Composed in his youth, in a style so much inspired from Buxtehude's works and, in the adagio, already looking forward in the harmonic world of Schumann and other romantics. Immense artistic sense with no barriers at all. Also, an excellent understanding of the composition by the performer, a real pleasure to listen to.
BRILLIANT! Like an improvisation - As it should be! And how refreshing the registrational echoes in the Pedal Solo and rhythmic variations "off the page" on repeated manual figurations. What a relief that this is "allowed" again! Bach was not a slave to the page, neither are we. BRAVO!
Perhaps my favourite organ work - we chose the fugue from this for the procession at the end of our wedding. (We were very lucky to have an organist who could tackle it.) Smits plays it here with great vitality: seems to have really got inside Bach's head. I love it.
As it's so often the case on this channel, one of the best performances of this piece I have ever heard. Definitely one of my favourite Bach organ pieces. Thank you!
So I was listening to an organist in Spain playing this Toccata/adagio & Fugue in C major and he was just rushing through it and as I listened I began to feel anxious, mind you, I have listened to this adagio many times. I quickly switched to the Netherlands Bach society of this same piece and ....oh what a relief .... what a blessing....I am relaxing, enjoying a well done rendition of this piece as I'm quite sure Bach had intended
Smits captures the emotional content of this wonderful piece. I have not heard the emotion come through so well since I heard a recording by American organist Carl Weinrich performing on the organ of the Vårfrukyrka in Skänninge, Sweden. I first heard it sixty-five years ago; those were the early days of 33 rpm recordings. Weinrich managed to make the final measures of the Adagio (here 10:15 to 10:48) a profoundly "quiet" and prayerful moment. Smits achieves the same effect! Yes, there is still love in this world! Thank you. Thank you, Reitze Smits.
que de souvenirs ! il y a plus de 50 ans j avais achetez un billet pour entendre marie claire alain a geneve a la cathedrale st pierre , mai le titulaire de l orgue a l epoque avais refuser de le preter ! le concert eu lieu au victoria hall et j en garde un souvenir inoubliable !merci a tout ces tres grands artistes , merci a bach et buxtehude et m smits . pierre xavier de chassot .
Did Bach write the greatest arias of all time? Every time I hear one, like this great Adagio, I think so. I found this whole performance and film beautful and deeply, deeply moving. Thank you.
Also love the separate Smits commentary video on this piece. Have listened to this piece all my long life, and learned new things here. Always worth going to the accompanying interviews
Reitze Smits, tout simplement parfait ! Once again, Reitze Smits gives a clear, distinct, intimate and powerful interpretation of this magnificent Bachwork. BRAVO and thank you so much!
Gracias Eternas Maestro Bach por mostrarnos con su música “La Eterna Presencia”.Gratitud a Mr.Smits por hacerse eco del mensaje del Maestro en tan excelente interpretación. “Para Gloria de Dios y Enseñanza del Prójimo” J.S.Bach.
beautiful playing on a beautiful instrument in a beautiful church. i had the privilege to play in that church some years ago, it was a memorable event and i loved being in there.
Wunderschöne Leistung dieser perfekt komponierten Triade in verschiedenen Tempi mit durchsichtigen doch gut phrasierten Tönen der historischen Orgel und mit künstlerisch kontrollierter Dynamik. Wahrhaft intelligenter und genialer Organist!
A favorite Bach piece. (I first heard the Adagio section as part of an old horror movie soundtrack. Much later found out it was Bach from a radio broadcast). I can now choose among several fine versions on RUclips. From Chicago, U.S.A.
very nice? This is the best, as best as it can possibly be! The composer, the organist, the organ, the recording.. the piece of music.. I'm in heven already.
Considering the performer, the instrument and the space (not to mention the composer), this has to be the most artistic and thoughtful interpretation I have heard of this work. Wonderful!
Love this performance! This is also my favourite Bach organ piece... I only managed to learn to play the Toccata part when I was learning pipe organ in school... Was really drawn to it mainly because it is such a showcase technical piece, especially with the pedal work required to play it... brings back memories of endless days practicing this in our school organ!
Everything is propitious for this performance, a great organist, a great organ, the sonority of the space. You could not wish for anything better. exhilarating
I love this piece since Winfried Dahlke played the Adagio on the Schnitger-Wenthin-Ahrend organ in Weener, the recording is here at RUclips. I'm so glad, that now there is also a high quality recording from NBS!
