Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 231 of #AskVidasAndAusra Podcast. This question was sent by Robert. He writes: Hi Vidas, ... It's hard to get Bach’s In dulci jubilo, BWV 608 from Orgelbuchlein up to speed .... 3 sharps and some significant contrary motion. Pedal no issue but the left, right hand ... some serious reading there. 😊 Also wondering what concert tempo should be on the beat,.... the half notes. ....... Maybe it helps to figure out the chords progressions in this key. Anyway I would classify this piece ' intermediate to advanced level ..... for me anyway! By the way it really helps as in one of your last videos .... when you play it 1/2 tempo and have the camera covering from the top .... sort of a bird's eye view. As well you can sort of see the pedal motion too. ...... Keep up the great work to both of you. Greeting and blessings from Vancouver/Canada! Robert V: So, Robert is our frequent reader of our blog and he writes these questions frequently, right Ausra? A: True. V: Do you remember this video, when I play in a slow motion and then, people from our team can transcribe the fingering. A: True. Yes, I remember it. V: It’s helpful not only for them to see in a slow motion, but also for other people. So, they are now publicly available, and as Robert says, it helps to see my fingering choices, but also how I articulate. Sometimes even the feet motion are visible. A: True. I think it’s very helpful, especially for beginners to observe more advanced organists playing this, to see how the organist’s body is moving. I think even that can help a lot. V: Yeah. Remember you played Variations In D Major by Mendelssohn. A: Yes, I remember that, yes. V: Before the concert at Saint John’s Church. A: Well, I do not recall that particular moment, but…. V: And I had you play this piece in a rather slow tempo. Not half speed, but slower than usual. And I held the camera above your head, sort of, so that also your hands would be visible. Did you like this, at the time? A: Well, I actually don’t remember it now. V: You don’t? A: Are you sure you told me that you were… V: No, I didn’t. A: So that’s why I cannot remember it. V: And when the time came to turn the page, I held the camera with one hand, and with another I turned the page, and sort of was in your way of playing. But you didn’t know that I was recording. So, you were not particularly happy about that. A: True! V: Yes!. But people who will be able to look at your fingering, and maybe our team can transcribe it and write down fingering and pedaling from that video, of course, will find this video very helpful. A: Well, I hope so! V: So, that’s the same with Robert. At first, of course, he struggles to get Bach’s “In Dulci Jubilo” up to speed. Yes, three sharps make considerable difficulties for beginners. I’m not considering him a beginner, since he’s practicing this piece, but for basic level organists, let’s say. A: Yes, and, you know, he says that those three sharps are making him some trouble, and he asks about progression—if knowing chord progressions would help. It would, if you sort of know theory quite well. If you are a beginner at theory level, then I don’t think it would help so much. V: What I would recommend, probably, for him and other people who are sort of struggling in getting up to speed, is to take a look at my basic chord workshop. It’s not a harmony course, where I play with two hands, but with one hand, let’s say C major chord in C major key would be a tonic chord, and I would play three pitches only: C, E, and G. And that would be a tonic root position chord. And I teach those things from the easiest concept to the most difficult to, let’s say, five note chords. Little by little, they can understand, play themselves, internalize this material, and also, which is very interesting, later discover the same chords in their own pieces that they play. A: True! That’s the point of learning theory. Not only knowing chords, but applying them to real pieces. V: So, maybe before analyzing his piece, Robert could take a look at my basic chord workshop and go from there. A: True. V: And… A: I think this might help for him to get better at his piece, “In Dulci Jubilo”. V: And not only “In Dulci Jubilo.” A: In all the other pieces as well. Because he asks if you learn chords once in your life, you can apply them to any other piece that you are working on. V: It’s like riding a bicycle, right? A: Sure. V: After decades of not doing it, the skill comes back after a couple weeks. A: True. V: One more thing for him to get up to speed is, of course, to play and stop every beat. And then stop every two beats. And then every measure. Every two measures. Every line. Every two lines, right? Every page, always doubling the amount of musical material he has to play in the concert tempo. A: True. V: What do you think about it? A: Yes, I think that’s a very good method. And also, I’ve thought that since the contrary motion gives him the trouble, I think maybe he’s not leaning well enough on the strong