I'm not an avid fan of classical organ music, but I attended worship at Riverside in late 1959 and early 1960, and I still remember the way it made the hair stand on the back of my neck when singing a hymn with Virgil Fox at the organ. Stunning! Thrilling! What a blessing to have had those experiences!
Extraordinary control over changing registration, manual and pedal technique, composition, and interpretation, all from memory and with multiple fractured phalanges! A monumental performance not only for Virgil Fox, but in the history of music.
This is the Tocatta movement from the Symphonie Concertante, OP. 81, by Joseph Jongen. The Symphonie Concertante was commissioned by the Wanamaker family in Philadelphia for the massive pipe organ located in the John Wanamaker department store. You should listen to the recording Virgil made for the Digital Fox records of the late 70's - amazing.
Simply the greatest. PERIOD. I saw him 'live' five different times and each time he brought the audience to the greatness of Bach, and others. Virgil never took credit for his own talent, but merely 'thanked' Bach for providing the great music that we all have learned to enjoy in our lifetime. Thank you, sir.
Killer organ playing by one of the finest. 5 stars. Virgil is pure legend. A true master. The Bone Doctor Walnut Hill Productions Ridgecrest, California
They certainly have not been wiped out. They are held in high regard amongst us proper organists! John Scott is at St Thomas' Church New York and Simon Preston is a free lance recitalist.
Incredible really even the great organists today most use music for pieces like widors 6th symphony(allegro) to movments of bach etc so to play this piece from memory shows the kind of brain that Virgil had. True showmanship.
@cowboypainthorse Thank you very much for your insight. Really,,it made my day because not a lot of people are able to see what you did,,that Virgil Fox was a humble man, who thanked God every day of his life for the gift He gave to him. He did not take the gift for granted and worked without stopping all his life to maintain it even as he walked in the valley of the shadow of death. I know I lived it with him and I wept for him in his pain which he tried so hard to keep hidden from his fans.
David Snyder Lumierist too bad the Atlantic city convention center midmer losh organ was never fully functional when Virgil was alive as it would have been something short of amazing to have heard a recording of him play on that organ.
Virgil recorded the Jongen for the historic Bainbridge digital/Direct Metal Master sessions at the Garden Grove Community Church (the Schuller church preceding the crystal cathedral). I am lucky to have one of only 1000 copies ever pressed of the DMM release. As for the digital, it is the first commercial digital recording made in the US, and is still in print. Amazon has these listed as 'The Digital Fox, volumes I and II' - highly recommended.
I was there when Dr. Fox recorded this amazing composition. The French instrument was made for this work I'm sure. There is quite a story with this, that I will tell someday. (perhaps) Blessings
Thanks for all of your responses to my comment. That's what I had figured...It would be suicide to try to play an instrument that had delay that bad...it's like 2-3 notes behind. The smallest of delays can be quite disconcerting. Thanks for posting the video, Virgil was amazing and it's great the a new generation can find his videos and become fans!
@Jacobre156 When asked how to play better,,in my presence, he would look the person in the eye and tell them to practise. Virgil practised everyday a minimum of 4 hours,in addition to concert preperation time. So friend, practise,,just be good enough to be happy and glorify God with your gift. Virgil did!
This actually wasn't his last public performance; it was only his last performance at Riverside. He continued to concertize for over a year before dying in 1980. His last concert was in September 1980 with the Dallas Symphony.
Oh man I wish the great Virgil Fox were still alive. His prowess behind the console is absolutely mesmerizing. The only organist that even remotely comes close to this level of performance is Diane Bish
Virgil did not want this recital to be audio recorded and sold. However, and individual in the audience used a stereo cassette recorder without permission and recorded the entire performance. This recording was later mastered digitally and is available on a two CD disks.
@cowboypainthorse I agree....he always gave Bach or the organ credit. He saith once, "Playing the organ is easy. Just hit the right keys at the right time and the rest is easy......" Funny.
If I have this wrong, please, someone correct me, but as I understand it, these clips represent Virgil's final concert given at the Riverside Church in May of 1979, just 18 months before he succumbed to prostate cancer. Virgil's intentions for this recital was to not have it recorded, but that an video feed, which you see here, be provided so that the audience could have a better look at him at the console.
Back when I was younger, I didn't like Virgil. Now that I'm older, I can appreciate this man's passion and what he did for the organ community. I also find myself playing more and more like him. And it's nothing bad, he did it with technical precision, and relativity to to the score. He was a master to the intrument. I still hold great respect for Fred Swann, but there's something about Virgil that just makes you go "wow"
I think what everyone is seeing and hearings in these clips are from two separate sources: The audio from the cassette recording and the video feed that Virgil provided. The two sources were combined together to produce these wonderful clips, and as a result of these two separate sources, they get out of synchronization. Please correct me if I am mistaken. Thanks for posting these clips of Virgil!
