Salamanca (Guy Bovet)

Ian Ball plays Salamanca, from Three Hamburg Preludes, by Swiss organist/composer, Guy Bovet. Live concert recording on the Gabriel Kney organ of Christ Church, Charlotte, NC, USA.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Ian
• Ball
• organ
• orgel
• orgue
• Bovet
• Salamanca
• Charlotte

[SimonPrestonOrganist]

Is a correct interpretation. He plays what Bovet put in the score. But it is very cold, no feeling, The organist have not found the character of the music. Lack melancholy in the opening melody, and a slow tempo. I think it's necessary to listen and study Spanish organ music to understand this music in the background. Anyway, congratulations!

[chamade16]

@SimonPrestonOrganist Thanks. Fair comment too - but I didn't see it as an 'expressive' piece in that way. To me, it was a joke (in the best sense), and that's how I played it then. Besides, the 'pipe & drum' opening would be spoiled by too much pulling around (tho I do play it a little more flexibly these days) and would be tricky to achieve with those awkward minor 9th leaps onto the crush notes (I have small hands!). Rhythmic energy is more important, I think. But thanks for listening!

[zippylad77]

Brilliant!! Just one question: how did he get the drum effect at the beginning? Does the organ come equipped with a percussion stop, or was someone helping?

[chamade16]

@zippylad77 Thank you! It's marked in the score: a note cluster on a quiet 8-foot flute near the bottom of the keyboard. On a neo-baroque organ it sounds very percussive.

[Elhombresombra]

Very good performance! In my opinion, the best together with Gillian Weir's, and superior to the CD performance of the very Guy Bovet. And now you've got to post "Hambourg"...

[chamade16]

@Elhombresombra I'm flattered! Thank you very much for listening and taking the time to comment. Hambourg next, perhaps...

[Elhombresombra]

@chamade16 ...I'm eager to listen to it... ;-)

[chamade16]

@ianwfirestone Thank you! The recording is nearly 20 years old and was done on cassette tape so it didn't really capture the lovely hollow drum effect I was able to get in Charlotte.

[ianwfirestone]

I heard Bovet perform this on March 26, 1987 in Tennessee. He managed to get a very audible, percussive sound out of the "drumming" at the beginning. Otherwise Mr. Ball very well reflects his performance.