Virgil Fox Symphonia to Cantata #29-Allen Touring
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- Virgil Fox (May 3, 1912 -- October 25, 1980) ( en.wikipedia.or... ) playing on his Allen Digital Touring Organ ( www.allenorgan.... ) recorded in the late 1970's. Symphonia to Cantata #29.
This is amazing for a man who was in the latter stages of battling cancer. So he hit a few wrong notes...the man was a genius.
It's amazing when you think of it that he played this as well as he did. Mr. Fox was dying from prostate cancer when this was recorded and the chemo regimen he was having to endure would have stopped most people in their tracks. It didn't stop Mr. Fox, and for that "We thank thee God, we thank thee."
The question I just received needing an answer is worthy of an answer. I was asked how Virgil was able to perform at that moment with such an advanced case of cancer causing numerous broken bones including in a hip. Well the answer is I have absolutely no idea how he did it. Being a Christian as was Virgil Fox who was strong in his faith I firmly believe he called upon and was given help super help above and beyond what our Doctors could do. In fact I was told that there is no record of anyone doing what he did in a stage 4 cancerous situation by the Doctors who all met,mulled and scratched their heads as they searched for an answer. I was told his medical case was entered into medical journals . As I write this I await a hip replacement and I can speak truth in saying with the pain I live with I do not know or understand how he did it as I know he suffered very much. But I can say "Thank you Lord Jesus from the bottom of our hearts"
I can tell you that at the time this was recorded Virgil was suffering with stage 4 Prostatic cancer and had multiple bone fractures,some of which were in his hands and a hip. so,that may accoiunt for some of your correct observations that he missed the odd note or two.
David, so glad to see you back!
+David Snyder Lumierist Having started my musical life on organ, how do you do this on a broken hip at all, let alone at this level?
Only with the help of a loving power beyond most peoples desire to know of
"Maybe he'd better come again" LMFAO
Strange sounds, but a magnificent demonstration of ORGAN PLAYING.
Everyone has their own version of perfect and if anyone has the right to complain its the man who is sitting on the organ bench!
I preferred the Allen to the Rodgers Black Beauty and the Rodgers Royal V.
I heard Black Beauty a few times and the Royal V only once at the University of Virginia.
When I heard the Allen reproduce chiff at a concert at Wolf Trap my jaw just fell open. I never heard chiff from either of the Rodgers instruments.
I also heard Virgil play the harpsichord at his 50th anniversary concert at the Kennedy Center. He was very good at that as well.
Thank you Shandy. A friend sent me this video upload. I was not aware of it. .My such great times,,so long ago
A wonderful performance from a Master artist...
Thank you sooooo much for posting this!
I heard Black Beauty several times at Wolf Trap, the Royal V once at the University of Virginia, and this Allen, also at Wolf Trap. When this Allen reproduced chiff my jaw just dropped. It was astounding. My favorite of the three was this Allen.
Whoooooo!! I likes them fast!!!
No, Bach composed it, originally in E for unaccomp solo violin (Partita in E); then recycled it for Sinfonia to Cantata 29 in D, the solo vln part being assigned to obligato organ, plus tpt, timps & strings. Rachmaninov made an arrangement for piano and put it back up to E. This arrangement resembles Rachmaninov's version. Fox also played the Dupré transcription, in D. At least Virgil keeps in time, unlike the unfortunate Bish performance out there on RUclips, which gets slower and slower.
Unfortunately in life you will always have critics. You can't play for everybody. I get that. But a dying Virgil is still more organist than most living today. Bravo Virgil. I only wish there was a transcription of this work in E major. The key of E seems to validate the transcription, eventhough it is still magestic in D major.
He is playing it too fast FOR YOU, and just by-the-by that makes it more enjoyable to the general public, something the baroque-boys never worry about.
Yes, Virgil makes a few mistakes and is human, but his playing was so musical that i forgive him. I would rather listen to this than any prissy "perfect" or worse "correct" perfomance.
How many 1600 seat venues do you sell out, Anthony?
Thank you Peter. Your comments are heart warming. My I wish Virgil's arrangement you asked of were available. Perhaps if you and others would "impose" upon Alfred Publishing it could be done. I'd authorize it in a heart beat.Thanks for the contact
Blessinmgs to you.
