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Would you like to master Dies sind die heilgen Zehn Gebot, BWV 635 by J.S. Bach?

I've created this practice score with complete fingering and pedaling so that our students could master this chorale prelude from the Orgelbuchlein efficiently, saving many hours of frustration and achieving ideal articulation - articulate legato.

Thanks to Alan Peterson for his meticulous transcription from slow motion video.

Basic level. PDF score. 1 page. 50 % discount is valid until March 31.

Check it out here

This score is free for Total Organist students.

By the time you guys read this, Ausra and I should have traveled to the French Alps - to play an organ duet recital in Alpe d'Huez at Notre Dame des Neiges on the organ designed by the late Jean Guillou (the notorious palm-shaped organ facade) next Thursday.

We are flying from Vilnius to Lyon and going by bus to Grenoble and from there to Alpe d'Huez. This place is a famous ski resort which has organ concert series all year round every Thursday. We will try to report from the location how we are doing 1880 meters above sea level...

By the way, support might be limited until next Saturday because we don't know what kind of Internet connection we will get in the mountains...

 Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas!
 
Ausra: And Ausra!
 
V: Let’s start episode 414 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Jeremy, and he is on the team who transcribes our fingering and pedaling videos. So, he writes:
 
I have been struggling with the Bach Dorian Fugue.  The notes for the most part are there at half speed, but getting it up to speed has been… difficult.  This being said, I did have a bright moment today that I will verify tomorrow by phone. I am learning the Dorian's Toccata and fugue for the AAGO exam in June.  As I filled out the paperwork for I thought today, I realized only the Toccata is on the list of pieces. Huzzah! I can almost play that part of it up to speed already!

V: So Ausra, I wrote to Jeremy that even though the fugue is not required for the Associates AGO exam, I hope he will still be practicing it, and he said yes, he fell in love with the fugue, and he will be trying to master it in time.
 
A: Actually, I also like the Fugue of this Dorian Toccata, even better than the Toccata itself.
 
V: I agree. Somehow, this fugue is so polyphonically complex, that it could be like a compendium of Bach’s canonic techniques. It has all kinds of subject entrances in all kinds of intervals, and especially canonic subjects, where one subject is following another at certain distances—at a certain interval—and these intervals and distances, they vary between each other, and that’s the most beautiful part of it.
 
A: So, it’s a very good example to study if you want to  explore a fugue, and how might be composed. What do you think about Toccata?
 
V:  Well, Toccata… it’s a tricky piece to play, actually, because of the motoric motion. You have to have a decent finger technique, and quite a good coordination between hands and feet.
 
A: Well, true, but don’t you think that that motoric motion throughout the piece makes it a little bit boring comparing to others of Bach’s Toccatas for organ? Because none of the other toccatas are so mechanically even.
 
V: I know what you mean, and this Dorian Toccata might be one of the earlier examples of modern toccatas, where we have examples of Widor Toccata or Böelmann Toccata, or Gigout Toccata, or Dubois Toccata, where the same pattern is repeated over and over again. Having said that, Dorian Toccata is still composed from a couple of different episodes, which are presented interchangeably in different keys. But as you say, 16th notes, those rhythms dominate the piece.
 
A: True, and of course, all toccatas have some mechanical motion. That’s what it is for, but I think in this toccata, it’s the most prominent.
 
V: Do you remember the origins of the toccata with the Italians?
 
A: Yes, I remember it. It comes from the Italian word “toccare,” which means “to touch.”
 
V: And it doesn’t say to touch fast, or motorically, or virtuosically at all. Right? In those days, if we talk about Frescobaldi or earlier composers such as Diruta, Merula, they wrote sectional toccatas, sort of like ricercars, but maybe more passages and runs throughout the piece, I would say, but they really resemble the ricercare in nature.
 
A: True! So, I think that Italian toccatas, especially, are well suited for church services, because they are sectional.
 
V: And why do people need sectional toccatas today?
 
A: Well, because sometimes in the liturgy, you don’t know how long you will have to play, so if you know the piece is sectional, you can finish at the end of any section, basically, or you could repeat some of the sections if you need more music.
 
V: I think Frescobaldi wrote, in his “Fiori Musicali,” that this is the reason he created sectional pieces—for various Mass parts, that organists could stop at the end of any episode.
 
A: Well, and that’s especially true with the Catholic churches, because you never know how much attendance you will have, and how long it will last—one or another section of the Mass.
 
V: Right, and for this reason, of course, improvisation is very useful—in earlier days, and today as well, because you can end on your own timing.
 
A: True, but if you don’t want to improvise, then play Italian music.
 
V: So guys, we hope this was useful to you. If you are studying pieces like Dorian Toccata and Fugue, don’t give up just yet, and work on gradually expanding your fragments. I found this technique very beneficial in reaching the concert tempo. And remember, when you practice,
 
A: Miracles happen.

