contrabourdon 3Speak Podcast: Recent Episodes
🇦🇺 contrabourdon
Listen and watch the latest videos from contrabourdon. Hosted by 3Speak.tv. The free speech video platform on the HIVE blockchain.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=contrabourdon/trughpdn
This is my rendition of Buxtehude's Nun bitten wir den heiligen Geist (We now implore the Holy Ghost) played on the 1721 Silbermann instrument in St. Georgenkirche Rötha, Germany, using the Hauptwerk VPO software.
This chorale prelude is for the liturgical season of Pentecost—the time following Easter. Many composers have used the Nun bitten wir den heiligen Geist as a compositional setting and Buxtehude wrote two of them(the BuxWV 208 and 209). It's such a beautiful setting and a welcome change from the "organo pleno" works we are used to hearing when referring to Buxtehude. You can really put your personal stamp of musicality, on a work such as this, and choose any appropriate solo registration (to the organist's good taste).
I'm going through a period of listening and playing Buxtehude at the moment, so expect more of his music in the coming weeks 😁
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=contrabourdon/jtcobeeh
This is my rendition of Franz Liszt's Ave Maria von Arcadelt recorded on the organ of St. Stephen's, Penrith, NSW, using the Hauptwerk VPO software. I think this is my first presentation on 3Speak that is showcasing an Australian instrument. Although I haven't played this one in the flesh, it definitely sounds like the average Sydney parish instrument. I have added a little convolution reverb as the sample set is quite dry.
When we think of Liszt, we don't usually associate him with the organ. He's well-known for his virtuosic piano works played by the likes of Lang Lang! Liszt did write big organ works such as the Präludium und Fuge über den Namen BACH, S.260 and the _ Fantasy and Fugue on the chorale "Ad nos, ad salutarem undam", S.259_. However, these works are quite the opposite in terms of volume and complexity with the Ave Maria. It's a paraphrase based on the Arcadelt Ave Maria:
Source
I hope you enjoy this meditative piece of music by Liszt played on a humble Australian parish pipe organ.
Score: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/ave-maria-von-arcadelt-sheet-music/19832019?aff_id=478282
Sample set: https://www.appletonaudio.com/sample-sets/st-stephens-penrith/
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=contrabourdon/jkaqqwqe
This is my rendition of Douglas E. Wagner's Trumpet Tune on 'Hyfrydol' recorded on the Armley Schulze organ of St. Bartholomew, Leeds (UK) using the Hauptwerk VPO software.
HYFRYDOL refers to a hymn tune with the meter 87.87 written by Rowland Huw Prichard. Douglas Wagner composed a setting based on this tune in the form of a Trumpet Tune. It's commonplace for composers to take hymn tunes and create compositions based on them. Interesting, I have always played the hymn in F major where as this postlude is in A-flat major. Upon further research, the original key of the hymn tune was in fact A-flat major!
I hope you enjoy this short postlude on the Schulze organ. The score is available from the Lorenz Corporation if you wish to obtain it.
Source
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=contrabourdon/pyelgijf
This is my rendition of the Fugue movement from Denis Bédard's Suite du deuxième ton. It's the final movement of this modern take on the French Classical suite. It was recorded on the St. Pons-de-Thomières, Micot Organ (1771) from Sonus Paradisi.
A Fugue always starts off with a single voice and is then subsequently imitated in other voices. What may seem pretty straightforward in the beginning, soon becomes a polyphonic composition of epic proportions! It's quite important to start a Fugue steady because it can quickly unravel once the musical texture gets dense. In the general music world, I believe the most popular Fugues are by Bach—namely the Toccata and Fugue in D minor (BWV 565) and the Fugue in G minor "Little" (BWV 578).
I hope you enjoy this Fugue by Bédard on the St. Pons Grand jeu registration.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=contrabourdon/vtgfwqdi
This is my rendition of the Récit movement from Denis Bédard's Suite du deuxième ton. There is one final movement (Fugue) left from this modern take on the French Classical repertoire. This was recorded on the St. Pons-de-Thomières, Micot Organ (1771) from Sonus Paradisi.
After a short hiatus from my @threespeak uploads, I'm glad to be able to present the Récit movement (even though I uploaded the Écho movement before the Récit!). The title of this piece simply indicates that a solo voice is to be used for the melody and accompanied by soft Flutes (Bourdon). In this composition, Bédard asks specifically for the Cromorne as the solo. The next upload will be the mighty Fugue sur les Grand jeux!
