Prom 66 (1.9.12): Cameron Carpenter plays Bach (1)

[vinteuil]

... I did find it hard to listen to.

I wonder whether he might not be happier in the more cinema-organ friendly spheres of Lefébure-Wely, Boëllman, Boëly, Widor, Ferlus, Dubois, Batiste, Ponsan and the like.

He didn't seem to understand Bach's sense of structure and counterpoint at all.

[french frank]

I wonder whether he might not be happier in the more cinema-organ friendly spheres of Lefébure-Wely, Boëllman, Boëly, Widor, Ferlus, Dubois, Batiste, Ponsan and the like.

I suspect that Bach à la Carpenter is easier to sell to the particular fanbase (if I may describe it in that way) than, for instance, some of the florid French(-style) works.

What I particularly love about the Baroque organ repertoire is the Lutheran sobriety which this 'performance' is so completely at odds with. Now playing: Peter Hurford, Fugue In G, BWV 577, Gigue, which manages to sound dance-like yet contained at the same time. It's about the music, not about the performer.

[Mary Chambers]

He reminds me of Liberace, but thinner.

[Vile Consort]

At one time there were two regular organ programs. One of them was called "Organ Gallery" and involved a visit to an English cathedral (usually) where the presenter discussed the organ at the console with the organist, who demonstrated individual stops, and played a number of pieces. Rather geeky, but quite an education. There were about six episodes a year.

There was another program which just played organ music, often recordings of recitals or of competition performances, or sometimes from gramophone records. There may have been 13 eposides of this per annum. I seem to remember one series featured all the sonatas by Josef Rheinberger.

Both programmes were broadcast at the end of the radio 3 day (probably 10.30 - 11 pm).

After that, organ music got a fairly regular late afternoon slot. Peter Hurford introduced me to the music of Louis Marchant and Cesar Franck in these programmes. I remember he also played the whole of Bach's organ works. There were also recordings of recitals and competitions. I vividly remember hearing Jaroslav Tuma's prize-winning performance of Liszt's Ad Nos Ad Salutarem Undam at the Numerberg organ competition in 70's. It was a stunning performance that I can hear in my mind's ear to this day; I have never heard the last page played as satisfactorily since.

[Anna]

He reminds me of Liberace, but thinner.

And, when I heard him interviewed my first thought was - Prententious? Moi?

[ahinton]

Well - any comments on his transcription of the finale of Mahler 5 or indeed of his performance thereof?...

And, by the way, whoever writes for "forumlamentum" is certainly ain't Syd!

[Vile Consort]

And, by the way, whoever writes for "forumlamentum" is certainly ain't Syd!

Indeed. Syd would know what "legato" meant, for a start.

[VodkaDilc]

and a sort of ticking off from the announcer at the end - "what's not to like?" he asked

And from one of the few remaining announcers whose views we can respect - Jonathan Swain.

I thought the Mahler was great fun. I can't help feeling that the more critical comments about CC are coming from those who are comparing him with organists of the Hurford/Preston calibre. Why not think of the Prom as a superior mixture of Town Hall Concert, complete with the usual arrangements, and a cinema organist's recital of the 1930s? I wish I could have been there. It sounded as if the audience really enjoyed it.

[Contre Bombarde]

[QUOTE=mercia;200994Prodigious feat of memory and he has an amazing technique....[/QUOTE]

For an equally prodigious memory and a better technique but with added integrity, musicality and no flashy circus tricks at the console try Thomas Trotter's DVD from Birmingham Town Hall. An organ of a similar breed to the RAH (Willis/Mander) and quite wonderfully performed music of a type for which town hall instruments were built.

Thomas lets the music speak for itself and does not need to use anything else to engage the viewer and listener.

[mangerton]

As Vile Consort has said, there were regular organ programmes. There was certainly a at least one regular weekly programme; there may even have been two at one time. This would be 30+ years ago.

Peter Hurford recorded the complete works of JSB and these were broadcast in 1979, as far as I remember around 6.30 pm on Saturdays.

[VodkaDilc]

cannot for the life of me see the point of playing a Mahler symphony on the organ, :

There are some wonderful CDs of organ arrangements of symphonies. Just quickly looking at my CD shelves I think of Tchaikovsky 4 and Schubert Unfinished played by David Briggs; no-one expects it to rival the original, but it's enjoyable to hear.

The revival in organ arrangements of orchestral works over recent years is something to be welcomed. Thomas Trotter has been a major figure in this, I think.

[VodkaDilc]

For an equally prodigious memory and a better technique but with added integrity, musicality and no flashy circus tricks at the console try Thomas Trotter's DVD from Birmingham Town Hall. An organ of a similar breed to the RAH (Willis/Mander) and quite wonderfully performed music of a type for which town hall instruments were built.

Thomas lets the music speak for itself and does not need to use anything else to engage the viewer and listener.

Once again I seem to have overlapped with Contre Bombarde. Nice to know we share an appreciation of TT. (It's fascinating to compare his CD on the unrestored Town Hall organ, recorded in 1986, with Restored to Glory, recorded in 2007.)

[Vile Consort]

The revival in organ arrangements of orchestral works over recent years is something to be welcomed.

No it isn't. In almost all cases, the arrangement is a pale imitation which makes the listener painfully aware of how much better the original is, and how preferable it would have been to have spent his admission fee on admittance to a proper performance of the work by the instruments for which the composer wrote it. It is like a dog walking on its hind legs - not done well, but one is amazed it can be done at all. And of the difficulty of performing such arrangements: "Difficult do you call it, Sir? I wish it were impossible!"

[VodkaDilc]

No it isn't. In almost all cases, the arrangement is a pale imitation which makes the listener painfully aware of how much better the original is, and how preferable it would have been to have spent his admission fee on admittance to a proper performance of the work by the instruments for which the composer wrote it. It is like a dog walking on its hind legs - not done well, but one is amazed it can be done at all. And of the difficulty of performing such arrangements: "Difficult do you call it, Sir? I wish it were impossible!"

Transcriptions are long-established and a valued part of our musical heritage. Bach did them - and he knew a bit about music!

[Alf-Prufrock]

Indeed. Syd would know what "legato" meant, for a start.

I now agree, after reading the blog, that the writer cannot be Syd. I was rather hoping to encourage a response from Mr. Grew, but it seems I have failed.