BACH Fugue in G Major (The Jig) BWV 577

My 1996 performance on homebuilt electronic organ. Despite limitations of the recording equipment, low budget & organ balance calibrations at the time, this was a highly acclaimed performance topping the classical charts for a long time on the former mp3.com before that site tanked from the piracy lawsuits.

It's on my 'Pipe Organ Story' CD here:
http://www.MuSeeks.com/ArthurSulit

This recording has often been mistaken or compared with that of E. Power Biggs (on the Harvard Flentrop Organ). Obviously influenced. His blows away Virgil Fox's, in capturing the Heavenly Essence, IMHO.

The CD made the Year-In-Review Top 20 all-time on mp3.com in 1999 (in sales and listens). Mp3.com was the only site paying Artists per click, (youTube doesn't), and was the first time that independent classical artists could actually pay rent and food based on merit rather than on what Label you were on. This helps the Economy, because the more genuine artists can then focus on their craft rather than give it up to wear an employee badge. More people would be inspired, less cynical, more constructive and so on.

Unfortunately, mp3.com's revenue base got demolished when Napster, Kazaa etc. popped up, and everyone flocked from legit sites to piracy sites, like moo-ing cows. (Say "mooo!"). Little piglet kids were pirating left and right with full parental approval (Say "Oink Oink!"). Those parents should be sued, and should lose their car and house like I nearly did.

Even people earning a good living, who could easily afford CD's just like food, preferred to go to Piracy sites. The Cow-people left the legit sites to rot in the dust, which in turn destroyed many classical Artists' living.

Thus ended a unique chapter in history. The first time that Beethoven's wishes for an Agency where composers could just turn in their works, and have it paid for based on quality rather than having to spend 90% of one's time sucking up to Patrons, came and went. The moo-moo pirates, many of them church-goers, still want everything for free, thinking no harm was done. What they don't realize is the Social Sin which begets more sins, causing damage not just to the composers, but to the world which is now denied the opportunity to hear more great, godly stuff. Do any of them repent? Most haven't a clue. Their little devil-ly horns, they just shrug their shoulders and say, "Whatever".

Pirates don't realize what they're doing when they file-share once, they do it as a huge group, destroying otherwise great artists. So if you look around you, the news, the world blows up, because everyone wants to steal. Nehemiah 12-13

For those of you who still pirate but want "world peace", after all the warnings about your own complicity in damaging entire economies, take a look at yourself. You're part of the cause, not the solution.

Heavenly music like Bach is designed to help people pray, and become better persons. But if you deny that music to people, by destroying the wages of the better artists, then people instead turn to empty music.

So think twice, before pirating again. The relation between tithing for great music (Nehemiah 12-13) and church attendance is real, because it is great music which draws people away from the noise of the world, to reflect upon that Other world. That's what this music says.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bach
• Fugue
• G-Major
• Jig
• Fuga
• God
• Baroque
• Pipe
• Organ
• Arthur
• Sulit
• BWV577
• Irish
• Dance
• German
• Shawn
• Fanning
• Napster
• Piracy

[arthursulit]

too bad, Lustrum0005 is a wannabe Stalin.

[ARFRC1]

On behalf of The American Guild of Organists, thank you for this post.

As a Regional Councillor and son to a former National President and National Councillor, I say keep up the good work.

Some viewers should understand, that many great organists started with Nothing and had to play music on whatever they could, then when they became known and received financial gifts, then they moved up or upgraded.

I started in a church that had only 100 members, now I play for thousands.

[arthursulit]

Thanks for visiting! If you're in Charlotte, NC, then for sure it's easier to build an organist career there, as it's still east coast conservative.  (I've been there).

If you're Protestant or Presbyterian, then it's easier too.

But if try being Catholic in Liberal California, then forget about finding any parish that will pay, or treat us above a Janitor, except at a Cathedral. They Pirate, & want everything for free here.

Also, of Composers? No Great Ones fur 300 yrs? Cuz No1 pays

[ARoyalLyon]

A nice performance of one of the most uplifting songs in human history, and all we have are people bickering about Jesus? Come on, folks.

Hooray for Bach!

[Biff947]

I tend to call this the "stupid walk dance song" for I jump around like an idiot when ever I hear it...

[robertgift]

Sony SUCKS. Try listening to Biggs' "Jig" fugue. you get: This video contains content from SME. It is not available in your country.

It was recorded in the USA.

[ccoraxfan]

@arthursulit I have no say over who likes me. And I don't recognize "Didn't Proverbs say..." followed by vague notions. If you wish to quote Proverbs, then quote it!

[arthursulit]

@ccoraxfan looks like Lustrum0005 likes u, but more than a few of his commentators say he's psycho. If like attracts like, not good for u, who claims to have the monopoly on "true" chreeestians. Didn't Proverbs say something about fools being unable to heed telltale signs?

[arthursulit]

@ccoraxfan looks like Lustrum0005 likes u, but more than a few of his commentators say he's psycho. If like attracts like, not good for u, who claims to have the monopoly on "true" chreeestians. Didn't Proverbs say something about fools being unable to heed telltale signs?

[Lustrum0005]

@ccoraxfan Amen!... Popes burn in hell... lets toss religion in hell as well while we at it..

[tja2729]

Yes I agree if it's not a dithered-with Biggs recording then you are truly a gifted organist.

[robertgift]

Wonderful performance!

Why not continue the mordents, grace notes and trills throughout?

I do. It is difficult but worth it. It is like flat beer with them omitted.

The E. Power Biggs recording on the D.A. Flenthrop organ is the best I have ever heard of BWV 577. Could only be better if Biggs played all the ornaments, even in the pedal.

Wish Helmut Walcha had recorded it. Some believe this is not Bach.

Who else could have written this magnificent work?

[Aphidboy]

A Royal Lyon, your comments are exactly right.

This is a nicely textured performance of a great piece of music that has wrung me out for forty some years, since my old Mom bought me my first E. Power Biggs album. Hooray for Bach, you bet. And hooray for people who take time to listen to and learn his music.