This performance is the performing masterpiece of Bach's masterpiece. All of a sudden life's burden is lighter, happiness and optimism pass through your body and as a fallible, imperfect human being you feel connected with perfection, whatever one might call it. The only god that really exist are fallible imperfect humans, just like Bach. Their vision of perfection is the only heaven we have, it's the only heaven that we know, that exists, and it's here, on Earth. Bach's soul transported through his genius and technical mastery, then through performer's genius and technical mastery, is the world as it should be but it isn't, never was and never will be. Yet it is the only world we have.
Wow!!! Great! In 1990 I used to play this piece this fast. Now I'm wiser and play two times slower, depending on the instrument, the premises, my arthrosis...
This is brilliant playing, indeed. As others have noted, the toccata is played as though improvised , as Bach was sure to have done. I studied this piece in my youth and still love playing it all these many years later . The fugue is rollicking good fun to play…
@@luna_zhang Jazz has HAS Harmony my dear, you are missing the point on a historical level of Music. Bach laid the foundation from counterpoint to dissonance which exists in his Music.
..love this recording, great playing, a fav organ work (of mine) played brilliantly! The debate of this works orthenticity to Bach continue.. a lovely example of classical music nonetheless..
A fabulous performance of my favorite Bach organ work (along with the St. Anne). I recommend a performance (here on YT) of this work by Bl!ndman (note the exclamation instead of an i), a Belgian Sax quartet. Played straight, it has the clarity of the voices and the early pedal solo by the bass sax, sounds like an improvised jazz riff.
For some reason, this organ seems to sound very good on recordings. I used to live next to this church - it is indeed a great organ. But although the nearby organ of the Martinikerk in Groningen is more impressive in real life, I often find recordings are unable to fully capture it's sound.
Leeuwarden klinkt altijd geweldig inderdaad, die kerk is ook fantastisch! Dan ben ik benieuwd wat je dan van ‘mijn’ opname van BWV 564 vindt vanuit de Martinikerk: ruclips.net/video/za_SKnJrPm0/видео.html
It may be heresy, but my favorite is the live from Carnegie Hall by Horowitz. He fat fingerers the opening of the toccata, but still nails the performance
0:07 Toccata
6:13 Adagio
10:52 Fuga
Adagio
Composed in his youth, in a style so much inspired from Buxtehude's works and, in the adagio, already looking forward in the harmonic world of Schumann and other romantics. Immense artistic sense with no barriers at all. Also, an excellent understanding of the composition by the performer, a real pleasure to listen to.
BRILLIANT! Like an improvisation - As it should be! And how refreshing the registrational echoes in the Pedal Solo and rhythmic variations "off the page" on repeated manual figurations. What a relief that this is "allowed" again! Bach was not a slave to the page, neither are we. BRAVO!
I am just missing the words to describe how much joy and comfort it provides to me listening to that music. Instead two words: Thank you!
Perhaps my favourite organ work - we chose the fugue from this for the procession at the end of our wedding. (We were very lucky to have an organist who could tackle it.) Smits plays it here with great vitality: seems to have really got inside Bach's head. I love it.
Played in the real free style of the toccata, one can easily imagine Bach improvising. Very nice interpretation!
@@Highinsight7 See if they'll let you play Forward Toccatas like this . . . .
One of my very favorites of all Bach's magnificent works for organ! The pedal opening is Bach showing off, but how great the show is.
Another glorious performance by Reitze Smits
Heavy Metal from the 18th century, just brilliant. I can't stop hearing this.
As it's so often the case on this channel, one of the best performances of this piece I have ever heard. Definitely one of my favourite Bach organ pieces. Thank you!
So I was listening to an organist in Spain playing this Toccata/adagio & Fugue in C major and he was just rushing through it and as I listened I began to feel anxious, mind you, I have listened to this adagio many times. I quickly switched to the Netherlands Bach society of this same piece and ....oh what a relief .... what a blessing....I am relaxing, enjoying a well done rendition of this piece as I'm quite sure Bach had intended
People at that time wanted to live in the music and not rush through it .
Magnificent. BACH WITH THE SOUNDS FROM THIS ORGANIST. Thank you. It is like Bach is playing himself.❤
Have you heard Bach play? You must be really old.
The Netherlands Bach Society is always contributing with fantastic musical gifts 🎁 Thank you .
What a lovely rendition with a huge amount of clarity and specificity! It is obvious that the organist plays with the reverb of the church!!
What a great recording; Reitze plays really wonderful, the Müller organ is fantastic and the recording (engineer) is outstanding! ❤
Lovely rendition of Bach’s work! Mr Smits does an excellent job at articulating the notes, and is very expressive in his playing. Bravo! 🎉
Absolutely wonderful music beautifully played! The Adagio is magic and almost hypnotic! Thanks for posting! 🌸🌹🌼🌺🌷💐🌻🌞🍁🦋🥰👍😀
Ah, great to hear this played by a Master! And in such fine acoustics! Bravo! Greetings from Canada!
