JBirdAV8r From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 4459 posts, RR: 22 Posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 6060 times:
Well, I've been amazed before that A.netters seem to share a lot of common interests outside of aviation. So I'll share one of mine...the King of Instruments, the organ.
I like them in all flavors--though no one built them like the French, notably Aristide Cavaille-Coll, the genius behind some of the most famous pipe organs in the world. I'm a huge fan of the French school of organ; Charles-Marie Widor is my favorite organist of all time, having composed some of the most brilliant works ever written for the organ. I like to shake the rafters when I play, and Widor on the right organ sounds like Jesus is going to descend from the altar and smack you in the head with a Bible. Perhaps unsuprisingly my favorite church organ is the grand Cavaille-Coll of St. Sulpice in Paris.
The original console is a work of art and its action really a master of engineering:
It's a sad, sad shame Notre-Dame didn't similarly keep their console. Some say as they've updated it, the Cavaille-Coll at Notre-Dame has lost its character. I would tend to agree.
A very, very close second (almost a toss-up really) would have to be the Cavaille-Coll of St. Ouen in Rouen, France, which has probably the most (in)famous 32' Contrebombarde ever installed.
Interesting aside, my neighbor's company built the largest drawknob console in the world for the US Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis.
I'm also a fan of the great theatre organs. The capabilities of some of them are amazing (drum/cymbal sets, pianos, and other assorted "toys"), and the consoles are a perfect reflection of the 1920s-30s style--but I'm really afraid they're dying out. I've heard the Radio City Wurlitzer (the largest original Mighty Wurlitzer) is in sad shape and I wonder how much desire there is to keep these things going. The famous Organ Stop Pizza in Arizona seems to be doing well enough, and I'm glad to see that Macy's has continued the tradition of the Wanamaker organ in their store in Philadelphia (although I guess that's more of a "concert" organ) and keeps it in good shape.
So is there anyone out there crazy enough to have the same interest?
planeguy727 From United States of America, joined Mar 2007, 1067 posts, RR: 1 Reply 1, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 6032 times:
Not to hijack your thread, but I wonder how many people will click on it thinking of something completely different?
The world of A.nutters and our other hobbies is actually quite fascinating. I learned a bit just from reading your post. Thanks!
vikkyvik From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 8226 posts, RR: 28 Reply 2, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 6011 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW PHOTO SCREENER
I don't know much about organs, nor do I have a particular interest in them, even though I am a musician.
But there's not a whole lot that can beat sitting at any nice church with a real pipe organ, and experiencing the beauty of that sound.
Ahhh....
Quoting planeguy727 (Reply 1): Not to hijack your thread, but I wonder how many people will click on it thinking of something completely different?
Perhaps exactly as he intended?
"Two and a Half Men" was filmed in front of a live ostrich.
CPH-R From Denmark, joined May 2001, 5746 posts, RR: 4 Reply 3, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 5999 times:
Even though classic music is not really my taste (except for the Vienna New Year's Concert, and that's merely out of tradition), I can't help stop and listen to a good organ player.
Superfly From Thailand, joined May 2000, 38512 posts, RR: 80 Reply 4, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 5990 times:
Do you like Dick Hyman too?
Count me in as a huge organ lover!
The pipe organ is an incredible instrument and no digital synthesizer to could ever duplicate the sound of a pipe organ.
I like organ in rock, jazz and r&b music. Particularly the Hammond B3.
Bands such as Boston, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep, The Doors and many other bands of the 1960s & 1970s used lots of organ.
Dick Hyman is my favorite organ/keyboard player.
You should hear Dick Hyman do The Girl From Ipanema with his organ.
Dick Hyman also did Eleanor Rigby with his organ.
Other great organ players are:
Dennis DeYoung (Styx)
Joe Vannelli (Gino Vannelli)
Sergio Mendes Brasil '66
Greg Rolie (Journey and Santana)
Larry Dunn (Earth Wind & Fire)
Robert Lamm (Chicago)
Michael McDonald (Doobie Brothers)
Steve Walsh (Kansas)
TWFirst From Vatican City, joined Apr 2000, 6346 posts, RR: 53 Reply 5, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 5980 times:
No way! Can't believe there's another organ enthusiast on here.... ok, I suppose I can.
Anyhoo, my older brother studied with Wilma Jensen and is a professional organist at a major cathedral, so I was influenced at a young age.
