concerts

I have decided to start going to concerts which come around my way. Now i don't know much about who is good and who to avoid, eg i don't want to go lets say to a Bach concert and come out disappointed, and thinking 'well it was better on the cd' just because the composer thinks he knows better than Bach himself. Any help would be Appreciated.

GAZZ

 

Well, if you are very attached to a certain version, this will certainly happen. I mean, you have built a mental template of the work based on the recording, so you are probably going to be disapointed about the way they play.

Also, when in concert, you can't correct a mistake (in the studio you do it all the time); so you might expect a few wrong notes.

But, there is another factor to bear in mind. The experience of a concert is so different from the one one derives from a record that you will probably just love it.

Of course, the sound will be better - well, not better, reallly, it will be real sound and not opaque and noisy hifi stuff.

Perhaps you could try to go to concerts often, not limiting yourself to a particular repertoire. This will certainly broaden your appreciation of music.

But the main thing is: the experience of a concert is as much different from the home listening as real life is from movies.

 

I have found my first one i'd like to go to and it's free. Chester Cathedral's organist (who i have been told by other people is very good) is playing on tues 2nd december at 11.10, if anyone is intrested

GAZZ

 

Please tell us about your opinion. I am most interested. Have a nice organ recital!

 

btw RdS, which is the organ in your avatar? Not that I know much about them but my dad used to play a lot and on a number of organs that didn't have an electric air pump so guess who was roped in to do the pumping.....

Michael.

 

RdS
I am sponsoring in our town an organ concert. The organist will come to stay at my place and I will pay all his expenses. We have a problem: we are missing a person who can turn the pages and help him with the registration when he is playing: I thought of you :lol:

 

I hate doing it. It is not as simple as it seems, and usually one must know the organist very well, and his reading pattern. The registration is easier.

But you are sponsoring an organist from Lisbon to play in Switzerland? Is that it? Or someone who is coming from elsewhere and is playing in Lisbon. In that case, why stay so far away??

Or are you just kidding

 

RdS
I am not kidding. There is a series of 4 concerts in June here and for one of the concerts I invited this organist:
http://www.orgel-musik.de

I knew you wouldn't like such a job that's why I was thinking about you.

 

The organ in my avatar is a very famous one: it is the great Christian Müller at St Bavo, Haarlem, in Holland. It is almost unchanged since its conception (in the early 18th Century) and is one of the most complete baroque instruments in existence. It also happens the case is one of the most beautifil and impressive.



This is a (rather bad) photo of the organ.

Another one:

None of these photos really give the real impression. It is big, imposing and stands as God in that church. Actually, my avatar is better (it is a drawing made by an Englishman who travelled through Europe in order to draw the cases of famous organs (Hill, I think he was called, but I don't remember his first name).

Concerning your early activities with the organ I actually envy you. With big organs the effort it considerable, but then you were near organs from your early youth. Did your father ever suggest that you reverse roles? That would have been a magic experience for me!

 

One of the links didin't function. Here is some background on the instrument:

http://www.organfestival.nl/de/organ/history.html

I'll dig out more, if you are interested. Or do a google search with "Christian Müller" Haarlem; that will get you a lot of information.

 

Good thing. I never heard him, but he may be willing to explain to you every point in organ technique. Don't expect him to be a hi-fi expert, though. Musicians really don't like systems - well, he may warm to yours.

Congratulations. You're doing a very worthy deed.

 

Read out of context that could be taken quite the wrong way

I've only rarely played organs, usually when spending Christmas at my aunt and uncle's house in the North of Germany (the North Friesian island of Nordstrand) where all the German side of my family live. My uncle was a pastor so it was obligatory to go to every church service and I was often roped in to turn the pages for the organist (in this case one of my cousins). In Germany, many churches have brass bands aswell as an organ and on more than a few occasions my cousin would have to run around to the other side of the church to grab her trumpet for the next hymn leaving me to play the organ part by sight-reading

However, my instrument is really the piano and, as I'm sure you know, playing one is only of limited help in being able to play the other.

Michael.

 

It was briliant. I do not know what he was playing but the effect and the entertainment value, Well all i can say is i was blown away.
I have never heard anything like it.
I will certainly be going again.

GAZZ