beats. Because that’s what helps me, for example, when I have to do some contrary motion. You lean down on the strong beat more, and then you just know very well where you are going to. V: There is one more problem here. If contrary motion is a problem for him, it means that he cannot hear, let’s say, two separate lines at the same time. They are different melodically and rhythmically sometimes. They’re two different parts. I think he has to play solo voices more, and then combinations of two parts. A: Yes, definitely working in combinations always helps. And since he says that pedal is not a problem, I still don’t believe it, because if you are working in combinations you need to do right and pedal, left and pedal, then maybe just right and left, and then all things together. Because when you are playing, it might seem for you that left hand, for example, is giving you trouble, but maybe pedals are giving trouble as well, too. V: What he could do is to record himself on a phone, and listen later to an audio, and see if he is playing in time, rhythmically correct, melodically correct. Is he leaning on the downbeat? Is he articulating correctly? Sort of listening from the perspective like that as an outsider, as a listener will actually help him grow. A: True. And don’t try to push to the right tempo right away. Because, if you are still struggling with contrary motion or some other stuff, it means that you are not ready to play in a concert tempo yet. So don’t do it too early. V: Yesterday, I had a lesson with my piano student at school, and in one spot, he had to play an accompaniment called, I think, “Sarabande,” and then he struggled to play in a fast tempo the chords and the octaves in the left hand. He always played more than an octave in the left hand. He has a wide range. So I said, “Ok, slow down 50%,” and he slowed down 25% only. Just a quarter of what I was asking. “It’s not 50%,” I said, and he slowed down maybe 27%. Which means that a person really cannot judge himself or herself on which level they are playing. A: So that’s why recording yourself is always a good idea. To listen to yourself from outside. V: Yes. And, with time, maybe in a few weeks, he will see some serious improvement in “In Dulci Jubilo.” Thank you guys, this was Vidas! A: And Ausra! V: Please send us more of your questions. We love helping you grow as an organist. And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen.
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Would you like to master Fantasia in C Major, BWV 570 by J.S. Bach? I have created this score with the hope that it will help my students who love early music to recreate articulate legato style automatically, almost without thinking. Thanks to Jan Pennell for meticulous transcription of fingering and pedaling from the slow motion videos. Basic level. PDF score for organ with pedals. 2 pages. 50% discount is valid until June 17. This score is free for Total Organist students. Check it out here Bellow is my practice video in slow motion (for manuals only): Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 230, of #AskVidasAndAusra Podcast. This question was sent by Ronald. He writes: Dear Vidas, The programme that I have thought of studying for the diploma is the following: 1. Buxtehude Prelude and Fugue in D, BuxWV 139 (c. 6 mins) 2. Franck Prelude, Fugue and Variation in B minor , Op.18: no 3 from '6 Pieces' (c.11 mins) 3. Stanford Postlude in D minor: no 6 from '6 Short Preludes and Postludes, 2nd Set, Op 105 (c.5 mins 30 secs) 4. Bach Chorale Prelude "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme", BWV 645 (c 4mins) 5. Jongen Petit Prelude (c. 3 mins) 6. Vierne Symphonie No 1 in D minor, Op.14; 6th movement, Finale (c 6 mins 30 secs) The total programme duration is around 36 mins. I am not young. I am 52, work as a self-employed accountant and also hold a Masters in Environmental Planning and Management which I use in my role as a member of the Maltese Catholic Church Environment Commission. Some 13 years ago I had obtained a Diploma in Music Studies from the University of Malta focusing on organ performance and composition. I still do some composition every now and then. Currently I am finalising a Christmas Carol for SATB and children's choir accompanied by harp and organ. I had studied for the ABRSM grades in piano and organ and obtained distinction in Grades 6-8 in both instruments. I am the organist of a choir in Malta called Jubilate Deo directed by Christopher Muscat. I therefore have frequent occasions to play in church. My challenge now is to stick to a timetable and practice programme in order to sit for the organ diploma. The Total Organist courses are excellent for me because I can brush up all the things that I have already studied since I was young and learn new ones. There are ALWAYS gaps in knowledge which can be excellently filled by the online courses that you provide. Thanks a lot for your interest. V: So, Ausra, Ronald is preparing for the ABRSM diploma, exam, right? A: Yes, true. V: