515]

@picardkid The State Trumpet I'm guessing.

[picardkid]

@dw154515 That seems low for something called State Trumpet. I'm just now getting into organs, I want to try to build a small one next summer. I thought State Trumpet was, you know, higher-pitched.

[dw154515]

@picardkid check out the video of the rededication service at Saint John here on YouTube the intro is all state trumpet.

[bhigdaddymark]

@picardkid I'm beginning to wonder if this recording is authentic as I had the Anthony Newman disc years ago, and I don't quite remember it sounding like this. I've played Opus 150A more times than I can count, and the State Trumpet plays a full second SLOWER than the rest of the organ and if you listen to this, the high pressure reed is playing at the same speed as the pedal which isn't possible, and it sounds NOTHING like the State Trumpet. Checkout my video "Improvisation on Duke Street" >>>>

[bhigdaddymark]

@picardkid which I recorded on Opus 150A (Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine) in 1998. I purposely coupled the State Trumpet with Solo Tuba Major just so that one could hear the delay. Also, in this recording, the acoustic of St. John the Divine isn't apparent until the end, another impossibility (listen to my video) as that room has 8 seconds of reverberation. So how could it sound 'dry' until the end? The claim that this was recorded on Opus 150A in St. JTD is just that, a claim.

[DCN1234567]

@bhigdaddymark I'm no expert on sound recording, but they may have had the microphones set up in the middle of the cathedral so that the sound from the main organ and the state trumpet would meet them at the same time. To minimize reverberation, they may have used directional mics that do not capture sound bouncing off the walls. I have a CD of Michael Murray playing the Purcell Trumpet tune at St. Johns, usig the state trumpet, and there was no delay. Great point, I wondered the same!

[godzilloid]

Now that's Wagner! Rattle the windows and shake the doors!!!

[cpaulw]

This is the best remake I've heard of this recording; one of my all time favories! Thank you!

[redletterchurch]

They should have used this version in 'Apocalypse Now'! They wouldn't have had to fire a shot! Those trompettes are amazing!

[Jacobre156]

Some rhythmic errors in the melody perhaps due to the speed, but nevertheless a very good recording. Much better than what I could do on my own!

[redletterchurch]

I love the Trompettes and the Zoroastrian Jesus flying over St. John the Divine!

[musicaorganum]

This is what one would call an ''edge of your seat performance.'' Anthony Newman keeps this piece exciting from the very first note to the very last note. Though some may think it is a little fast, it is crisp, clear, and steady. He manages to do what a lot of other organist cannot do in that particular room on that particular instrument. So please, let us give credit where credit is do. Bravo, Mr. Newman! Bravo!

[dw154515]

I love this!! All I can do is sing "Kill the wabit, kill the wabit, kill the waaaabit, kill the wabiiiiiit!" This is awesome!

[Angayasse]

ABSOLUTELY stunning!

[musicaorganum]

This is an exciting performance by far! I am sure Wagner himself would love it!

[messerg]

ellamadonna!!!!!

[MrAlex413x]

is the state trumpets being used here at all ??

[stephen12470]

@MrAlex413x  The State Trumpet is all over the pedal line.

[Matiasek]

Maybe it was fast, but I think It sounds better, thanks to that. If that would be a bit louder, that would be masterpiece. Sounds better than when its too slow, or simply slow.

[Darkpaint84]

i agree. i mean, its the ride of the valkyries, not the walk of the valkyries.

[ADNovaDivine]

The organ kicks ass when playing the ride of the valkyries!!!!

[TheodenThengling]

I have this LP. I had to ream out the hole in the record so it would center properly and minimize pitch distortion. There are all kinds of editing splices in the master, and Newman omits all those Wagnerian dotted sixteenths! In spite of all these faults, it's still fun to listen to.

[MoomiaMenazes]

These great 32' bombardes...the faster, the louder THE BETTER, this is NOT a romantic opus, c'mon, people is the end of the World!

[McKuarro]

Yeah! and this is NOT a pony ride, this is THE KING of Instruments..!!!!

[plojr19]

What an Organ!

