Gigout Grand Choeur Dialogué @ Washington National Cathedral Pipe Organ

Grand Choeur Dialogué, recorded in 1976, just after this magnificent instrument was enlarged to its present 189 ranks. Paul Callaway was organist/choirmaster at the cathedral from 1939 to 1976.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Grand
• Choeur
• Dialogué
• National
• Cathedral
• Washington
• pipe
• organ
• orgue
• orgel
• organo
• Gigout
• classical
• Paul
• Callaway

[Owdfolkie]

It's just a noise... he seems to have no feel for the acoustics of the building, just showing how fast he can play it... I quite agree that the St. Ouen recording is about the best I've heard - assisted by those glorious Cavaillé-Coll reeds!

[a55b47]

@Owdfolkie Well, I expect the thousands of folks who heard Dr. Callaway's playing over the years would be surprised at an assertion that he didn't have a feel for the acoustics -- given that he practically built the place.

[buzzbaybear]

I oppose replacing organs in response to every fashion trend in organ building. Organs are bought with great sacrifice from many parishioners-to discard them is irreverent, wasteful and downright sinful. But the A/S chests are mostly gone from this organ. I believe Dobson is fully up to the daunting task of creating a successful instrument for this monumental church.  I saw several Dobsons on the Philadelphia AIO Convention and they are fabulous, exciting and beautifully crafted instruments.

[mortondavid]

Paul Callaway was a musician of the highest order in every respect. Those of you panning his playing need to get off your self-important high horses and go back to playing your pump organs, that's where you belong.

[Owdfolkie]

@a55b47 Speaking as an organist, a sound recording engineer and a broadcast engineer, I stand by my remarks which are based purely on what I can hear in the recording - which is a dreadful mush.

Given what you have said, his lack of sympathy with the piece, the acoustics and the instrument is even more surprising.

Surely you know that you must slow down the performance in a building with a long reverberation decay...?

[tibia8foot]

Way to Fast.... Wow!

[organpipe94]

it's too fast! this piece is an majestetic piece from the french romantic with reeds! and not that what this organist made...

[geuros]

@34045 You're damnly wrong. I'am 1000% sure that this is Gigout Grand choeur dialogué. And I think it's damnly fast. Watch this on St-Ouen organ, here you can listen it in the right tempo.

[geuros]

@a55b47 Mozart had an opinion ;-) For example I play piano, organ and I ring the tower bells and for me organ is on the same level as the bell, but both below piano which is my favorite. But I still think, that organ is the King of Instruments. Although Mozart hadn't composed many organ pieces, he was right. But, if you wanna know some objective opinions, ask mr Bach. He's the King.

[jockboy69]

@a55b47 They all have severe financial problems, and that is because there is not one iota of religion left in these places. Magnificent structures, built 700 years ago, or 100 years ago, but empty people, clergy presiding over a dead corpse. They can rebuild the organs, the naves, etc., but the organization is in its death throes! Too bad, actually, because I love the institution I once knew. It doesn't exist anymore. A shadow of its former self, never to be recovered!

[MegaDani141]

WHAT AN POWER at he begin ^^

[jbosco08]

@34045

It's Gigout Grande Choeur Dialogue. The starting theme is usually played on a Tuba Mirabillis/Tuba Magna (or the reed that can solo out above the rest of the organ).