Choral III César Franck - 1st part

Recital by Etienne Walhain in Saint Eustache, June 2006

Category:

Music

Tags:

• organ
• orgue
• orgel
• saint
• eustache
• paris
• etienne
• walhain
• étienne
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• den
• heuvel

[organman52]

He does what many organists do at the beginning - too much stretching of the tempo. Why can't it be played AS IT IS WRITTEN - even sixteenth notes. The same kind of distortion is often heard in the first measure of Piece Heroique et Cantabile. JUST PLAY THE MUSIC.

[organman52]

Worse yet, he doesn't observe the silences with fermatas. He reenters early. Not a good sign.

[Shenandoah58]

So many comments on here are too harsh. TOO HARSH!

[flute1234]

Where is your youtube video on you playing the organ?

[daviddifiore]

@organman52 me too..thanks for the heated exchange..I love those too :)

[organman52]

@daviddifiore Never heard that one. Love it.

[daviddifiore]

@organman52 ps..was it Jeanne Demessieux who said " a performer has her

rights"...I love that one...d

[daviddifiore]

@organman52 well..this is quite an exchange..I have a feeling we may agree about many things... I don't believe in slavishly following traditions but I do think they need to be considered...but I also think like you, that the music does teach..well my friend, if I got you thinking and you discovered something else that's great..after all we all learn from each other..best to you  d

[daviddifiore]

@organman52

O dear... I do get it and I don't agree with you....I like Mme Alain as well but she plays the opening of the a-minor Chorale not unlike what you have blasted as revolting..as do several other well known French organists including Daniel Roth..as none of us have heard Franck play I don't think you can assert that he would be revolted unless perhaps you have a ouija board..the fact that "you don't care" belies a very narrow point of view...cheers d

[organman52]

@daviddifiore ps - it is you that I am grateful for. - just today I was listening to the Franck and noticed something that I had never seen before - in the 40 years that I know the piece. It is a wonderful thematic connection and I am surprised I didn't see it before. So thank you.

[organman52]

@daviddifiore And furthermore, I am not interested in traditions. They are questionable. to begin with. And who established them? Did Franck tell the people of 1890 anything about his music? Did he care what others thought? Did organists say 'let me get my hands on that' and ravage it with their own ideas. Or is this something that just happened to happen in the last several decades? Better than traditions - the ability to understand the printed music ON ONE'S OWN.

[organman52]

@daviddifiore Don't you get it? I am simply not interested in what others 'do' with the music. Of course I totally respect Mlle. Alain and love her musicianship. I wish to repeat something I noted earlier - are we not to believe that Franck had a specific approach in mind? Were there a gazillion organists running around in 1890 trying to outdo each other and poisoning the canvas with jealousy and suspicion? I think Franck would be revolted by some of the things we hear 'done' to his great music.