I've heard this classical instrument 'in the flesh' a few times. I've always felt it struggled to sound 'right' when accompanying the more lugubrious aspects of the Anglican repertory. I wonder how it will fare with Darke in F this Wednesday?
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Yes, indeed, perhaps not an immediate marriage made in heaven?
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'Not well' is the answer to that and worse in the Walton Te Deum (through no fault of the organist, I hasten to add).Originally posted by ardcarp View PostComment
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The Rieger was Simon Preston's choice, wasn't it? I don't have vast experience of Austro-German organs, but I do have some and, based on that, and given the rather dry acoustics in Ch Ch, I honestly doubt that Preston could have made a worse choice. A Klais would have been marginally more mellow, but not a lot. Really, the last thing that acoustic needed was an organ from that part of the world. I actually do like "Germanic" organs, but I'd like them a lot more if they weren't typically all principals, flutes and mutations. So often the only strings on these modern organs are a pair of Schwellwerk celestes (maybe with a 4' Fugara). It's a style that seems to rely on mutations for variety of effect, but 8' strings on the Hauptwerk and Positiv would increase the colouring palette no end. The big disappointment is invariably the chorus reeds, which so often sound like an anorexic version of French - all the fire but much less body, typically resulting in a thin, raucous racket that isn't particularly grateful in any organ repertoire and least of all in Anglican church music. Their chamades can be exciting though. The Ch Ch Rieger isn't actually a bad organ; it's just limited and unsuited to its primary purpose in that particular building.Comment
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I have visited Ch Ch (as you abbreviate!) so I have a fair sense of the acoustics, but AFAIK this broadcast was the first time I actually heard the organ. Agree with you, VH, and certainly the Darke would still be delicious sounding at Cornhill.Originally posted by Vox Humana View Post
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The Rieger was indeed Simon Preston's choice, but not his first choice. Originally the contract went to Laurence Phelps of Canada (& Gillian Weir's husband). Regretably Phelps went bust - judging by his lovely instrument in Hexham Abbey, the result at Ch Ch would have been a more 'suitable' organ, but it was not to be. Someone may be able to give chapter and verse, but I think that in the difficulty over the Phelps crash the remaining 'Father Smith' ranks in the Ch Ch instrument went 'missing'...
RJComment
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Mention of Cornhill vs 'continental' organs reminds me of RVW's comments on the proposed RFH instrument, quoted by Mattbod on 22/3/14:
Sirs,
I have read with apprehension an article in praise of the proposed new organ of the Royal Festival Hall. Judging from the specification, this new organ will to my mind accentuate the objectionable "bubble and squeak" tone of organs on the Continent. Is it really proposed that we should abandon in favour of this unpleasant sound the noble diapasons and rich soft mixtures or our best church organs.
I admit that we have some bad organs in England, but at their worst they cannot surely make so nasty a noise as most of those on the Continent. As to the so called "Baroque" organ, which I presume I have heard at its best at the hands of the most distinguished performers, I can only compare it to a barrel organ in the street. This type of instrument is said to be right for playing Bach. For myself I want nothing better than Bach as played by Dr Harold Darke on his typically English Organ at St Micheal's Cornhill.
Ralph Vaughan-Williams.
Dorking
IMO the Ch Ch organ is a much better recital instrument than one suited to accompany the English choral tradition. The inauguration of the organ in 1979 with La Nativité made a great impression.Comment
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Preston (I assume he gave this recital) recorded La Nativité as long ago as 1965, for Argo, on the Westminster Abbey organ.Originally posted by Keraulophone View Post
Available on CD for a while in the Decca Enterprise series, as the 'filler' (actually the 'starter'!) to the Dorati Transfiguration.
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Yes! I bought that at the time on vinyl. One of my first classical purchases, costing 10/6d.Originally posted by Pulcinella View PostComment
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IIRC, Simon Preston performed the Messiaen the day after Francis Grier had the honour of the first public performance on the new Rieger, performing the 'St Anne' Prelude and Fugue as a prelude to the 1723 E flat version of Bach's Magnificat with Christmas interpolations with the Academy of Ancient Music, with whom the Ch Ch Choir had recently recorded the work.Originally posted by Pulcinella View PostComment
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I've just been listening to the fine recital of Walton's choral music that CCCO/Preston released in 1972. It has been reissued on Decca Eloquence c/w Solti's Belshazzar's Feast (Ben Luxon: imperious) and Coronation Te Deum from the Southern Cathedrals' Festival (much racier than the CC broadcast). The LP cover clearly shows them recording in the antechapel of Merton College, beneath the organ, so even in per-Rieger days they preferred recording in a more gracious acoustic than that offered by the cathedral. Their current DoM, Stephen Darlington, accompanies brilliantly, eg in The Twelve, on Merton's 1968 Walker organ.Comment
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Christ Church Cathedral Oxford
Following posts on The Choir here's the 'new' Rieger organ. (We won't be hearing that on this week's CE.) I heard it soon after installation. I've always been in two minds about 'classical' organs in the Anglican Choral tradition.
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I’d generally agree about the point about putting ‘classical’ organs in churches where the Anglican choral tradition is alive and thriving. That music broadly needs a wider, almost orchestral palette and this is rarely provided by the typical flutes and chorus structure of Germanic instruments. I’ve had experience of two Riegers in the UK, Clifton RC Cathedral and Marylebone PC in London.
Clifton was a rather fine instrument, very carefully voiced but has its limitations with a very uncompromising specification. I couldn’t fault the workmanship though, very fine.
Marylebone was altogether different, a bit of a hybrid in a fairly dead acoustic. Looks very impressive on paper but it was a real disappointment with underwhelming reeds and a spec which duplicated itself. Incidentally it was the filthiest console I’ve ever played (and I appreciate it’s also used extensively by the RAM). The keys were almost furred up at the edges. Rather an uncomfortable console.
Hexham Abbey is a fantastic sound (one of Larry Phelps’ triumphs before he went bust) but it does have a more ambient acoustic than CC Oxford.
It’s interesting to note that there is a regular trade in english Victorian instruments being exported to (mostly) German Protestant churches these days. They rather like our Anglican Church music and seem to have realised that a shrieking and thin principal chorus isn’t going to help Stanford and his ilk.
Having said all that the finest instrument I’ve ever played abroad was a Metzler in Austria. It was utterly beguiling. A new instrument in an old case but the workmanship and voicing were beyond criticism.
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Probably the best abroad for me was a Klais in Gottingen. Wonderfully easy to get good articulation, no Baroque 'extremes', comfortable to play and a lovely acoustic.Having said all that the finest instrument I’ve ever played abroad was a Metzler in Austria.Comment
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