R.I.P. Frederick, who passed from Cancer at the age of 91 on November 13th, 2022. I had the privilege of attending one of his organ recitals.. He knew how to use every resource of the organ.... I spoke to him briefly, he was exhausted after more than an hour of playing..
I heard Fred play this as the postlude at Riverside Church, probably in the late '70's. Then, as in this performance, I was astonished at the sheer VERVE that he brought to the piece. An extraordinary musician....not many in the organ world can come close to matching him.
I so remember Swann's day at the Riverside Church in New York City. It was always such a treat to go to church there. Always incredibly exciting playing! He never fails to amaze and excite!
Wow - what a find. Ruffatti makes such bright, forward sounding organs. This is an excellent presentation. Thanks so much!! Would love it if he also played the Widor #6 Allegro! Yeow!! I think his age is showing here... Some of the runs esp. near the end are really a bit hosed.
Hallelujah!! BRAVO!! What a performance!! And Fratelli Ruffatti are among the greatest organ builders on the planet, as evidenced by this recording. However (and I am not sure why), my eyes have a slightly greater appreciation for the traditional appearance of the sister organ that the inimitable Ms. Diane Bish designed at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. I have no idea how different these instruments are from a tonal perspective. But I'd bet the farm that someone knows.
I think many people regard the Coral Ridge organ and this organ as siblings, both being very forward and exciting, very large and very famous! Not to mention both having been played by 2 of the best organists in the world (Diane and Fred). I’d imagine tonality they’re quite similar?
A little over half of the Hazel Wright organ is Aeolian-Skinner; the rest is from the previous Ruffatti organ. Virgil Fox helped design the specs, and Fred Swann expanded it even more during his tenure.
Think this was several years ago, maybe a decade ago. No one plays this organ like that anymore. This church basically died when it was destroyed by the former directors.
At least the RC Church has had the good sense to preserve the one of the world's most magnifcant organs. However, all the beautiful yellow oak has be painted white, in fact, the whole place is white and black. It looks like a Masonic Lodge. So cold and unwelcoming. So typical of the novus ordo.
The old Crystal Cathedral is now very sterile looking under the RC church. I just watched the Hazel Wright re-dedication concert on RUclips and it was somewhat disappointing. The organists were no Fred Swann or Paul Jacobs. But you are right that at least the local diocese had the good sense to do a complete refurbishment of the organ.
Thomas Redman, i pretty much agree with you. i just watched a video of the Mass of Consecration of Christ Cathedral. The choir was very good. The organ sounded good. all the music was beautiful, or at least not bad. But i was very disappointed in the interior of the Church. It seems to me, if they were gonna spend 77 million dollars, they could have come up with somethng better than what they did. It is too typical of the 1970s novus ordo. Dont they know that the 70s are over and the experiment failed?
@@mmyers8765 It also has much better acoustics now. At one time the CC may have looked bright and brilliant, but thanks to Robery Schuller's greedy and rapacious offspring, it fell into disrepair and became rather rundown, dusty, clouded-up crystal. It used to have a beautiful water feature and all, but it was not maintained. It became tacky, fake, with cheap glitz. There was nothing at all redeeming about that ediface at all under his daughter's 'stewardship'. All the vendors for those Xmas and Easter pageants that got royally screwed out of all the money they were owed just takes any shine out of the old CC anyway. Yes, it is sterile looking, but it is also very clean and well maintained also. The current organists of Christ Cathedral I know. They are concert-caliber organists also. I am in the same AGO chapter as they are, and I have heard them perform on many occasions. They are far superior to the vast majority of church organists.
@@mountedcornetv9506 I agree. I have the "Organ Under Glass" c.d. This is definitely not it. Not better or worse, just different. Besides, there is no audience on the c.d.
Olivier Latry makes noise, not music. His registration is often poor. The same can be said for Vincent Du Bois. Walk across to Saint Eustache and listen to Thomas Ospital and Baptiste-Florian Marle-Ouvrard.
sounds like they cleaned up the organ nicely..... I read that it was a mess, in disrepair & neglect.... but, for God's sakes: why one single still? This is RUclips -- **VIDEOS** -- just prop your cell phone somewhere and record it. It's 2023 and it's one of the top three organs in the World -- don't half-ass it already. Very disappointing.
R.I.P. Frederick, who passed from Cancer at the age of 91 on November 13th, 2022.
I had the privilege of attending one of his organ recitals..
He knew how to use every resource of the organ....
I spoke to him briefly, he was exhausted after more than an hour of playing..
I heard Fred play this as the postlude at Riverside Church, probably in the late '70's. Then, as in this performance, I was astonished at the sheer VERVE that he brought to the piece. An extraordinary musician....not many in the organ world can come close to matching him.