Would you like to master Christ lag in Todesbanden, BWV 625 by J.S. Bach?

I've created this practice score with complete fingering and pedaling so that our students could master this chorale prelude from the Orgelbuchlein efficiently, saving many hours of frustration and achieving ideal articulation - articulate legato.

Thanks to Alan Peterson for his meticulous transcription from slow motion video.

Basic level. PDF score. 1 page. 50 % discount is valid until March 29.

Check it out here

​This score is free for Total Organist students.

Today, instead of a podcast conversation I would like to share with you the audio of my newest organ demonstration I just did for a group of 5th graders from Vilnius International School in English. On the Klais organ at Lutheran church was my colleague Dovile Savickaite and I talked about the pipe organ, J.S. Bach and his music.

Let me know what you think.

Would you like to master Heut' triumphiret Gottes Sohn, BWV 630 by J.S. Bach?

I've created this practice score with complete fingering and pedaling so that our students could master this chorale prelude from the Orgelbuchlein efficiently, saving many hours of frustration and achieving ideal articulation - articulate legato.

Thanks to Jeremy Owens for his meticulous transcription from slow motion video.

Basic level. PDF score. 1 page. 50 % discount is valid until March 27.

Check it out here

This score is free for Total Organist students.

 Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas!
 
Ausra: And Ausra!
 
V: Let’s start episode 411 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Michael, and he writes:
 
"Hello Vidas and Ausra, I would very much enjoy an episode of Secrets of Organ Playing where you discuss the compositional characteristics of Max Reger's organ music, as well as what compositional processes Reger employs that makes his music so recognizably his own. Thank you both, Michael"
 
V: Have you played a few pieces by Reger, Ausra?
 
A: Yes, I have.
 
V: Me, too! I think Reger is a very special composer, don’t you think?
 
A: Well, definitely. Once you’ve played it, you will never forget him.
 
V: Yes. Some people hate him, and some people adore him. But there are probably none who are simply neutral.
 
A: Well, that’s, I guess, true.
 
V: ...who know his music, of course. There are plenty of people who don’t know his music, then, of course, they don’t have an opinion.
 
A: True. And, I believe that it’s like Brahms and Bach in that way. Somebody loves Bach and probably doesn’t like Brahms, and vice versa.
 
V: Mhm… So, Reger, I think, we need to look at his influences. Right? He definitely loves Bach’s music.
 
A: Well, in general, I would say that he is sort of a neo-classical composer. Don’t you think so?
 
V: Yes, that’s because he is so polyphonic!
 
A: Yes, and look at all those forms that he chose to compose his compositions. I remember I have played Six Trios by him, and that’s definitely Bach’s influence. So then, he composed Pasacaglias and Fugues, which is again, Baroque influence, and probably Bach’s influence, too. And then, of course Chorale Fantasias, which also probably come from northern German composers.
 
V: And most of the Fantasias have Fugues!
 
A: That’s right. And then, of course, Sonatas, yes?
 
V: Trio Sonatas!
 
A: Yes, which is again a classic form of the music, so, he, of course, was influenced by classical forms, and by Bach, especially. But, although he was influenced by those early times, his musical language is very much different. So, he took the classical forms, but executed them in different ways. So, would you like to tell us more about his musical language, Vidas?
 
V: Yeah, he died in 1916, so that was the beginning of the 20th century—the age of a mix of several stylistic influences. Right? We already have, probably, very well established Late Romanticism, but it is going towards the end. Then...what do we have then… we probably have impressionism at the similar time, and also, we might have Expressionism, too. So, a few influences at the same time. With Reger, I would say he’s mostly late Romantic with chromatic harmony. Probably not too different from Brahms.
 
A: Yes, I thought about that, but they have some similarities. Of course, they are very different, but also have some similarities in their musical language.
 
V: Exactly. So, remember those two influences: Late Romanticism and Polyphonic style derived from Bach. And basically, those two influences clash and create his own unique style.
 
A: What about difficulty? Would you advise beginners to play Reger’s music?
 
V: Complete beginner, no. But there is that wonderful 30 short Chorale Prelude collection, 135B.
 
A: And it again reminds of Bach—his short Chorales, like Orgelbuchlein.
 
V: By the way, those short chorale preludes are bonus material for my Organ Sight Reading Master Course. At the end of the 40th week, I also give a few weeks of Reger’s Chorale Preludes, just to let people sight read in legato style, more. Not only in articulated style.
 
A: Well, what do you think about his texture in general? Not in trio pieces, but, lets say, in Chorale Fantasies? How do you like his texture? Do you think it’s easy to control everything?
 
V: For some people, yes, because I’ve heard that some people have six fingers!
 
A: You make me laugh!
 
V: I think Hannibal Lecter had six fingers!
 
A: But ok, he was not a real person.
 