Please refrain from profanity here. This man was a servant of the Almighty and we should address this forum with decorum. The organ has five manuals and 204 ranks. That's very large.
@DavidSnyderLumierist I must correct myself. Virgil did infact record on one Ruffatti, in Crystal Cathedral. I dont know how I ever forgot THAT ordeal. He suffered so in making those two records, perhaps I blocked it out from my memory because of that.. Thank you for recalling that for me. Blessings
I beg to differ, Virgil recorded 2 direct to disc albums which were later made into CDs. I have the CD's Played on the Ruffati Organ at Robert Schuller's Garden Grove Community Church, in the original Richard Neutra sanctuary before they moved their 5 manual Ruffati into the Crystal Cathedral and combined it with the Aeolian Skinner from Avery Fischer Hall Organ of Lincoln Center.
@acoustics101 .That recording session blew Virgil away too.I believe the recording experience of Direct to Disc took what was left of his physical strength and in my opinion hastened his death. David Snyder Revelation Lights/Heavy Organ
michael whytock Huh? The recording of the Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor on the Rufatti in Garden Grove (The Fox Touch I and Ii) is absolutely the best rendition, bar none. Carlo Curleys interpretation closely mirrors that of Virgil’s, as he was a student of his. Many others manage to screw up the phrasing, as well as an anemic registration instead of the bombast when required.
Below David Snyder (is this THE REVELATION LIGHTS DAVID SNYDER?) posts that Vigil never recorded on ANY Ruffati organ anywhere: I beg to differ, Virgil recorded 2 direct to disc albums which were later made into CDs. I have the CD's recorded on the Ruffati Organ at Robert Schuller's Garden Grove Community Church, in the original Richard Neutra sanctuary before they moved their 5 manual Ruffati into the Crystal Cathedral and combined it with the Aeolian Skinner from Avery Fischer Hall Organ of Lincoln Center. I am pretty sure that poor Virgil had passed away by the time the Davis Symphony Hall concert organ was completed. I think Michael Murray played it. I have a recording of a rare work, Copland's Symphony for Organ and Orchestra which was broadcast on the radio. I recorded it on a cassette tape.
@bombarde1701 Sorry. Virgil never recorded anything in Davies Hall in SF or on any Ruffatti Organ anywhere,,ever.! David Snyder Revelation Lights Heavy Organ
I've been playing and listening to this piece for half a century and I disagree with you that it's too fast. He's playing it at about the same tempo that I've heard played by a hundred other organists. Michael Murry, even though a master himself, emasculated this very dynamic piece almost to the point of boredom. Also, changing stops/ranks adds to the overall color and texture of this "supposed to be colorful and textural" masterpiece. Fox may not have played it the best, but he ranks very high.
Wehtam, I've seen another video of him playing this instrument, and that video is not from a handheld. Yes, the delay is that bad. It's about a half second. Not at all uncommon for large pipe organs that don't have the latest digital relay systems.
+Ozzman Osgood No electro-pneumatic organ that I know of has a 1/2 second delay in the action. It is did the builder should first be horsewhipped and then refund all the owners money. NEVER!!!! an E-P organ is just as fast as a tracker and you can do the math yourself. The delay is sound traveling from organ chamber to recording microphone. OR delays in the posting - sound and action rarely sync in these posting.
Does anyone know where I can get a copy of this for solo organ only? I have looked everywhere and only been able to find the orchestral accompinament. I know Virgil transcribed this himself, but I was wondering if there was a solo copy out now...
I truly am ignorant when discussing music with someone like you - I am in fact, quite humbled. I assume that you are an American and that your quest to tell the world of your knowledge is high on your agenda. I did not say that the music she chooses to play is not challenging - i said that there was a certain simplicity in her performances and arrangements. Note perfect they may be - off the page and into my soul they are not! I applaud your list of of organ composers - well done.
I believe that Paul is correct. Somebody smashed two analog sources together. And about mistakes... they validate live performance. I make them every day... every minute. Two or three seconds of accoustic decay indicates failure of the architect and other poobahs to consider the requirements of a proper pipe organ, which is 5 seconds minimum.
Why is it that as soon as you say that the whole Virgil Fox, Carlo Curly, Cameron Carpenter ethos is a load of shit,all the old Queens swing their handbags and say that you are bitter and twisted.