R.I.P. Dr. Swann - the best of the best.
I so remember Swann's day at the Riverside Church in New York City. It was always such a treat to go to church there. Always incredibly exciting playing! He never fails to amaze and excite!
We loose another legend of the pipe organ hear on earth but God gains one. Heaven has another great one good by kind man rest in peace
NOW THIS IS PLAYING! Bravo Fred!
July 30, 1931 - November 13, 2022 R.i.P.
This is a gift to pipe organ music lovers
Wow - what a find. Ruffatti makes such bright, forward sounding organs. This is an excellent presentation. Thanks so much!! Would love it if he also played the Widor #6 Allegro! Yeow!! I think his age is showing here... Some of the runs esp. near the end are really a bit hosed.
Can't we hear the andante movements from Widor 6 ? They are exquisite.
Hallelujah!! BRAVO!! What a performance!! And Fratelli Ruffatti are among the greatest organ builders on the planet, as evidenced by this recording. However (and I am not sure why), my eyes have a slightly greater appreciation for the traditional appearance of the sister organ that the inimitable Ms. Diane Bish designed at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. I have no idea how different these instruments are from a tonal perspective. But I'd bet the farm that someone knows.
This instrument is only 1/2 Ruffatti.
I think many people regard the Coral Ridge organ and this organ as siblings, both being very forward and exciting, very large and very famous! Not to mention both having been played by 2 of the best organists in the world (Diane and Fred). I’d imagine tonality they’re quite similar?
A little over half of the Hazel Wright organ is Aeolian-Skinner; the rest is from the previous Ruffatti organ. Virgil Fox helped design the specs, and Fred Swann expanded it even more during his tenure.
Its great
Think this was several years ago, maybe a decade ago. No one plays this organ like that anymore. This church basically died when it was destroyed by the former directors.
Where's the organist? 🤔
At least the RC Church has had the good sense to preserve the one of the world's most magnifcant organs. However, all the beautiful yellow oak has be painted white, in fact, the whole place is white and black. It looks like a Masonic Lodge. So cold and unwelcoming. So typical of the novus ordo.
The old Crystal Cathedral is now very sterile looking under the RC church. I just watched the Hazel Wright re-dedication concert on RUclips and it was somewhat disappointing. The organists were no Fred Swann or Paul Jacobs. But you are right that at least the local diocese had the good sense to do a complete refurbishment of the organ.
Hey, I know plenty of masonic lodges, most are quite Victorian
Thomas Redman, i pretty much agree with you. i just watched a video of the Mass of Consecration of Christ Cathedral. The choir was very good. The organ sounded good. all the music was beautiful, or at least not bad. But i was very disappointed in the interior of the Church. It seems to me, if they were gonna spend 77 million dollars, they could have come up with somethng better than what they did. It is too typical of the 1970s novus ordo. Dont they know that the 70s are over and the experiment failed?
@@mmyers8765 It also has much better acoustics now. At one time the CC may have looked bright and brilliant, but thanks to Robery Schuller's greedy and rapacious offspring, it fell into disrepair and became rather rundown, dusty, clouded-up crystal. It used to have a beautiful water feature and all, but it was not maintained. It became tacky, fake, with cheap glitz. There was nothing at all redeeming about that ediface at all under his daughter's 'stewardship'. All the vendors for those Xmas and Easter pageants that got royally screwed out of all the money they were owed just takes any shine out of the old CC anyway. Yes, it is sterile looking, but it is also very clean and well maintained also. The current organists of Christ Cathedral I know. They are concert-caliber organists also. I am in the same AGO chapter as they are, and I have heard them perform on many occasions. They are far superior to the vast majority of church organists.
Incorrect- This performance is Peter Baicchi from his CD Organ Under Glass.
No it is not. It is also on Organ Under Glass. This is Fred’s performance from the 2004 AGO Los Angeles Convention.
@@mountedcornetv9506 I agree. I have the "Organ Under Glass" c.d. This is definitely not it. Not better or worse, just different. Besides, there is no audience on the c.d.
No, sorry, but this is a terrible mess. Olivier Latry is doeing much better on the organ of Notre Dame de Paris.
Olivier Latry makes noise, not music. His registration is often poor. The same can be said for Vincent Du Bois. Walk across to Saint Eustache and listen to Thomas Ospital and Baptiste-Florian Marle-Ouvrard.
@@markfortuin7111 But I think we can agree that this rendition here is a mess.
sounds like they cleaned up the organ nicely..... I read that it was a mess, in disrepair & neglect.... but, for God's sakes: why one single still? This is RUclips -- **VIDEOS** -- just prop your cell phone somewhere and record it. It's 2023 and it's one of the top three organs in the World -- don't half-ass it already. Very disappointing.