And he has to prepare about 36 minutes of organ program for that. From the pieces that I have mentioned before, in your opinion, what is the most difficult, or some of them. What are the most difficult. A: I would say probably the Vierne Finale from 1st Symphony. V: Mmm-hmm. A: Then of course there might be like couple not so comfortable spots in Bach’s Chorale "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme", BWV 645. Overall it’s not a hard chorale, but those spots where the third voice comes in are harder. V: Mmm-hmm. So it seems that those six pieces are arranged in the order that could be performed as a recital, short recital. A: True. True. Very nice program, I would say. V: Mmm-mmm. You start with Baroque piece, then Romantic piece, and so on. I see the alternation between loud and soft dynamic colors. And fast and slow movements too; that’s a nice variety. A: Yes, I think so, yes. I think that’s a very nice program. V: So, his challenge is of course to stick to a time table, and being able to practice the program, you know, in a timely fashion, that he can prepare for the diploma on time. Of course this is a challenge when you have a short recital program like that. But, do you think that having a goal like this helps? A: Sure. Because it always pushes you forward. V: It’s even better probably than having a goal of playing a recital because it’s an examination. It’s even more, it’s like a competition. A: What about you? Were you worrying more and preparing more than you were preparing a degree recital, or just a regular recital? V: Probably, to me at that time it was a routine work because so many recitals came out, one after another. And we both spent, you know, we were immersed in this study all year round. And yes, it motivated me to not procrastinate and to play every day. What about you, Ausra? Do you like deadlines and due dates. A: No, I hate those. I don’t know, somehow, sometimes it motivates me but sometimes it just kills me. Demotivates. But you know, while preparing for degree recital was always fun and was a lot of pleasure because for a degree recital you would always learn new pieces of music. You would never repeat your old music. V: Of course if you can choose those pieces yourself, then its even more fun, right. They’re yours. A: True. V: So hope that Ronald chose those pieces himself, at least some of them. And he’s eager to learn them. A: True. V: It’s not like a burden to him but he would probably learn them anyway, without even preparing for the diploma. A: True, because it’s classical pieces for any organist. V: And it’s good to have in your repertoire, anyway. A: Sure. Because as you told earlier, some are shorter, some are longer, some are loud, some are soft. Some are virtuosic some are lyric in character. V: And he mentions that he frequently plays in church, so he can play one or two pieces all the time, alternate those and in immerse himself in public performance. A: Yes because you know some would work nicely as preludes or postludes. For example Buxtehude or Vierne. And some would work very nicely as, I don’t know, elevation pieces, or communion pieces. For example, you know, he could play Franck’s Preludes, Fugue and Variation, like in three different methods for, let’s say communion. Do preludes in one mass and then fugue in another mass and variation in another mass. Because he has such a soft, nice, I would say sad character. It’s used I think in communion main very well, although it’s a three piece. V: Ronald writes that he’s a self-employed accountant. So being self-employed of course might add you flexibility in your day. You can work whenever you want, basically. But it also adds you pressure, right? Because you have to find the work yourself. Risk. A: True. V: More risk. A: So, more freedom but more pressure, probably. V: Mmm-hmm. With freedom of course, it’s a good thing because he can then prioritize his time and say that, let’s say, this diploma preparation on the organ, is important for him. A: True. V: And do it first thing in the morning, let’s say. I don’t know if he has an access to a keyboard at the home. Because probably he is not at church all day long. A: Yes. V: It could be. It’s better to have an instrument at hand, even without pedals. Right Ausra? A: Yes! That’s true. It’s always nice to have an access to an instrument, at any time. V: You wake up early in the morning, and you do the thing that’s the most important to you first, creatively, let’s say. A: Yes, and your neighbors are so happy about that, yes? If you live, for example in an apartment building. V: In this case, sometimes people have electronic keyboards, with headphones, right Ausra? A: True. V: Do you like electronic keyboards? A: No, and you know that. So what are you asking me? V: Because other people don't know. A: I think they who listen carefully to all our podcasts, they know my opinion about real things. V: I see. That’s why we bought a mechanical action pipe organ which only has two stops, at home. A: Yes. V: But’s it