The sound on this video, at least as I'm suffering with on my machine is so poor it is an insult to Virgil Fox and the true recorded sound of the magnificent instrument he is playing. This swill of sound is revolting. Turn the sound off and just watch!
1) Wonderful organist technician. Very charismatic. Not so wonderful a musician at all. Too many stop changes.. Too fast. Could never play it that fast in Notre Dame Cathedral. 2) Great piece of music, but much better with orchestra. THE most exciting ending to any organ composition. 3) I would need to hear the organ live to comment on it's abilities, but on laptop speakers, the sound is dreadful.
I'm not an avid fan of classical organ music, but I attended worship at Riverside in late 1959 and early 1960, and I still remember the way it made the hair stand on the back of my neck when singing a hymn with Virgil Fox at the organ. Stunning! Thrilling! What a blessing to have had those experiences!
Being an organist.....after playing for a service, I felt like I was in a wrestling match.....
Fox was as close to a rock star as any organist will ever be. He brought the organ out of the church and into the concert hall.
Extraordinary control over changing registration, manual and pedal technique, composition, and interpretation, all from memory and with multiple fractured phalanges! A monumental performance not only for Virgil Fox, but in the history of music.
This is the Tocatta movement from the Symphonie Concertante, OP. 81, by Joseph Jongen. The Symphonie Concertante was commissioned by the Wanamaker family in Philadelphia for the massive pipe organ located in the John Wanamaker department store. You should listen to the recording Virgil made for the Digital Fox records of the late 70's - amazing.
Simply the greatest. PERIOD. I saw him 'live' five different times and each time he brought the audience to the greatness of Bach, and others. Virgil never took credit for his own talent, but merely 'thanked' Bach for providing the great music that we all have learned to enjoy in our lifetime.
Thank you, sir.
Virgil Fox was a legend ! He just makes this piece sound incredible and his playing so effortless.
I so would have loved to have been at this concert. The pagentry in this work is amazing, and to hear it live would have been memorable!
Killer organ playing by one of the finest. 5 stars. Virgil is pure legend. A true master.
The Bone Doctor
Walnut Hill Productions
Ridgecrest, California
They certainly have not been wiped out. They are held in high regard amongst us proper organists! John Scott is at St Thomas' Church New York and Simon Preston is a free lance recitalist.
Incredible really even the great organists today most use music for pieces like widors 6th symphony(allegro) to movments of bach etc so to play this piece from memory shows the kind of brain that Virgil had. True showmanship.
@cowboypainthorse Thank you very much for your insight. Really,,it made my day because not a lot of people are able to see what you did,,that Virgil Fox was a humble man, who thanked God every day of his life for the gift He gave to him. He did not take the gift for granted and worked without stopping all his life to maintain it even as he walked in the valley of the shadow of death. I know I lived it with him and I wept for him in his pain which he tried so hard to keep hidden from his fans.
David Snyder Lumierist too bad the Atlantic city convention center midmer losh organ was never fully functional when Virgil was alive as it would have been something short of amazing to have heard a recording of him play on that organ.
I love how on the last chord he stretches his fingers as far as he can to play as many notes as possible.
He had big hands!!!!!!
We haven't had this type of talent since Virgil! What a fabulous piece of history!
Virgil Fox. We will not see his likes again. So much joy in what he does. The Liberace of the organ. And Liberace is the Virgil Fox of the piano.
What a colorful,and master of the organ. America was blessed with Mr. Fox,and
E.Power Biggs. Great piece of music. Thanks for posting it.
Virgil recorded the Jongen for the historic Bainbridge digital/Direct Metal Master sessions at the Garden Grove Community Church (the Schuller church preceding the crystal cathedral). I am lucky to have one of only 1000 copies ever pressed of the DMM release. As for the digital, it is the first commercial digital recording made in the US, and is still in print. Amazon has these listed as 'The Digital Fox, volumes I and II' - highly recommended.
Wow... wonderful! To critics, I say what Virgil said to me many years back , ""IF"" they critize, then may they spell my name right!"
I was there when Dr. Fox recorded this amazing composition. The French instrument
was made for this work I'm sure. There is quite a story with this, that I will tell someday. (perhaps)
Blessings
The King!!
Thanks for all of your responses to my comment. That's what I had figured...It would be suicide to try to play an instrument that had delay that bad...it's like 2-3 notes behind. The smallest of delays can be quite disconcerting. Thanks for posting the video, Virgil was amazing and it's great the a new generation can find his videos and become fans!
This recital was given 30 years ago this month! Wow!