V: Could be. But again, if you have just five fingers and very small hands, then probably those thick textures are not for you. Trios are okay.
 
A: Yes, you could play trios. Definitely.
 
V: Definitely.
 
A: And maybe some of his compositions you need to choose wisely. Probably not a Fantasy based on a B-A-C-H theme. But I have heard that some people Reger, but they omit some of the inner voices. Do you think it’s a wise solution? Would you recommend to do it?
 
V: Well, yes and no. If you can play everything, then of course, by all means, do. But sometimes, the tempo is very fast, and inner voices are doubling each other, then in some tricky passages, it might be also suitable to omit something. What do you think?
 
A: Well, you know, the thing that interests me most, is that Reger was a good friend with Karl Straube, who, at his lifetime, was considered the best living organ performer
 
V: In Germany
 
A: Yes, in Germany, and only Marcel Dupré in France could compete with him. So, we had Marcel Dupré in Paris, and we had Karl Straube in Germany. And I’ve heard that Karl Straube did a good deal of arranging Reger’s music, and I don’t know if that’s good or not. Because if you will take such a piece as the quite famous Fantasy and Fugue—actually Double Fugue—of opus 135B
 
V: B?
 
A: Yes!
 
V: Ah. So Chorale Preludes are 135A then!
 
A: I believe, yes, because I think that Fantasy’s 135B. It has Fantasy and then two Fugues, and at the end, Double Fugue. It’s quite a nice piece! It’s a little bit, I think, easier than B-A-C-H, probably, but it’s hard enough, especially the second Fugue, because of its lively tempo and its theme. But what I want to say about it is that there are two editions of it. One is made by Straube, where he cut quite a large portion of the piece itself, and another edition of Reger’s original! So, if you are really interested in Reger’s music, compare those traditions and see what you think about it.
 
V: Do you prefer the long version?
 
A: Well, you know, if I would have to learn this piece fast, then I would prefer the short version, because it’s much easier, because the larger version is much more difficult.
 
V: It’s like B-A-C-H Fantasy, then!
 
A: Yes. Then it is.
 
V: This kind of scale.
 
A: So, because I know about this piece, I’m not sure about other pieces—how much Straube put his hand on those pieces.
 
V: But, if we are talking about omitting inner voices, would you do that?
 
A: No, because then the harmony loses its richness, because I think that’s the sort of outstanding feature of Reger—his rich harmony and thick texture.
 
V: And doubling the voices actually was common in Late Romanticism. Brahms did it….
 
A: Well, yes, and of course, you need to be careful on which organ you will perform Reger’s music, because I’m sure it will not work for, let’s say, some early mechanical instruments. It would be probably almost impossible to execute it well. Imagine us playing Reger at St. John’s’. I don’t think this would be such a great idea, because most of things you have to play legato, and then you have this thick texture. It makes it almost impossible, although acoustics might help, and Reger, I think, created his music mainly for what? For specific German romantic organs. For Sauer, yes?
 
V: For Sauer,
 
A: Then maybe Walcker, too.
 
V: Could be, but mostly Sauer,
 
A: Mostly for Sauer’s, so… and it has that tremendous Crescendo pedal, so basically, you could register it only by using this Crescendo pedal, and it makes life much easier, actually.
 
V: By the way, we will hear Reger’s Fantasy and Fugue in D minor this Saturday, performed on St. John’s’ organ by one of our colleagues here. Good luck!
 
A: Well, I won’t go longer on that matter.
 
V: Yeah, it’s a torture. For the instrument, too!
 
A: That’s right. Especially for an instrument.
 
V: Excellent! Thank you guys for sending these wonderful questions; we love helping you grow. And when you consider those elements by Reger, always analyze the piece that you are playing, if it’s interesting to you. You will get deeper knowledge this way about the Fugue, about Fantasies, about Chorale Fantasias, about all those Trios and Chorale Preludes, Sonatas that we mentioned before. Look them up and dig deeper. It’s really worth it. Okay, and remember, when you practice,
 
A: Miracles happen.

Thank you everyone for participating! You all made us very happy with your entries.
@laputis and I selected the following winners:
​
1st Place

Click on the links to see their full posts and support them. Congratulations to the winners! I will send them the prizes soon.
We hope to see even more entries next week! Here's a link for Week 12:
https://steemit.com/@organduo/secrets-of-organ-playing-contest-week-12
And remember, when you practice, miracles happen!

Would you like to master Komm, Gott, Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist, BWV 631 by J.S. Bach?

I've created this practice score with complete fingering and pedaling so that our students could master this chorale prelude from the Orgelbuchlein efficiently, saving many hours of frustration and achieving ideal articulation - articulate legato.

Thanks to Juan Osorno for his meticulous transcription from slow motion video.

Basic level. PDF score. 1 page. 50 % discount is valid until March 24.

Check it out here

This score is free for Total Organist students.