real, instead of, you know, electronic version with three or five manuals. A: True. But it’s still costs much more to have mechanical instrument. V: And it lasts longer. A: True. V: With decent, probably, care and maintenance. Anyway, so, the challenge is of course to Ronald is to get motivated every single day, to sit on the organ bench. But since he has a goal, it’s already built-in. Motivation is built-in. A: I think, thinking about the diploma that he will receive after he accomplishes this program. I think he (it) should be well motivation for him. V: Yeah. Maybe this diploma will help him find a decent church position. A: Yes. I think that’s what he is looking forward for. V: Or maybe his current church position will elevate him to a higher level of income, maybe. If the church officials recognize this diploma. A: True. V: In Malta. A: True. V: Okay. What would you suggest for Ronald in terms of scheduling and being able to know if he is on track with his program? You know, step by step? A: Well, of course, I would start learning from harder pieces. Such as Vierne, Bach, probably Buxtehude, Franck, and you know to learn text first and then to progress further things. Musical things. V: I would probably also suggest calculating lines of organ music that he has to learn, and the days that he has to be ready. And he has to prepare probably two months before the date. Don’t you think? A: No, at least a month before, at the very least. V: A month is very risky, for non-professionals. Risky! But two months would give him plenty of time to improve his current level. So, for him would be good to calculate the lines and divide those lines in days. And then he will know how many lines he has to learn per day. A: True. But you know, but just counting the lines wouldn’t do the same, because some lines can be very easy but some can be really hard. V: It’s an average, I think. It’s, at the end it will average out, and, as you say, some things are easy, some things difficult. So on average, it will be okay. Thank you guys. This was Vidas. A: And Ausra. V: Please send us more of your questions. This is really fun to help you grow. And remember, when you practice... A: Miracles happen! Would you like to learn Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her, BWV 606 by J.S. Bach from the Orgelbüchlein? I've created this score with the hope that it will help our students who love early music to practice efficiently and recreate articulate legato style automatically, almost without thinking. Thanks to Paul Rosas for meticulous transcription of fingering and pedaling from the slow motion video. Basic level. PDF score. 1 page. 50% discount is valid until June 15. This score is free for Total Organist students. Check it out here Bellow is my practice video in slow motion: Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 229 of #AskVidasAndAusra Podcast. We’re continuing our discussion from the previous podcast conversation about our recent concert of Vilnius University Unda Maris studio. You can check it out in podcast Episode 228. So the next piece that was performed in the program was by Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis. This was prelude in F Major, A lovely piece for manuals only and it was played by Ruta, our allergology professor. A: Yes, and she’s also a member of our studio. I believe this is her sixth season as a member of our studio. V: It’s always lovely to see her in the studio. A: I know because she shows up so rarely. But she always amazes me because she appears before recital sometimes quite a short time before recital and she always will be quite well so she’s very talented woman. V: I sometimes I forget how she looks and I always tend to take her photo at the organ so that she will also appreciate how she plays and how she looks on the organ bench. And last rehearsal I took the photo and after the concert sent this photo to her and she was very smiling at that photo and she wrote me back that she looks quite old you know and I said as long as you’re smiling you’ll never get old. And she wrote back that I’m probably right. A: True. V: Prelude in F Major by Ciurlionis is a lovely piece. She played it with the Principal stop, maybe together with the Flute and Salicional on the first manual and it went much smoother than any other concerts that she performed I think. A: Yes. V: Even though she comes to the studio very rarely she does seem to progress. A: That’s right. V: Maybe Ausra she practices on the piano at home. A: Could be and I think she has a great potential if you know she would practice regularly. V: Exactly because if she does that without any hard work imagine what she could do with hard work and practice. A: I know because she has that rare quality you know no so often happen with Lithuanian folks that she has self confidence in her. V: Right, she’s not embarrassed. A: I know and Vidas asks her “Are you sure you can do it?” Oh yes, yes, I will do it. Sure. And it amazes me every time. V: Yeah. We can learn this quality from her. Excellent. So