Live in Concert 27.3.14 - Olivier Latry

[ardcarp]

I am always in awe of blind organists and France with Vierne, Langlais, Litaize and Jean-Pierre Leguay ha produced a stunning crop of them. I know God makes up for a loss of one sense with the giving of heightened powers in another occasionally but even so it is very impressive. I always wonder though how a sighted teacher teaches music to a blind organist. I guess there is a music version of braille but can a sighted organist understand it. I really wish I asked one of my old teachers the Worcester organ builder Trevor Tipple (another Neo Classical buff and a fine player) as he taught at the blind school in Worcester which has a very decent Nicholson organ in it and has produced some great young players.

There was I believe a big institution (in Paris?) for the education of blind children...mainly boys IIRC....and music was an important aspect of it. Unfortunately I have lost/forgotten the source of information I had about this (was it the Braille Institute???) so if anyone knows about it do please let us know.

Nearer home, the RNIB school at Hereford shamefully shut its piano tuning department a few years ago...the only place in the UK (Europe?) where blind students could acquire that skill.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/intouch_20080708.shtml

[scroll down to find Peter White's interview on In Touch]

Whether God or just a natural brain process is responsible for heightening other senses when one is lost, I can't comment!

[Old Grumpy]

Whether God or just a natural brain process is responsible for heightening other senses when one is lost, I can't comment!

Perhaps both!

[vinteuil]

There was I believe a big institution (in Paris?) for the education of blind children...mainly boys IIRC....and music was an important aspect of it. Unfortunately I have lost/forgotten the source of information I had about this (was it the Braille Institute???) so if anyone knows about it do please let us know.

... possibly the Quinze-Vingts?

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hôpital_des_Quinze-Vingts

or, perhaps, the Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles (INJA)?

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institut_National_des_Jeunes_Aveugles

.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institut_National_des_Jeunes_Aveugles

.

Gaston Litaize attended INJA, I think - as did Louis Vierne and Jean Langlais...





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[Mattbod]

What harangue was that Sir Velo Please pray tell! I am just listening to the start of the recital now. It is unlike Latry to harangue anyone as he is a pretty laid back bloke!

As to the shutting down of the piano tuning department of the blind school, that is a terrible shame. I think it might be due to old fashioned stigma though? I mean wasn't it Edwardian cliche that the only job for a blind kid was to tune pianos? Even so good tuners sighted or not are like gold dust so the more training the better.

@Vinteuil thank you so much for the info and links!

[Old Grumpy]

What harangue was that Sir Velo Please pray tell! I am just listening to the start of the recital now. It is unlike Latry to harangue anyone as he is a pretty laid back bloke!

Should be after the interval and before the beginning of the Widor in the second half IIRC.

OG

[Mattbod]

Just heard it on Iplayer and absolutely agree with him. As I have said elsewhere Olivier Latry is a perfectionist and not only devoted to his music but his audience and no doubt he would be upset that some people would have paid to hear something that did not happen. I think he got a very warm response from the audience because of this and think it is a terrible shame. I hope there are some red faces at the publishers, there should be!

[ardcarp]

I agree with him absolutely too. But it is ironic that when taking music to France, there seem to be draconian rules about playing anything that they think might be subject to (what we call) performing rights. I don't fully understand it all, 'cos I'm not involved with admin, but I know everyone is quite jittery about the rules over there.

[Old Grumpy]

Just heard it on Iplayer and absolutely agree with him. As I have said elsewhere Olivier Latry is a perfectionist and not only devoted to his music but his audience and no doubt he would be upset that some people would have paid to hear something that did not happen. I think he got a very warm response from the audience because of this and think it is a terrible shame. I hope there are some red faces at the publishers, there should be!

Jessica Duchen has a brief explanation here - not sure I'm any the wiser!

OG

[mercia]

is the transcription by Latry himself ? (and is it for two people seated at one organ ? )
Telegraph impressed with the improvisation

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/classicalconcertreviews/10730295/Olivier-Latry-Royal-Festival-Hall-review.html

[ardcarp]

I liked this bit....

"The famous toccata at the end was crystal-clear, and was a reminder of how often we hear [render] that piece played badly."

My insert.

[Frances_iom]

Jessica Duchen has a brief explanation

no she is just a blogger with no actual knowledge of the situation but no doubt the adclicks are useful - catch is the web is dominated by such who merely add noise and no enlightenment

[MrGongGong]

is the transcription by Latry himself ? (and is it for two people seated at one organ ? )

Yes
There used to be a wonderful Youtube film of it played by him and Shin-Young Lee playing this version.
Alas that has been taken down due to the same issue that meant he couldn't play it at the RFH

[mercia]

thanks
just wondering if he could have got round the problem by changing a few notes here and there and calling it a new unpublished version

[Frances_iom]

I'd like to see some authoritative statement - looks as tho Latry was stopped via the European (French inspired) copyright clause giving an artist certain rights as to how their published work is displayed (or played I guess with music) - Stranvinksy was a master at changing a few notes etc in order to obtain better copyright protection esp un USA which used to have a much laxer system - Stravinksy has been dead long since and can't give any opinion - I'd like to see posthumous copyrights severely restricted.

[MrGongGong]

no she is just a blogger with no actual knowledge of the situation but no doubt the adclicks are useful - catch is the web is dominated by such who merely add noise and no enlightenment

Actually she is quoting Clare Stevens who does know about these things so I would maybe think that is "actual knowledge".