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=contrabourdon/nfejtngn
A few days ago, I came across Silver Octopus Studios which is a company that offers complete solutions for the Hauptwerk virtual pipe organ software. Since I have found my way back into Hauptwerk again, I have been on the hunt for sample sets to try out. Hauptwerk enthusiasts will agree with me that collecting organs is some form of addiction...but well worth it! It gives you the opportunity to play instruments from all over the world without the troubles of gaining access—plus you can enjoy them from the comfort of your home or studio.
I contacted Silver Octopus Studios as I wanted to demo their Concert 10 instrument. They replied very promptly with a download link and I went on my happy way testing it out. I ended up recording a little piece by Gordon Young, The Angelus. I emailed this to them and they asked if they could use it on their site...of course, I was happy to oblige! To cut a long story short, I have been asked to demo a few more of their sample sets. With the recent release of Hauptwerk V, the built in impulse reverb feature can turn dry sample sets into wet ones (more reverb). So it would be good to demo some of their sample sets with the added reverb.
This video is a demonstration of their Anonymous @ 1760-1780 instrument. It comes in two variations—a two manual and single manual instrument. The single manual version moves the 4' Swell flute to join the Great and with additional Sesquialtera / Cornet stops. The disposition is as follows:
MANUAL
Open Diapason 8'
Stopped Diapason 8' Bass
Stopped Diapason 8' Treble
Dulciana 8'
Principal 4'
Wald Flute 4'
Fifteenth 2'
Sesquilatera Bass II Ranks Bass
Sesquilatera Bass II Ranks Treble
PEDAL
Bourdon 16'
I hope you enjoy my demonstration of this organ in tiny church, in a little countryside village. Stay tuned for the next demonstration of the Avery 1792 instrument.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=contrabourdon/omxegjjx
This is my rendition of the Écho movement from Denis Bédard's Suite du deuxième ton. Over the next few posts, I will be showcasing each movement from this modern take on the French Classical repertoire. This was recorded on the St. Pons-de-Thomières, Micot Organ (1771) from Sonus Paradisi.
Silly me...I uploaded the Écho movement before the Récit! This is movement IV...sorry, I skipped the Gavotte. I will upload it next time. The Écho is pretty self explanatory—it alternates between two registrations, that being the Voix Humaine (buzzy reed stop) and the Bourdon. I always get a little giggle at the end of the piece when I perform this in public. Make sure you listen right up until the end to see why :)
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=contrabourdon/vknlzily
This is my rendition of the Gavotte movement from Denis Bédard's Suite du deuxième ton. Over the next few posts, I will be showcasing each movement from this modern take on the French Classical repertoire. This was recorded on the St. Pons-de-Thomières, Micot Organ (1771) from Sonus Paradisi.
The Gavotte movement represents a dance and calls for two distinct voices. I am using the Cornet against the Cromorne—this is a very common registration in the French Classical music school! In the middle section, which moves to a major key, I am using the 8' Bourdon and 4' Prestant on the Positif. I then return to the original registration.
The next movement is the Récit...stay tuned!
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=contrabourdon/fibqhxfe
This is my rendition of the Plein Jeu movement from Denis Bédard's Suite du deuxième ton. Over the next few posts, I will be showcasing each movement from this modern take on the French Classical repertoire. Last night, I acquired the St. Pons-de-Thomières, Micot Organ (1771) from Sonus Paradisi. I was after a French classical organ to play this school of music and the St. Pons instrument was recommended to me by Steemian @tormus1958—he has actually played it in person.
The French classical school were very particular in how the composed. Their composition titles are generally the type of registration that is called for in the piece. The Plein Jeu registration requires the Principals at 16′, 8′, 4′ and 2′ plus Mixtures. To the general public, this sounds like the traditional "organ sound" that we all associate the organ with.
I hope you enjoy my rendition of this Plein Jeu movement by Denis Bédard.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=contrabourdon/wghatuts
This is my entry for the Secrets of Organ Playing Contest Week 54. I'm playing the 1st movement of Walther's Concerto in B minor (after Meck). This piece is Walther's transcription of a String Concerto written by Meck (or Vivaldi?). In true Italian compositional style, we hear alternating tutti and solo sections throughout the piece. The plenum registration represents the orchestra and the light registration on 8' + 2' is the soloist.
I hope you enjoy my rendition of the 1st movement of Walther's Concerto in B minor. Perhaps I will record the other two movements in the coming weeks.
Source - pg. 11
▶️ Watch on YouTube
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=contrabourdon/agxenrjo
Apologies for the prefix to the title of my arrangement of Pachelbel's Canon in D for organ. This is just one of many messages I receive from YouTube informing that me that I am violating copyright or licensing. I wholeheartedly accept that stealing music is bad (being a musician myself), but given that my repertoire probably spans 90% of public domain material, many of these claims are pain to deal with. How can SOCAN claim rights to Pachelbel's music? That's funny! And to top it off, this is my original performance recorded on the 1721 Silbermann instrument in St. Georgenkirche Rötha, Germany, using the Hauptwerk VPO software.
Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy my own arrangement of this piece. I decided to create my own arrangement because it's such a popular wedding piece and I wasn't too happy with all the other arrangements available (even commercially). Mine is simple and effective, plus you can repeat certain sections if more time is required for the bridal party to reach the sanctuary. The score is available on Score Exchange.
Source
One of the benefits of using @threespeak, as a musician, is that I don't have to deal with all these copyright strikes—instead I would be subject to the community in regards to upvotes/downvotes.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=contrabourdon/guoigdxn
This is my rendition of Handel's Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne arranged by my organ friend, Phil Lehenbauer. This piece was most recently and famously played at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Lehenbauer's suggested registrations call for Swell Strings and a Solo Flute or Trumpet. Neither of these are available on 1721 Silbermann instrument in St. Georgenkirche Rötha, Germany! These are the challenges we face as organists—that being, every instrument is different and we have to be creative and make use of what we have presently at our disposal.
The registration I used was this:
OW: 8' + 4' + 2-2/3' + 1-3/5'
HW: 8'
PD: 16'
I think it came off quite nicely...let me know what you think in the comments.
As another matter of interest, the manual compass of this instrument is only 4 octaves, so it was not possible to hit this top D. I played this fragment down an octave and it still sounds acceptable.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=contrabourdon/bubuszoj
This is my rendition of Handel's Variations from Organ Concerto Op. 4 No. 1. It was recorded on the Mascioni instrument at Azzio Convent Church, Italy, using the Hauptwerk VPO software.
The organ arrangement is from The Oxford Book of Wedding Music for Manuals. Written in only two parts, this piece is deceivingly difficult to play cleanly as there is no where to "hide". There is a common misconception that the less notes per part equals "easier to play
—however, this is not the case. You only have to look at the Two-Part Inventions by JS Bach, the Sinfonias (Three-Part Inventions) and his Trio Sonatas to get an idea of how challenging independent part playing is.
I hope you enjoy my rendition of this Handel work and the Mascioni instrument. The next recording and upload will showcase a different organ! I've enjoyed my recent recording sessions on this charming little instrument.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=contrabourdon/kvmbkaqq
This is my rendition of Preludium in G minor by Mathias van den Gheyn. I recently acquired the 1721 Silbermann instrument in St. Georgenkirche Rötha, Germany, so I decided to record a Baroque work on this fabulous historic instrument. The small 2 manual organs by Gottfried Silbermann often had no manual reeds, only pedal reeds—this is where the idea of "organo pleno" came from. This instrument has also been played by Felix Mendelssohn during his period in Leipzig. The manual compass is 49 notes (4 octaves) and the pedal compass is 25 notes (extended to 27 in Hauptwerk). A few days ago, I expressed my concern to @partitura about this limitation but he assured me I can play most Baroque works with this compass.
This sample set was released in 2007, so it's quite old in terms of where Hauptwerk sample sets are up to now. However, I am confident in using my existing MDA sets so I decided to get this one for now. I'm very pleased with the sound and I've compared it with live recordings available on YouTube. Having the impulse reverb options in Hauptwerk V5 make all the difference too.
I hope you enjoy my organo pleno rendition of this piece which is available in the public domain: http://ks4.imslp.net/files/imglnks/usimg/a/af/IMSLP167393-WIMA.57b2-VanDenGheyn-1,Preludium.pdf
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=contrabourdon/tduphnuh
This is my rendition of "The Swan" by Camille Saint-Saëns (arr. Guilmant) recorded on the Henry Willis organ in Salisbury Cathedral (England), using the Hauptwerk VPO software. The score is in the public domain and may be obtained here: http://conquest.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/5/57/IMSLP45738-PMLP06099-Saint-Sa%C3%ABns_-La_carnival_des_animaux-Le_Cygne(trans.Guilmant-_organ).pdf
The Swan is a popular classical work and is the best known movement from Saint-Saëns' The Carnival of the Animals. The original composition is for Cello and accompanied by two pianos. There are countless transcriptions of this work, and today, I'm sharing with you the Alexandre Guilmant transcription for organ. In Guilmant's score, he suggests the Hautbois (Oboe) or Trompette (Trumpet) as the solo voice. I believe this choice was suggested because these ranks are commonly under expression (ability to change dynamics). Of course, I could have also used a more "string like" solo, like a light Diapason—there are plenty of options depending on the instrument you are playing it on!
I hope you enjoy my rendition of this piece on a lovely English instrument (assisted by a generous acoustic!).