then Mindaugas who is our actually graduating member from the studio from Chemistry Department he will be leaving us next year. A: That’s very sad because we are so well connected with him and he is so dear to us. V: Mindaugas performed March Gavotte in F Major by George Frideric Handel which was transcribed for the organ by Dubois. The registration was like a French Grand Choeur style. A: Yes, that dialog of reeds between different manuals. V: Nineteenth century registration style which suited the texture well although the harmony is eighteenth century. That’s how maybe Dubois would have performed it in Paris of nineteenth century. A: I think so, yes. V: And so Mindaugas will be leaving us to start his fourth position in another town in Klaipeda probably. It’s quite sad. A: Yes, it is. V: We got used to him being with us every week, he participated in our Secrets of Organ Playing Improvisation Contents and also he gave an interview for the Secrets of Organ Playing podcast earlier. It was really nice. A: He was a great help you know with tuning the organ when I for example couldn’t go to church he helped us tune the organ and he would help us during recitals and with page turning and was real kind to us so we will miss him greatly. V: March Gavotte in F Major by Handel was probably the most advanced piece that he ever played. A: Yes, he progressed with each year. He did better and better in each recital. V: So just like John from Australia who came to play at our church in April, Mindaugas also has potential to play full hour recital because we told him that he can recycle his old pieces and put together a nice maybe 30 minute recital first, and then later 60 minute recital. A: Sure. V: Excellent. We’ll try to arrange for him the possibility to practice in one of the local churches in Kaunas the next year. A: Definitely. V: Excellent. Then it was a nice surprise in our program because guitar music sounded on the organ. A: Not on the organ but together with the organ. V: Exactly. I played the organ and Andrius played the guitar part. Andrius is quite a colorful personality, right? A: He is. V: He started playing with us as a Mathematics student. He wanted to play the organ, especially improvisations. A: Because he didn’t want to play from a musical score. V: Yeah. And we thought that he cannot read music, but he now is going to transfer to Lithuanian Music Academy and he will study professionally guitar. And it appears that he reads music quite well. He participates in guitar festivals and competitions. So this time he played a piece by Bach, Prelude in D Major, BWV 998, originally composed for Lute and I supplied the organ accompaniment on the spot like improvised organ part. A: Sounded lovely. V: We had a problem because guitar sound is quite soft and we thought if we needed to amplify it with a microphone. A: So that’s what we did. V: And I used only one flute sound on the organ to accompany it. Excellent. So you see guys we have pretty interesting colorful program so far. And the next piece was quite dramatic taken from the first half of the nineteenth century by the second generation student of Bach, Johann Christian Heinrich Rinck, the famous Postlude in D Minor which was performed by Giedre. Giedre also studies at the Mathematics department and is together with us for how much? A: Second year. V: Second year and she has a well advanced piano technique. A: And as you know she is nice plays for Lithuanian musical schools like other schools that are located in Vilnius because she comes from not a large town in southern part of Lithuania and she just attended regular musical school. And, oh my, her technique is so advanced. She is extremely well. That’s what I think about her. V: And she’s an example of what people can accomplish after graduating those music schools for kids. Seven year long studies. A: Yes, and because you know she studies Math and it’s probably not as fun as music. I think it’s nice way for her to relax and to spent some time with an art coming to the studio to perform. V: So this Postlude in D Minor by Rinck sounded quite dramatic. A: Yes, and it sounds actually like played by a professional. V: She could be one of the candidates to perform at a competition for young organists I would think. A: Yes, if she would wish. V: And then we finished our program with interesting organ transcription by Beethoven. First part Allegro con brio from Symphony No. 5 which needs no introduction of course. A: Sure. It was an organ transcription for organ duet. It was played by Giedre and Arnoldas. And Giedre the same girl who played before and Arnoldas played the second part. V: And Arnoldas is now a medical student but in another university. A: Yes, actually he started as a Chemistry Major at Vilnius University but when he realized that his passion was actually medical studies and he wanted to become a medical doctor so he actually had to take some additional exams and he transferred to another university. But he came back to play with Giedre to do the