Also love the great French romantics... especially Widor and Franck.
What do you think of Casavant instruments?
My favorite piece of all time is Jongen's Symphonie Concertante as performed by the San Francisco Symphony with Michael Murray on the Ruffatti at Davies. I know Ruffattis don't have the best reputation, but I love how that instrument sounds in that recording. I don't think it's been maintained that well over the years though.
Although I love the French composers and instruments, I also love more aggressive, brash, reedy Germanic instruments as well. As a side gig, I sing professionally at a church with a very in-your-face Rieger here in NYC.
czbbflier From Canada, joined Jul 2006, 933 posts, RR: 2 Reply 6, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 5975 times:
I love big organs! But I am not a connoisseur of them quite like our OP is....
One thing.... I tried playing a pipe organ (rather small in a large chapel) and found that the delay from keystroke to sound emitted from the pipes at the far end of the chapel kept throwing my tempo off. I kept slowing down waiting to hear the notes..
n229nw From United States of America, joined Sep 2004, 1850 posts, RR: 36 Reply 7, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 5936 times:
Yeah I love the instrument, as does my 6-year-old son who has been transfixed by organ music since age 2.
For me, there is no surpassing Bach (followed by Brahms and Buxtehude and Franck) for organ music. (Widor is a little too much for me...but it's been years since I listened to any, so I should give it another chance).
The Bach C minor passacaglia, and perhaps most of all the "little" fugue in G minor (what an amazing 4 minutes of music) are my favorites, alongside some of the chorale preludes. I like it when organists experiment with the reed stops and so forth when playing longer baroque works.
The Franck Prelude, Fugue and Variation is also a gem.
Great pictures in the opening post btw...
____________
As for rock organ:
Quoting Superfly (Reply 4):
Check out these awesome organ pieces.
!!!! Leaving off "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum, and "I'm Crying" by the Animals!!!!!
Styx?! Styx?! instead of those...
Superfly, you disappoint me! (I should put that in the airing of grievances thread...)
Quoting planeguy727 (Reply 1): Not to hijack your thread, but I wonder how many people will click on it thinking of something completely different?
I'd be pretty surprised if that were an accident. Think about it, he just got everyone looking for the Would you hit it threads (featuring either sex) to click!!
Yep!
Styx is one of the best rock bands ever.
Procol Harum and the Animals are ok but way over-rated simply because they're British bands from the 1960s.
Just listen to those links by Styx compared to those media darlings you mentioned.
Yes I do like Procol Harum's Whiter Shade of Pale but I prefer to listen to the 101 Strings version.
Mudboy From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 1167 posts, RR: 5 Reply 9, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 5934 times:
Don't forget the intro to Mr. Crowley (Ozzy) by Don Airey
Quoting vikkyvik (Reply 2): But there's not a whole lot that can beat sitting at any nice church with a real pipe organ, and experiencing the beauty of that sound.
This Styx song was recorded using the pipe organ at Saint James Cathedral in Chicago
Styx - I'm Ok
(pipe organ solo starts at 3:07 after Tommy Shaw's guitar solo) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RZNBEfXVkI
JBirdAV8r From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 4459 posts, RR: 22 Reply 11, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 5904 times:
Quoting TWFirst (Reply 5): Anyhoo, my older brother studied with Wilma Jensen and is a professional organist at a major cathedral, so I was influenced at a young age.
Very cool! Wilma Jensen is a fantastic organist and teacher and, obviously, a legend among Tennessee organists.
Quoting TWFirst (Reply 5): What do you think of Casavant instruments?
I really like Casavant. They're obviously a big organ builder and have some of the most consistently good organs out there. Every original installation I've seen really fits the space well. Some of their casework on the organs I've seen is really good as well.
Quoting TWFirst (Reply 5): My favorite piece of all time is Jongen's Symphonie Concertante as performed by the San Francisco Symphony with Michael Murray on the Ruffatti at Davies. I know Ruffattis don't have the best reputation, but I love how that instrument sounds in that recording. I don't think it's been maintained that well over the years though.
Yeah, I'm not a big fan of Ruffatti either. I don't have any personal experience playing a Ruffatti (most of my playing experience is confined to plain old Wicks and Schantz organs) but I know they built Diane Bish's old organ at Coral Ridge Presbyterian in Florida. I never liked the sound of it--then again, I'm not Diane Bish's biggest fan either and that may be biasing my opinion.
