VIRGIL FOX Finale from the Sixth Symphony (Vierne)

"Heavy Organ" (as defined by Virgil Fox) -
The reasons why Virgil Fox
turned the organ music inside out in the USA.

How does this add up? The organ music
on this compact disk is ahead of its time by
years,yet it is a recording which may well
be called historical. A name explains the
seemingly incompatible difference: Virgil Fox.

Fox was born in 1912 and died on
October 25, 1980, after having suffered
from cancer for many years. In his time
Fox belonged to the pioneers and innovators
among the classical musicians in the
USA. It was not only in his interpretations
of organ literature, explored throughout
centuries of performing pratice, that Fox
liked to do new things, for he also was very
open-minded in all respects of technical
development. Virgil Fox turned the organ
music inside out in the USA.

This did not always bring him praise and
recognition. He violated many a rule of
the music world and so it happened that
he sometimes had too oppose the prejudice
that he was, above all, a man of the show
business who for the sake of brilliant
effects would falsify sublime cultural
possessions.

Category:

Music

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• Finale
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• Sixth
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• Virgil
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• organisti
• USA
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• organists

[TheCinemasound]

@ 64ftContraBombarde and ihadaralf. Way over rated just an awful noise

[mountainsong100]

All you negative critics couldn't hold a candle to this man. Further more, you probably couldn't begin to play some of these pieces but you all have comments. Just a bunch of silly, uneducated snobs who probably wouldn't know a B flat from a fart in the Lincoln Tunnel..

[64ftContraBombarde]

Why does everything he plays sound bad? If this was anybody else they wouldn't stand a chance. Numerous inaccuracies, far too numerous to warrant the praise he gets...

[eameece]

This piece is natural for Fox, with all the razzamutazz Vierne put into it.

[Diapasonic]

@ihadaralf You seem to take exception to this performance. The tempo is as marked by Vierne, all notes are clearly heard. There are a few ritardandos here & there, but what is so terrible about the playing?

Virgil Fox was a pupil of Vierne as well.

[Diapason16ft]

The original Garden Grove Ruffatti! So nice to hear it again. I think it had much more character before it was absorbed into the Hazel Wright Monster-ial Organ.

[ihadaralf]

He may well have popularized the organ but everything he touches always sounds like a caricature of the original. Buy it high, sell it cheap-that's Virgil Fox. This 'interpretation' of one of the most stunning creations for the instrument is quite frankly, ghastly; almost to the level of his Durufle toccata.