duet. Because last year actually we played that wonderful Sonata in D Major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. V: Which Ausra and I also have been playing as an organ duet. A: Yes, because we liked it so much now we played it and we wanted to do it ourselves. And actually we even taking this piece to London, yes? V: That’s right. A: If I remember correctly. V: To Saint Paul's Cathedral. A: Would you like to play Beethoven as well? V: Well, it’s possible though. I had this idea to play either Beethoven’s symphony or Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G Minor. A: I like Mozart better. I think it’s more suited to the organ. Because this motif of repeated three notes. It’s hard to perform well especially when you are playing with four hands. It’s very hard to play together. V: True. A: And we did a great job knowing that you know how little we practiced together. V: Because Arnoldas lives now in Kaunas and they only practiced here in Vilnius. A: For a couple times I think before recital. V: So it went quite well considering the circumstances and I wish next year they could also perform something in duet and/or solo too. I hope Arnoldas will find a church in Kaunas to practice in. A: Because you know Giedre, Arnoldas is you know equally capable to play well because he comes from another part of Lithuania but he also graduated from musical school and he has also very advanced piano technique. V: Before leaving Vilnius University he also took part in Vilnius University Chamber Orchestra where he played harpsichord, continuo part. A: Sure, also quite advanced pieces. He did very well. V: So this was our recital on May 26, performed at Vilnius University at St. John’s Church by the members of Vilnius University Organ Studio Unda Maris. The end of the seventh season. It was very nice and after the recital we told everyone to think about what they would like to play next. So hopefully they will come up with nice pieces to perform. A: Yes, I’m sure they will. Especially some of them I’m sure. V: Wonderful. And they have been progressing and it’s nice to see them grow and to be able to help them grow, right Ausra? We hope also that your schedule next year permits and you can join me in leading the studio as you did last year. A: But I think you did quite a good job on your own this year. V: As well as could be expected right? A: Yes. V: Because when you showed up it’s very well organized and less talking you know. A: Yes because I just wanted them to have the possibility to play. I think this is the most important and you can talk later on. V: But actually this year I talked much less. I let them practice. A: Well I could hear it from being we did quite well. V: I’m learning. A: Good. V: Thank you guys for listening, for sticking with us with the last two podcasts and please send us more of your questions. We love helping you grow and it’s really fun to answer your questions about the challenges you are facing, or problems that you are having, or dreams that you are dreaming about the organ playing. So looking forward to that. This was Vidas. A: And Ausra. V: And remember when you practice… A: Miracles happen. This work is dedicated to Simon Johnson, the Organist and Assistant Director of Music of St Paul's Cathedral in London. I decided to dedicate this piece to him because of Ausra's and my upcoming concert at St Paul's.
This composition is based on the Ad te levavi Gregorian chant Introit for the 1st Sunday in Advent. It has 10 sections - each section for one chorale phrase. The registration is done for at least a two-manual organ in mind. The fast sixteenth-note episode with pedals alternates with the slower quarter-note motion without the pedals. Advanced level. PDF score. 10 pages. Duration - 9 minutes. Check it out here Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 228 of #AskVidasAndAusra podcast. Today we’d like to discuss the concert of Vilnius University’s Unda Maris studio that was held at St. John’s Church on May 26. It was the culmination of our year-long season, right Ausra? A: Yes. V: It’s hard to believe, but it was the ending of the seventh season already. A: Already, yes. Time flies. V: Remember the day when we decided to create this studio? A: Yes, I remember it. V: We were in our summer cottage that day; and after communication with our boss at the Cultural Center at Vilnius University, we decided to create this studio, and even gave it a name: Unda Maris. A: Yes. And I was the godmother, actually. V: You came up with this name? A: Yes. V: It’s a nice name. A: Yes, and especially because the organ at St. John’s Church has this beautiful Unda Maris stop. V: Right. So, the studio is open to all members of the Vilnius University community. Students… A: Staff. V: ...Faculty, alumni… A: That’s right. V: ...Who love organ music. A: True. V: Ausra, do they have to be able to play piano, or not? A: Well, it’s not necessary, because some just started from scratch; but some are actually quite advanced keyboardists. V: Mhm. And in this