I've never heard that recording but the Symphonie Concertante is a really magnificent showpiece...the Toccata will give you goosebumps (me anyway).
Quoting TWFirst (Reply 5): , I also love more aggressive, brash, reedy Germanic instruments as well. As a side gig, I sing professionally at a church with a very in-your-face Rieger here in NYC.
I'm actually not a huge fan of the German-style organs for that very reason...a little too nasally-sounding. But that's just me.
Quoting Superfly (Reply 4): Dick Hyman is my favorite organ/keyboard player.
You should hear Dick Hyman do The Girl From Ipanema with his organ.
Dick Hyman also did Eleanor Rigby with his organ.
I stand amazed at your unbelievable innuendo skills.
And you're right...those are some awesome organ clips. One of these days if I ever have heaps of money to burn I'd like to get an old Hammond B3 with a working Leslie.
Quoting czbbflier (Reply 6): One thing.... I tried playing a pipe organ (rather small in a large chapel) and found that the delay from keystroke to sound emitted from the pipes at the far end of the chapel kept throwing my tempo off. I kept slowing down waiting to hear the notes..
Pipe organs are REALLY hard to play!
That can be a big problem. The Cavaille-Colls and most of the older big organs had the console located in the organ loft (hidden behind the smaller montre pipes in the center) so it wasn't quite as bad.
bananaboy From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2004, 1558 posts, RR: 26 Reply 12, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 5887 times:
Nothing like having a big organ behind you to hit the high notes.
Mark
All my life, I've been kissing, your top lip 'cause your bottom one's missing
For what ever reason, Youtube doesn't allow videos of Dick Hyman doing 'The Girl From Impanema' and 'Eleanor Rigby' with his organ. He also does 'Michelle' and 'Little Miss Frenchy Brown'.
Of rock organ, my all time favorite rock organ solo is 'Roll With The Changes' by REO Speedwagon.
(organ solo starts at 3:10) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGgLPriZUSA
GAIsweetGAI From Norway, joined Jul 2006, 883 posts, RR: 7 Reply 14, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 5785 times:
Quoting JBirdAV8r (Thread starter): So is there anyone out there crazy enough to have the same interest?
Well, who would've thunk it? I'm not alone!
Quoting n229nw (Reply 7):
For me, there is no surpassing Bach (followed by Brahms and Buxtehude and Franck) for organ music. (Widor is a little too much for me...but it's been years since I listened to any, so I should give it another chance).
Looks like I've focused so much on Baroque organ that I haven't explored the rest - what did Brahms write for the Organ?
In the more modern section of the repertoire, you should check out Poulenc's Concerto for Organ, Strings, and Timpani: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOi_VPZmq3I (it's only the beginning)
Quoting n229nw (Reply 7): The Franck Prelude, Fugue and Variation is also a gem.
Quoting n229nw (Reply 7): The Bach C minor passacaglia, and perhaps most of all the "little" fugue in G minor (what an amazing 4 minutes of music) are my favorites, alongside some of the chorale preludes.
Self-plug: I love the Passacaglia so much I managed to learn it. And put a few videos of it on Youtube.
BWV 543 has one of the best fugues ever. And BWV 538 (The Doran Toccata and Fugue) one of the best pieces ever.
Glad to see I'm not the only organ nut around here!
"There is an art, or rather a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."
RussianJet From Kazakhstan, joined Jul 2007, 6294 posts, RR: 23 Reply 15, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 6 days ago) and read 5696 times:
My favourite organ both in terms of its power, range, and variety of pipes distributed around the entire massive building utilising all of its incredible acoustics, is that of St. Paul's Cathedral, London.
You should check out the 'Big Mo' in the Fox Theater in ATL. They play it a few times a year during the film festival.
Since you're from TN you should check out Randall Dyer and Associates (located in Jefferson City, TN). They typically don't construct organs for the organ size queens, but produce some incredible instruments. Their Website I did four years of organ at Emory & Henry College on a Randall Dyer instrument.
ALTF4 From United States of America, joined Jul 2010, 1143 posts, RR: 4 Reply 19, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 5641 times:
Ah yes - organs. They sound awful when not played correctly, but there is nothing like a good organ concert.
TSS From United States of America, joined Dec 2006, 2870 posts, RR: 5 Reply 20, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 5612 times:
Quoting JBirdAV8r (Thread starter): So is there anyone out there crazy enough to have the same interest?
