Friday Night Organ: Wagner Die Walküre

[PistolPeteParticipant 27143]

Oddly Wagner did not compose any music for the organ—very odd for a German composer, Even Brahms had to pay some small lip service to the king of instruments. However through the good offices of Edwin Lemare, the brilliant English organist and composer of the last century, we have transcriptions of Wagner’s works. Below is the famous ride of the Valkyrie played upon the restored 1910 Skinner organ of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in NY.

The Cathedral campus boasts six organs. The largest of them, The Great Organ, was built by the Ernest M. Skinner Company in 1910 as Op. 150, and rebuilt and enlarged by G. Donald Harrison of Aeolian-Skinner in 1954 as Op. 150-A. After a devastating fire in 2001, the Great Organ was painstakingly restored by Quimby Pipe Organs of Warrensburgh, Missouri under the supervision of Douglass Hunt, Organ Curator of the Cathedral. The Great Organ is widely considered to be the masterpiece of American pipe organ building and is an acclaimed national treasure. It is a four manual and pedal, seven division, electro-pneumatic action instrument of 151 ranks and 8,514 pipes. The Great Organ has several extraordinary features, including the world famous State Trumpet above the Cathedral’s West End, one of the most powerful organ stops in the world.

Fortunately the video with this selection is no where near as depressing as last weeks bit about the bombing of Lubeck.

Next up to bat is the Overture to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg — Scott Dettra, organist Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas

[It’sallbsParticipant]

http://www.leavemeansleave.eu

[PistolPeteParticipant 27143]

OK fine Itsallbs’s selection is a bit better than the one I found largely because the Organ John Scott is using has a much more Germanic flavor to it in terms of tonal quality — even though it is in England.

[It’sallbsParticipant]

Well we are all subjegated to a German family they changed their name to Windsor during world war 1.

fcukin oompa

http://www.leavemeansleave.eu

[PistolPeteParticipant 27143]

It’sallbs wrote:

Well we are all subjegated to a German family they changed their name to Windsor during world war 1.

Well there are times that isn’t all together a bad thing. Things were much happier in Germany under the Kaiser.

[It’sallbsParticipant]

Fcukin Fritz

http://www.leavemeansleave.eu

[MACHOParticipant]

It’s not organ but thanks to your organ topic and youtube I found this lovely Liberace Audience Requests Medley.

You must own a better Crystal ball than I

[hmskl’dParticipant 6406]

Wagner’s music was a continual fascination for Grieg ..Edvard Grieg first encountered Richard Wagner in 1858 when he went to see Tannhäuser

[PistolPeteParticipant 27143]

Just thought this was pretty cool

[It’sallbsParticipant]

Now this is what It’sallbs calls an organ…

http://www.leavemeansleave.eu

[It’sallbsParticipant]

Now this is what It’sallbs calls an organ…

http://www.leavemeansleave.eu

[Anonymous 14]

I must say Pete, WELL DONE THIS WEEK!!!

[The man in the mountainParticipant 4102]

I missed this sorry PETE!, i have been ghosting too hard lately i hope you are doing good friend.

[Gravel PitParticipant]

…and as I slooshied, I knew such lovely pictures!

Thanks gentlemen, better late than never but thoroughly enjoyed.

[Author]

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