concert, we also saw some quite advanced players, even though they were performing for the first time with our studio. For example, what did you think about the opening piece, Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 553, which was performed by Totile. A: Well, I thought she did quite well, knowing that it’s her first recital at all with the organ, and that she’s just a freshman in organ. V: Exactly. And during the concert, I introduced the performers and pieces, and during those intermissions, Ausra helped them to change the stops. A: Yes. V: And that saved a lot of time, and made it smoother. A: I know. It was sort of fun for me to watch them, how each of them behaved; because, I mean, you could not see such things in a professional concert! V: Mhm. People who had more experience playing in public acted more or less naturally, right? A: I know. It was great fun. V: But others, who were doing this for the first time, or after some decades of not being on the… A: Stage. V: Stage--they were very scared! A: True. V: Okay. So, then, the next piece was Léon Böellmann--Prière à Notre-Dame, from the Suite Gothique, which was also played by Totile. It’s a lovely piece, right Ausra? A: Yes, very nice. V: But if you don’t have a good grasp of piano technique, it’s too hard to start with Romantic music. A: Yes, that’s right, that’s true; but it seems that she had quite good piano technique, so it wasn’t a problem for her. V: Mhm. Before the concert, I told her to imagine that either she prays, herself, or she dreams. It’s sort of like Romantic meditation--in both states, prayer and dreaming are similar, in a way. So while playing, she had to transfer this mood to the listeners, too. A: Yes. V: I also thought that her articulation with Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in C Major was quite well-performed. A: Well, I thought that, you know, the… V: Too much… A: Subject, yes, of the Fugue sounded almost staccato--it was played almost staccato. And I noticed that before the recital, you told her to do the longer notes, instead of shortening them so much; but she did not do that during the recital! V: Yeah… A: I guess it was too much to expect from a beginner. V: Yeah. Maybe she can do this with her next piece, to adjust articulation a little bit. And Totile is an alumna of Vilnius University, and she is a translator, I believe, from English. A: True. V: Okay. The next performer was Vytautas, our faculty member in the physics department. And he played 2 pieces: one by Simon Mayr Prelude in d minor. This is an 18th century Austrian composer, I believe. A: True. V: Have you heard him before? A: Actually, no. This was my first time hearing him. V: Vytautas brought the music for me himself, and chose this piece--the entire collection. And the next piece, also, was unknown to me. So I felt quite pleased that he has some curiosity to dig up some unfamiliar and rarely-performed organ music. A: True, and actually, I think from all who performed in this recital, Vytautas is the oldest member of our studio. And so this was his 7th recital already, as an Unda Maris studio member. V: Uh-huh. A: And he always amazes me, how he’s interested in things; and even after this recital, he told me that next year he would like to learn more about the organ, and how all the things function. So basically, he’s a real physics major! V: And also he wants to learn music theory. A: True. V: To decipher musical compositions--to understand how they are put together. So, hopefully we can help him next year. Okay. And also, a few years ago, Vytautas brought with him his student--who is now also an alumnus of Vilnius University, graduated from the physics department of engineering: Vadim. A: And he actually came to the recital, and he told us that he might be joining the studio again next year. V: Yes. As his graduation work, for a diploma, he constructed a robotic hand, which can grab things, you know. A: Interesting! V: Excellent. So, the next piece or set of pieces was performed by Justas, who is a faculty member at the biochemistry lab. He deals with various...protons, I believe...and investigates them...I don’t even understand what he does. A: Hahaha! V: I think he does computer modeling of how they behave, you know. A: But you understand what he plays! V: Yeah. The first piece that he played was actually written by me: Offertorium from the Mass for the Fourth Sunday in Lent. This was the piece performed on the string stops on 2 manuals. And actually, I was surprised that he dealt with the texture where there are no barlines very well. And actually, I told him before the recital that he plays this piece better than me! A: Wow. Well, but you know, I had a problem with him; because since I had to change stops for him, for 2 pieces for your Offertorium and then for Prelude and Fugue in a minor, BWV 559... V: Mhm. A: He was always checking if I did everything right! And it just made me laugh! V: Well, maybe because he is not used to playing in public. It’s his first year. A: But he argues