@Jacobre156 When asked how to play better,,in my presence, he would look the person in the eye and tell them to practise. Virgil practised everyday a minimum of 4 hours,in addition to concert preperation time. So friend, practise,,just be good enough to be happy and glorify God with your gift. Virgil did!
This actually wasn't his last public performance; it was only his last performance at Riverside. He continued to concertize for over a year before dying in 1980. His last concert was in September 1980 with the Dallas Symphony.
Oh man I wish the great Virgil Fox were still alive. His prowess behind the console is absolutely mesmerizing. The only organist that even remotely comes close to this level of performance is Diane Bish
He was the titular of that organ!!!
Virgil did not want this recital to be audio recorded and sold. However, and individual in the audience used a stereo cassette recorder without permission and recorded the entire performance. This recording was later mastered digitally and is available on a two CD disks.
@cowboypainthorse I agree....he always gave Bach or the organ credit. He saith once, "Playing the organ is easy. Just hit the right keys at the right time and the rest is easy......" Funny.
DIVINE
MAGICAL
THE FOX IS KING!
THX
If I have this wrong, please, someone correct me, but as I understand it, these clips represent Virgil's final concert given at the Riverside Church in May of 1979, just 18 months before he succumbed to prostate cancer. Virgil's intentions for this recital was to not have it recorded, but that an video feed, which you see here, be provided so that the audience could have a better look at him at the console.
THIS IS GREAT!!!
Is this his Rogers touring organ that he used for concerts, or is it at the Riverside Church? The instrument sounds wonderful!
Back when I was younger, I didn't like Virgil. Now that I'm older, I can appreciate this man's passion and what he did for the organ community. I also find myself playing more and more like him. And it's nothing bad, he did it with technical precision, and relativity to to the score. He was a master to the intrument. I still hold great respect for Fred Swann, but there's something about Virgil that just makes you go "wow"
An incredible man with an enormous talent! There is noone to follow is his footsteps. If you dusagree, please let me know with the appropriate links.
I think what everyone is seeing and hearings in these clips are from two separate sources: The audio from the cassette recording and the video feed that Virgil provided. The two sources were combined together to produce these wonderful clips, and as a result of these two separate sources, they get out of synchronization. Please correct me if I am mistaken. Thanks for posting these clips of Virgil!
unbelievable... :)
Please refrain from profanity here. This man was a servant of the Almighty and we should address this forum with decorum. The organ has five manuals and 204 ranks. That's very large.
@DavidSnyderLumierist Ahh but he did record a Ruffatti. The organ at the Garden Grove Community Church was a Ruffatti. What a recording!!
wow!
@DavidSnyderLumierist
I must correct myself. Virgil did infact record on one Ruffatti, in Crystal Cathedral. I dont know how I ever forgot THAT ordeal. He suffered so in making those two records, perhaps I blocked it out from my memory because of that..
Thank you for recalling that for me.
Blessings
I beg to differ, Virgil recorded 2 direct to disc albums which were later made into CDs. I have the CD's Played on the Ruffati Organ at Robert Schuller's Garden Grove Community Church, in the original Richard Neutra sanctuary before they moved their 5 manual Ruffati into the Crystal Cathedral and combined it with the Aeolian Skinner from Avery Fischer Hall Organ of Lincoln Center.
Virgil! Virgil! Virgil VIRGIL!
@acoustics101 .That recording session blew Virgil away too.I believe the recording experience of Direct to Disc took what was left of his physical strength and in my opinion hastened his death.
David Snyder Revelation Lights/Heavy Organ
Awesome work with CANCER and just before his death! Virgil is the best!!
Sounds a bit like ELP. Virgil Fox was a total badass on the organ. There’s nobody, even today, that has his talent. He was simply amazing.
In case you thought the Hammand B3 was the holy grail, Al Cooper meet Virgil Fox.
@acoustics101
I have that same recording! Yeah, it's amazing. Even today it's clarity beats most CDs. Oh and the performance is amazing, of course.
great work
He cant play bach well but he plays this like a treat
michael whytock Huh? The recording of the Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor on the Rufatti in Garden Grove (The Fox Touch I and Ii) is absolutely the best rendition, bar none. Carlo Curleys interpretation closely mirrors that of Virgil’s, as he was a student of his. Many others manage to screw up the phrasing, as well as an anemic registration instead of the bombast when required.