Smits captures the emotional content of this wonderful piece. I have not heard the emotion come through so well since I heard a recording by American organist Carl Weinrich performing on the organ of the Vårfrukyrka in Skänninge, Sweden. I first heard it sixty-five years ago; those were the early days of 33 rpm recordings. Weinrich managed to make the final measures of the Adagio (here 10:15 to 10:48) a profoundly "quiet" and prayerful moment. Smits achieves the same effect! Yes, there is still love in this world! Thank you. Thank you, Reitze Smits.
Yes! As much as I love Biggs, his rendition of the coda of the Adagio hurts my ears.
such perfection makes one cry of joy
que de souvenirs ! il y a plus de 50 ans j avais achetez un billet pour entendre marie claire alain a geneve a la cathedrale st pierre , mai le titulaire de l orgue a l epoque avais refuser de le preter ! le concert eu lieu au victoria hall et j en garde un souvenir inoubliable !merci a tout ces tres grands artistes , merci a bach et buxtehude et m smits . pierre xavier de chassot .
Smits, you exude kindness and wholeness. I love your playing.
Did Bach write the greatest arias of all time? Every time I hear one, like this great Adagio, I think so.
I found this whole performance and film beautful and deeply, deeply moving. Thank you.
Thank you Reitze Smits and the NBS!
Also love the separate Smits commentary video on this piece. Have listened to this piece all my long life, and learned new things here. Always worth going to the accompanying interviews
Oh, that heartbreaking Adagio. Thank you for giving it your whole heart and soul.
Fantastic piece, great organ, masterfully played. I have heard many organists play this, this is up there amoungst the best of performances.
the bass hits on the toccatta sounds so similar to a timpani! Incredible organ and organist
Hervorragend gespielt, im richtigen Tempo und mit der nötigen Emotion!
Reitze Smits, tout simplement parfait ! Once again, Reitze Smits gives a clear, distinct, intimate and powerful interpretation of this magnificent Bachwork. BRAVO and thank you so much!
Best vallenato ever. This man invented that music for sure.
Gracias Eternas Maestro Bach por mostrarnos con su música “La Eterna Presencia”.Gratitud a Mr.Smits por hacerse eco del mensaje del Maestro en tan excelente interpretación.
“Para Gloria de Dios y Enseñanza del Prójimo”
J.S.Bach.
Merci monsieur Reitze Smits....c'est MERVEILLEUX, à égalité avec la sublime- feu Marie-Claire Alain!
beautiful playing on a beautiful instrument in a beautiful church. i had the privilege to play in that church some years ago, it was a memorable event and i loved being in there.
This is the best performance of this work I've ever heard. Incredible. Thank you for sharing with us.
Wunderschöne Leistung dieser perfekt komponierten Triade in verschiedenen Tempi mit durchsichtigen doch gut phrasierten Tönen der historischen Orgel und mit künstlerisch kontrollierter Dynamik. Wahrhaft intelligenter und genialer Organist!
A monument of creativity and genius
Une de mes œuvres préférées de Bach, et en plus une très bonne interprétation 😊 bravo et merci
Beautifully played and meticulously articulated. Thank you so much.
Based on a Prelude from BUXTEHUDE 😮😮😮 .. Thanks Buxtehude.. 🎉🎉🎉
A favorite Bach piece. (I first heard the Adagio section as part of an old horror movie soundtrack. Much later found out it was Bach from a radio broadcast). I can now choose among several fine versions on RUclips. From Chicago, U.S.A.
My new favorite interpretation, Many Thanks!
Wunderschöne Interpretation an diesem prächtigen Instrument!
La fugue finale est magistralement exécutée. Exceptionnel !
very nice? This is the best, as best as it can possibly be! The composer, the organist, the organ, the recording.. the piece of music.. I'm in heven already.
Considering the performer, the instrument and the space (not to mention the composer), this has to be the most artistic and thoughtful interpretation I have heard of this work. Wonderful!
Love this performance! This is also my favourite Bach organ piece... I only managed to learn to play the Toccata part when I was learning pipe organ in school... Was really drawn to it mainly because it is such a showcase technical piece, especially with the pedal work required to play it... brings back memories of endless days practicing this in our school organ!
My favourite Bach organ work and very well played! Bravo!
Superbe, et bien dans l'esprit du Maître. Orgue magnifique. Grazie mille.
Grand performance Adagio is so beautiful love the sound🍃thank's
Everything is propitious for this performance, a great organist, a great organ, the sonority of the space. You could not wish for anything better. exhilarating
This music is so uplifting! 😊
A superb performance! Thanks to everyone involved in the making of this great video.