David Snyder, Lumierist
David, The Bach #29 Virgil played it in the original key of E Major as it was an organ transcription of the E Major Violin Piece. I have taken the time and notated every note played with Virgil's manual changes etc. Many editions have been printed in the Key of D Major, presume easier to play for many. But the E Major takes more technique Also, being in E it is much brighter than the D Major. Don't forget organs were tuned at 435 a pitch lower than our 440... Anyone interested in having a copy of mine are welcome to have it. Earle Goodwin
Earle Goodwin Actually Earle, you raise a great point. Virgil Fox's magnificent Allen organ was tuned to 338 if memory serves me now,basically to facilitate his playing with orchestras
David Snyder Lumierist David, I wasn't referring to hearing the U Tube of Virgil playing the #29, but in answer to one of the comments posed to you and your reply about asking Alfred Music Co. Virgil's rendition was arranged by him to accommodate the inner lines of this piece, i.e. the left hand and feet, addressing the harmonic structure, and the contrapuntal associate of the right hand which the violin played... Thee is a G. Schirmer piano rendition in E Major which gives a good foundation for Virgil;s arrangement.. Hope you had a nice Easter in Freezing Cold Canada..lol.
This is even faster than Diane Bish, whose tempo I personally like. I always thought that Virgil usually played it slower, slower than Miss Bish even.
Eccellente!!!
Top of the benchmark for BACH...... as it should be played!
I have always preferred the Allen sound to others, especially Rodgers. The Allen I play has a great sound mix; the larger Rodgers I played some time ago sounded muddy and not like real pipes. I like the MIDI Expander and Virtual Acoustics, too.
@bbbbmer Virgil had the Allen organ from 1977 until his death in 1980. Jimmy Carter was in office from 1977 until 1981. This recording was done probably in 1978 or '79, but I am not sure.
@organpipe8 Yes my friend,,he was indeed,,to the very best of his being!
People complain a lot about the tempo on organ pieces, really, just because they can. A fair amount of the time they're right-if you have a humongous space like a cathedral or a huge theater to fill, the resonance is an issue, and you have to play slower or else people's minds have a hard time hearing the individual tones; they just muddy and bleed together. In America we don't usually have that problem, though, because our buildings are acoustical vacuums, and this piece, for some reason...
What am I doing now days you have asked me,,well,actually I'm writing my memoirs. I'm going to share everything I saw and heard over the 19 years I worked for Virgil Fox. Surprises galore.It will include the truth about many people places and events.and it will include surprising "revelations" about surprising people.
@tiarca Toi, je t'applaudis.
Eeeeeh--Allen never made a thing I cared to listen to until very reciently. Yes, they got the chiff down, but I go back to what i said before, when you started to put it all together into (what are supposed to be) ensembles it didn't work, didn't come together, and sounded very sterile. I am pleased with what they make now. The Rodgers BB always made a nice ensemble sound for back then. Today we wouldn't be happy with that sound at all.
He was referring to the ouster of Nixon and Ford and the onset of the Carter administration -- he was NOT referring to Reagan, whom he HATED...
Yah, and how did that (Carter) work out? Oh wait. We know.
Boy, the Allen traveling organ sure records better than it sounded in person. It was just a typical product from that firm then, some ok individual sounds that all fell apart and became sterile when you tried to bring it all together. The Rodgers Black Beauty was far more musical in person.
GO VIRGIL!
show the sissies how to play MUSIC people enjoy!
@56Packman
You´re wrong. The way he is playing it is against Bach´s spirit and the spirit of his work. If Bach would have meant it that way he would have composed for Vegas or Broadway - ok in his times he would have gone Händel´s way to London or to Paris etc. - but he went to Leipzig and the St. Thomas church. Apart from that he was very religious and wanted to express this in his works. And religion aims to the real inner values, not the superficial ones.
Every version I have heard of this on the piano is faster than this.
Why are the organ fuddy-duddies complaining so much.
@bbbbmer He was also dead before Reagan even won his first election to the U.S. Presidency.
16 fautes flagrantes sans compter les autres et le bon gout massacré, en france on n'aurai même pas applaudit...
@bbbbmer How do you know he hated Reagan? I never heard that. Carter was a lousy piece of dirt. Created a horrible economy with 20 percent interest rates. Think about that today and how tough it would be to survive paying usury of that magnitude.
Virgil Fox and Paul Jacobs fail compared to Diane Bish. Too may notes missed, tempo too slow. terrible organ, and the dynamics are terrible.
Too much show - too fast and too many mistakes
szarok a farmra!!!
Yes, he is playing it much too fast, and he is playing lots of wrong notes too.