[organman52]

Delusion.

[Contrubas]

Way too fast! Does not describe what it's intended to do!

[Contrafidelis]

As I stated before ... It is played too fast.

[mlevitt]

Too fast, mechanical, and not clean.

[Wagerfilm]

Anthony Newman is not a particularly nice person, but a fine performer; and that's what counts. I really enjoyed that.

[Wagerfilm]

I listened again. You made a strong point about rat race, and someone else did about cleanliness. That's a tough organ to master. I think I simply admire having Newman's having learned the transcription.

[sgirrel]

absoultely AWESOME - I have been searching for this recording for YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much for posting it!

[organman52]

As with everything this man plays, it's too fast.

[cgabis04]

I feel like I'm having a seizure whenever I listen to one of his recordings.

[organman52]

Yes. I feel spastic as well.

[tubamagna64]

Thank you for posting this Newman´s organ version.

[advisorC101]

Thank you for sharing this one! I absolutely love it!

[jonnysimple]

I, too, have the original LP and cannot imagine a better performance. If anyone knows of this remastered on CD, please point us to it. Can't find anything on Google.

[specialkvi]

Actually, I still have the vinyl Organ Orgy LP. I was surprised that it was never made into a CD (unless I am wrong).

[dwarrren9]

this peace sounds better faster on the organ, i think most organ pieces sound better when they are played faster.

[007vauxhall]

Pure Passion...Perfect Perfomance. Thank You.

[Contrafidelis]

Great performance but played WAY too fast. Wagner would not be happy.

[lustful2]

Despite the bitchy comments on this posting ths is a first rate performance . Anthony Newman certainly injects passion into his playing. I simply adored those fanfare reeds !

[salzano2008]

semplicemente fantastico!

[dininginfrance]

I'll always count myself fortunate to have watched Anthony Newman perform this piece live on the recital hall organ at SUNY Purchase. Dazzling doesn't even begin to describe the experience!

[steff2929]

Most organ transcriptions and performances of this piece lacks the tempo and rythmic articulation that Anthony Newman creates. I have heard quite a few recordings of it, but no one that even closely match this amazing performance. I wasn't old enough to buy anything when this LP was released, so a re-issue would be most welcome. If the other tracks are just as good as this one, it must be a true gem in any record collection.

[virginiaorganbuilder]

I'm curious why you don't give Anthony Newman credit as the performer, even though it's clear to all of us that this is from the 'Organ Orgy' recording.

[moller11739]

Sorry, I haven't given it much thought since I was told. It's updated now, thanks.

[DWSMITHA]

I bought this album when it was first pressed in '74, and it has received much play in my home over the past 34 yrs. I have never found another organist who gives this grand work such a rich and joyous presentation as Mr. Newman. I wish he would impress upon his music publisher to re-release it on CD..It would once again rise to the top as it did in original release! Bravo, Mr. Newman. I hope to hear you again in January in Los Angeles.

[a55b47]

I bought this Anthony Newman album many years ago with great anticipation. Newman was really hot stuff back in the 70's. But the recording was so closely mic'd that I stopped listening about halfway through. There's just no sense of the majesty of the room this instrument is playing in. The world's largest cathedral sounds like my living room. But thanks for posting. Even muffled St. John the D is better than most organs properly recorded.

[ARFRC1]

Very impressive. From what I have heard, whomever the organist was that performed this, must have practiced this piece quite a lot, because it sounds just like the original score for orchestra.

Top Notch!! On behalf of the American Guild of Organists, Thanks for the post.

[organcomposer]

Very nice nut may be very hard to play.

[TikhonJohannovich]

moller11739,

How wonderful that you post vids with the glorious tracks from Anthony Newman's *Organ Orgy*. I hope that you will post all the tracks. I am so pissed that Sony doesn't produce a CD of the old Columbia recording with all these tracks.

OOORAAAH!!!

[moller11739]

Thanks for letting me know who this was, parts of the label and jacket were quite unreadable.

[TikhonJohannovich]

If you need all the title tracks let me know.

Cheers!