Classical music thread

ItBach once traveled nearly 450km only to met Buxtehude and hear him play the organ.
Yes, and to study with him probably, whole way by foot.
There is an official protocol from the Arnstadt "consistorium", in which Bach is interrogated about the reason for several behaviour problems, e. g. how he treats the choir, they criticize him how he "mixes strange notes" in his organ playing ("wunderliche tone beigemischet"), plays for too long, and especially they ask why he remained way longer in Lübbeck (with Buxtehude) than was granted, 4 months instead of 1 :--) ! Bach says, he had to study and "comprehend a few things about my art", that he had improved as a musician during his leave, which is a profit for the municipality of Arnstadt now, so there could be no objection against him. They also ask him about a conflict with a bassoon player, whom Bach had called a "Zippel-Fagottist" (fart-bassoon-player); the bassoon player waited for Bach in the streets afterwards and threatened him, with a dough IIRC, and it almost came to a a duel.
 
Important correction: After careful consideration I've come to the conclusion that "Zippel-Fagottist" means "weenie-basson-player", "fart" is an euphemism I think.
 
This music is larger than life. It makes my heart ache that I will never be able to fully comprehend its beauty.

 
One of Richter's finest recordings—I actually think, one of Bach's finest recordings overall:

The "Dorian" Toccata, BWV 538/1:

The choice of tempo is absolutely brilliant. It feels so simply right.

Also, the (in)famous Toccata by Charles-Marie Widor, played... by no less than Widor himself.
Widor started his career as assistant of Camille de Saint-Saëns, then organist at the Eglise de la Madeleine, and starting from 1870 he served for 63 years as titular organist of St. Sulpice in Paris—a record still unparalleled. He was also Professor of Organ at the Paris Conservatory from 1890, following César Franck's death. A man of great culture and learning, as a composer he is mostly known for his ten organ symphonies, some of which specifically written for the organ he was titular of.
He retired from his position at St. Sulpice in 1933, aged 89, and was succeeded by his former pupil Marcel Dupré. He died in Paris in 1937, aged 93.
The 'Toccata' is the last movement of Widor's 5th organ symphony, composed in 1879, and still remains his best-known work. It traditionally closes the Christmas Midnight Mass at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.


Some question the fact that this recording is too slow and if you point out to them that the organist here is the composer himself, they would say that Widor was aging (he actually was, he was 88 years old when this concert was recorded) so he couldn't play faster.
Personally, I disagree. Also, Widor himself criticized the fact that his 'Toccata' became so popular because organists used it as a technical showoff, playing the piece at blazing fast tempos—it still happens, check Kalevi Kiniemi's version on YouTube.

Thirdly, the best interpretation I know of Boëllmann's 'Menuet Gothique'. It's the second movement of Boëllmann's best-known work, the 'Suite Gothique'. Olivier Latry is playing the Grand Orgue of Notre Dame de Paris—of which he is one of the four titular organists. The recording is taken from a recital held in 1994.


Finally, Marcel Dupré's Prelude and Fugue in G minor, op. 7/3, played by Yves Castagnet, titular organist of the choir organ of Notre Dame de Paris. Dupré composed his op. 7, a series of three preludes and fugues, when he was student at the Paris Conservatory. Widor, then Professor of Organ at the Conservatory, pronounced the first and the third (and particularly this one) unplayable. Matter of fact, Dupré remained the only organist able to play these works in public for years, until Léonce de Saint-Martin (would-be titular organist of Notre Dame from 1937, following Louis Vierne's death) played them to the satisfaction of Dupré's wife.
Dupré succeeded Widor as titular organist of St. Sulpice in Paris in 1934. He held the position until his death in 1971.

 
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Léonce de Saint-Martin (shortened for Léonce Marie-Joseph, Comte de Saint-Martin-de-Paylha) was born in the South of France in 1886. Unlike most professional musicians, he didn't receive formal musical training, and was mainly self-taught. He became assistant of Louis Vierne, titular organist of Notre Dame from 1900 to 1937, and was appointed titular organist immediately after Vierne's death. Saint-Martin served until his death in 1954.
Heavily criticized at the moment of the appointment—his detractors deemed him as an 'amateur organist' because he never entered the Conservatory—, partly because the board of Notre Dame chose him without any competition, he indeed was an astonishing organist. He played Marcel Dupré's op. 7, a series of preludes and fugues of skyrocketing difficulty—even described as 'unplayable' by Charles-Marie Widor—and his interpretation was praised by Dupré's wife.
He was succeeded by Pierre Cochreau.

He was a pious man. Here one of Saint-Martin's finest compositions, his Pastorale op. 35:

 
I love The Art Of Fugue, and the most beautiful piece in it is the first one, Contrapunctus 1, even though later ones are more complicated etc. In Bach's large works, the first piece is often the best IMO (other examples: B Minor Mass first Kyrie, entrance chorus in both Passions...). Here's my favorite recording, that stylistically I shouldn't like, but I love it; perhaps because I grew up with it... it's just marvellous:

Which reminds me, I grew up with Beethoven/Berliner Philharmoniker/Karajan on records. And I'm going to hear the Berliner Philharmoniker in concert for the first time in my life in a few days... sorry, I mean Berliner Philharmoniker*innen... :lol:
 
I love The Art Of Fugue, and the most beautiful piece in it is the first one, Contrapunctus 1, even though later ones are more complicated etc. In Bach's large works, the first piece is often the best IMO (other examples: B Minor Mass first Kyrie, entrance chorus in both Passions...). Here's my favorite recording, that stylistically I shouldn't like, but I love it; perhaps because I grew up with it... it's just marvellous:

Which reminds me, I grew up with Beethoven/Berliner Philharmoniker/Karajan on records. And I'm going to hear the Berliner Philharmoniker in concert for the first time in my life in a few days... sorry, I mean Berliner Philharmoniker*innen... :lol:
Thanks to this I got the urge to try and play some Bach pieces on guitar. A great accompaniment to my morning tea!
 
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