Below David Snyder (is this THE REVELATION LIGHTS DAVID SNYDER?) posts that Vigil never recorded on ANY Ruffati organ anywhere: I beg to differ, Virgil recorded 2 direct to disc albums which were later made into CDs. I have the CD's recorded on the Ruffati Organ at Robert Schuller's Garden Grove Community Church, in the original Richard Neutra sanctuary before they moved their 5 manual Ruffati into the Crystal Cathedral and combined it with the Aeolian Skinner from Avery Fischer Hall Organ of Lincoln Center. I am pretty sure that poor Virgil had passed away by the time the Davis Symphony Hall concert organ was completed. I think Michael Murray played it. I have a recording of a rare work, Copland's Symphony for Organ and Orchestra which was broadcast on the radio. I recorded it on a cassette tape.
shipsbells Yes, Michael Murray played it on Davis Symphony Hall Organ. The Davis Symphony Hall organ was ready after Vigil Fox's death.
Is there an arrangement of this for sale...???
Not printed. It is just taken from the organ score. He could play all parts all movements from memory.
@bombarde1701 Sorry. Virgil never recorded anything in Davies Hall in SF or on any Ruffatti Organ anywhere,,ever.!
David Snyder Revelation Lights Heavy Organ
Are the video and audio on this clip out of sync a little bit or is the delay on the instrument *that* bad?
I've been playing and listening to this piece for half a century and I disagree with you that it's too fast. He's playing it at about the same tempo that I've heard played by a hundred other organists. Michael Murry, even though a master himself, emasculated this very dynamic piece almost to the point of boredom. Also, changing stops/ranks adds to the overall color and texture of this "supposed to be colorful and textural" masterpiece. Fox may not have played it the best, but he ranks very high.
Is there any way to find a solo organ arrangement of this? I'm dying to do it on a recital! Thanks...
Wehtam, I've seen another video of him playing this instrument, and that video is not from a handheld. Yes, the delay is that bad. It's about a half second. Not at all uncommon for large pipe organs that don't have the latest digital relay systems.
+Ozzman Osgood No electro-pneumatic organ that I know of has a 1/2 second delay in the action. It is did the builder should first be horsewhipped and then refund all the owners money. NEVER!!!! an E-P organ is just as fast as a tracker and you can do the math yourself. The delay is sound traveling from organ chamber to recording microphone. OR delays in the posting - sound and action rarely sync in these posting.
Ozzman Osgood the problem is the audio and video are out of sync. somehow whoever uploaded the video didnt do something right.
Does anyone know where I can get a copy of this for solo organ only? I have looked everywhere and only been able to find the orchestral accompinament.
I know Virgil transcribed this himself, but I was wondering if there was a solo copy out now...
I don't think one exists. My thinking is Virgil did the arr. in his head -- was never written down. Anyone else know different?
Anyone heard of Simon Preston or John Scott? Or have these organists been wiped out?
I truly am ignorant when discussing music with someone like you - I am in fact, quite humbled. I assume that you are an American and that your quest to tell the world of your knowledge is high on your agenda. I did not say that the music she chooses to play is not challenging - i said that there was a certain simplicity in her performances and arrangements. Note perfect they may be - off the page and into my soul they are not! I applaud your list of of organ composers - well done.
hahaha. the sound is off...really good though.
how did Virgil Fox die??
THEKINGOFAMAZEMENT
I believe that Paul is correct. Somebody smashed two analog sources together. And about mistakes... they validate live performance. I make them every day... every minute. Two or three seconds of accoustic decay indicates failure of the architect and other poobahs to consider the requirements of a proper pipe organ, which is 5 seconds minimum.
Good morning facebook family!
Why is it that as soon as you say that the whole Virgil Fox, Carlo Curly, Cameron Carpenter ethos is a load of shit,all the old Queens swing their handbags and say that you are bitter and twisted.
The sound on this video, at least as I'm suffering with on my machine is so poor it is an insult to Virgil Fox and the true recorded sound of the magnificent instrument he is playing. This swill of sound is revolting. Turn the sound off and just watch!
So why don't automobile manufacturers 'heavily modify' our cars to 'suit our driving style'?
What absolute nonsense.
WTF are you talking about?
I don't rate Bish at all. However, Cameron Carpenter has a great technique but dreadful taste!
1) Wonderful organist technician. Very charismatic. Not so wonderful a musician at all. Too many stop changes.. Too fast. Could never play it that fast in Notre Dame Cathedral.
2) Great piece of music, but much better with orchestra. THE most exciting ending to any organ composition.
3) I would need to hear the organ live to comment on it's abilities, but on laptop speakers, the sound is dreadful.
Of course it is dreadful on laptop speakers!
Stupide music !!!! franchement c'est insuportable....
Stupide music !!!! franchement c'est insuportable....beurk !!!