*shyly raises hand* I do.
I first got the organ "bug" when I became friends with the (then) organist at St Michael's and All Angels Episcopal Church in Anniston, Alabama. Prior to that, my only experience with a church organ was the sad sounds coming from the Hammond (maybe?) home-sized electric organ at my family church, so hearing, and more importantly feeling, a real pipe organ being played and having someone explain how it worked was quite a revelation for me. Although I've never developed a full appreciation for most classical organ music, I do like to hear popular music played on pipe organs.
Superfly From Thailand, joined May 2000, 38512 posts, RR: 80 Reply 21, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 5603 times:
JBirdAV8r :
Sorry to move the thread in the hard rock organ direction but many are classically trained. Especially the prog-bands such as Yes, Styx, King Krimson and UK.
Another fine organ player and music piece is Eddie Jobson of the prog-rock band U.K.
The whole LP is 2 long songs that are all connected. Sadly Youtube clips the song in to be here goes.
4holer From United States of America, joined Feb 2002, 2846 posts, RR: 10 Reply 22, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 5596 times:
Quoting JBirdAV8r (Thread starter): The famous Organ Stop Pizza in Arizona seems to be doing well enough,
Kent350787 From Australia, joined May 2008, 888 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 4 days 11 hours ago) and read 5428 times:
Although the console isn't too big, the Sydney Town Hall is quite a big one. I've performed with it (singing, rather than playing) a couple of times in the last 6 weeks. It does need a refurb., which is planned to happen int eh next year or two.
n229nw From United States of America, joined Sep 2004, 1850 posts, RR: 36 Reply 24, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 5308 times:
Quoting Superfly (Reply 8): Just listen to those links by Styx compared to those media darlings you mentioned.
I listened again. The "Little Fuge In 'G' / Father O.S.A." is just the start of my favorite Bach organ piece (The "little fugue in G minor," see above) used as the introduction, and then am original song I don't really love that much. The others have some good playing, it just doesn't do it for me that much stylistically. The use of real pipe organ on "I'm ok" is pretty interesting, again it's just not my favorite stuff in terms of songwriting. Gotta give it up for the great vocals in Styx though.
I can't deal with Yes. I find most Rick Wakeman really indulgent, but his piano guest appearance on Bowie's "Life on Mars" is one of the great keyboard tracks in rock...
Meanwhile, your Dick Hyman link is completely awesome.
And I'm totally with you on Boston. Whole first album is spectacular. Downhill after that somewhat...
Deep Purple also amazing. The Organ solo in "Highway Star" is one of the most amazing organ tracks in Rock. In fact, why isn't it posted here?
Not a big body of stuff, actually mainly some chorale preludes he wrote near the end of his life. But two of those blow me away, in a way that is as understated (and short) as the Widor and Poulenc are the opposite:
Try prelude Op. 122, number 4 "Herzlich tut mich erfreuen"
Brahms is the best...love the gently shifting and sliding melancholy notes in perpetual motion that decorate the melodies in both these cases. He takes a "happy" and a "sad" hymn respectively and turns them both pensive and bittersweet...
______________________________________
Quoting 4holer (Reply 22): Quoting JBirdAV8r (Thread starter):
The famous Organ Stop Pizza in Arizona seems to be doing well enough,
Just a few miles from my house!
Go on a night that Charlie is playing. He's the best.
Holy Crap. That is FANTASTIC. (If I ever am unfortunate enough to have to be in Arizona again, stopping by this place might take my mind off baking to death in a desert hellhole for at least ten minutes! Seriously, I need to check out this restaurant. I had no idea it existed. And this guy is an amazing organist.
[Edited 2011-01-07 19:01:29]
Fish in a tree! How can that be?
25 Superfly: I love Dick Hyman! You should check out his other experimental stuff from the late 1960s. Particularly his Moog album and age of electronicus. Sadly
27 Revelation: Sorry, folks, I know naught about classical music, but I love classic and prog rock! I've never that that being a British band from the 60's was a bad
28 Superfly: Good stuff. It just sounds too simple and major key for me. Isn't Dick great? They took far too long to record their 3rd album Third Stage. The 2nd.
29 C: Although I'm no organ aficionado like the OP, I do love me some good organ music! My mom pretty much dedicated her 4 or 5 years of her life to fund ra
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