Oh my god! To play this with your feet…unbelievable.
L'adagio è talmente emozionante da non trattenere le lacrime...grazie
Only've heard the toccata yet, and wow..
One sees the stars
Bravo, maestro!
The toccata is not from this world. Absolutely cosmic.
Same with the Adagio
Pure joy! 💖 Breathtakingly Beautiful. I´m immensely grateful for this superb video! ✨🎧 = )
He plays with so much Deep Emotion!❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉
Wonderful rendition of my favorite Bach piece! Lovely!
I love this piece since Winfried Dahlke played the Adagio on the Schnitger-Wenthin-Ahrend organ in Weener, the recording is here at RUclips. I'm so glad, that now there is also a high quality recording from NBS!
What a magnificent interpretation!
It captured me from the very first note. Awesome recording NBS.
Really enjoyed this performance! Thanks for streaming
Musica meravigliosa e fantastico interprete!
This piece was played to the top of its form.
Indeed brilliant and charged with supplication
wonderfully played and a great video - love Maestro Bach :-)
Magnificent, especially Adagio!❤
Wow! So awesome I'll really need to hear it at least 1k more times!
Idk how anyone can play the pedals with shoes!
This performance is the performing masterpiece of Bach's masterpiece. All of a sudden life's burden is lighter, happiness and optimism pass through your body and as a fallible, imperfect human being you feel connected with perfection, whatever one might call it. The only god that really exist are fallible imperfect humans, just like Bach. Their vision of perfection is the only heaven we have, it's the only heaven that we know, that exists, and it's here, on Earth. Bach's soul transported through his genius and technical mastery, then through performer's genius and technical mastery, is the world as it should be but it isn't, never was and never will be. Yet it is the only world we have.
I've heard recordings of this so many times, yet never knew the first 2 minutes was entirely on pedal.
Such a humble ending to a magnificent piece
Yeah, the ending of the fugue is kind of an afterthought. Probably one of the worst endings to one of the best pieces ever written.
Simply great. Really very well performed. Gives me shivers!
Wonderful.
Wow!!!
Great!
In 1990 I used to play this piece this fast.
Now I'm wiser and play two times slower, depending on the instrument, the premises, my arthrosis...
Realmente una belleza! Thanks Bach Society!!!!
This is brilliant playing, indeed. As others have noted, the toccata is played as though improvised , as Bach was sure to have done. I studied this piece in my youth and still love playing it all these many years later . The fugue is rollicking good fun to play…
Божественная музыка и гармония
Really beautiful 🎼🎹🎹🎹😊
bravissimo complimenti organo stupendo
Bach was Jazz before Jazz was a style. Bach was everything you can think of as far as Music. The most vast imagination. An Ocean. Like Miles.
I'd love to copy this, so true!!
how was bach jazz
@@luna_zhang How was he NOT?
@@eddiemperorwheres the jazz harmony
@@luna_zhang Jazz has HAS Harmony my dear, you are missing the point on a historical level of Music. Bach laid the foundation from counterpoint to dissonance which exists in his Music.
...celestial...me siento acuñada por el adagio me transporta...
Bravo Maestro
Heel mooie orgel en heel goed gespeelt
..love this recording, great playing, a fav organ work (of mine) played brilliantly! The debate of this works orthenticity to Bach continue.. a lovely example of classical music nonetheless..
A fabulous performance of my favorite Bach organ work (along with the St. Anne). I recommend a performance (here on YT) of this work by Bl!ndman (note the exclamation instead of an i), a Belgian Sax quartet. Played straight, it has the clarity of the voices and the early pedal solo by the bass sax, sounds like an improvised jazz riff.
This is perfect. I dont get why it is not listed.
Greetings from Poza Rica, Veracruz, México... Okátelas
Clear phrasing! I like it!
Só beautiful, so relaxing 👍👍
Amazing! Hard to find the right words. Thanks!
Stupendo!
For some reason, this organ seems to sound very good on recordings. I used to live next to this church - it is indeed a great organ. But although the nearby organ of the Martinikerk in Groningen is more impressive in real life, I often find recordings are unable to fully capture it's sound.
Leeuwarden klinkt altijd geweldig inderdaad, die kerk is ook fantastisch!
Dan ben ik benieuwd wat je dan van ‘mijn’ opname van BWV 564 vindt vanuit de Martinikerk: ruclips.net/video/za_SKnJrPm0/видео.html
2:35 an abstract pedal solo turned into a cosmic overture
Beautiful
It may be heresy, but my favorite is the live from Carnegie Hall by Horowitz. He fat fingerers the opening of the toccata, but still nails the performance
Wat een speelvreugde!!!!
Fabulous.