with me--he wanted to do pedal with 32’ stop... V: Mhm. A: And you know, I had many doubts about it; and finally, no--he agreed not to use it. But we had quite a fight before the recital! V: In order to use a 32’ stop in the pedals in a Baroque piece, the pedals should move quite slowly, right? A: I know, and I just didn’t think it suitable for this kind of prelude and fugue! V: Like, imagine maybe Chorale Fantasia by Bach--“Komm, heiliger Geist” from the Great 18 Chorales from the Leipzig collection, right? That would be... A: And my final argument was, “Are you so good at articulating the pedals? Because if not, your pedal will be behind all the time.” V: Mhm. A: The sound will be behind all the time, if you add 32’ stop. V: Or 32’ stop would work well for Pièce d’Orgue, middle movement. A: Yes. V: Because of the long note values. But you know, since Justas is just a beginner, he probably likes the 32’ stuff, and its gravity. A: Haha! Sure. V: But he doesn’t know what the effect is downstairs. A: True. V: He’ll learn, probably. Excellent. So, let’s continue our discussion in the next conversation. But you see, it’s so much to talk about, right Ausra? A: Yes. V: And it was a fun concert to observe. A: Yeah, it was. V: Thank you guys. Look forward to our next discussion in the next podcast. And remember, when you practice… A: Miracles happen. Secrets of Organ Playing Improvisation Contest Week 4 is open. The deadline is Monday, June 11 at 12:00 PM UTC.
Here are the details for entering. Hope to see you on the inside! Congratulation to the winners of the previous week! Please click here if you want to hear their improvisations. Would you like to master Prelude and Fugue in A Major, BWV 536 by J.S. Bach? I have created this score with the hope that it will help my students who love early music to recreate articulate legato style automatically, almost without thinking. Thanks to Alan Peterson for his meticulous transcription of fingering and pedaling from the slow motion videos. Advanced level. PDF score. 7 pages. 50% discount is valid until June 11. Check it out here This score is free for Total Organist students. Bellow are my practice videos in slow motion: Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 227 of Ask Vidas and Ausra podcast. This question was sent by David, and before that, I asked him what challenges is he facing when preparing for a wedding. And he wrote: Fortunately, I have 5 years to practice for this. My biggest hurdle was actually covered in one of your recent podcasts where Jan was mentioning she might be practicing to quickly the speed of the piece. I have the same problem as I want to capture the artistic interpretation immediately, but am starting to realize it's more important to get the correct fingering and pedaling down first and perfect that and then focus on interpretation. V: So Ausra, practicing the piece too fast—is this a common problem for organists? A: Yes, it’s a very common problem, especially for beginners. V: And even not for beginners. I think a lot of people sort of want to get the general feeling of the piece too fast and too quickly. A: But you know what I mean when I’m telling that about beginners, because people who practice organ for more years, we know the trouble that causes that fast practice at the beginning. And simply, we don’t want to experience it again. Don’t you think so? V: It makes sense. What you mean, probably, is when you slow down considerably, you have to postpone the sense of gratification. A: That’s true. V: Because you have to be extremely patient. A: True, and you know, I think all experienced organists have had this thing when we learn a piece very fast and we learn something not correct. Maybe a fingering wasn’t right or something, or text wasn’t correct. V: What about you, Ausra, are you a patient person? A: Well, not really. V: So, do you practice your pieces too fast? A: Well, I think this is the only one case in life when I try to be patient and to learn in the slow tempo first, because the pain of undergoing, undertaking the piece and relearning it is much worse than practicing the piece in a slow tempo first. V: You know what I think is that I think you have experienced the moment of perfection when playing a nicely prepared piece without mistakes in front of the public, and you feel good about this feeling. So then you remember this feeling, how you felt in front of other people when playing at the high level. So, if you want to rush and play too fast right at the beginning, then you remind yourself, too, that if you do this now, you will not be able to prepare that piece at the high level. A: Yes, that’s one of the reasons. Another, if you play in the fast tempo right at the beginning, you will not notice many wonderful things in that piece. You will not notice compositional techniques, all those subtleties that the learned musician has to understand and to notice. V: It’s like if you play the piece too fast when practicing, then you’re constantly on the edge—your nerves are tensed, you’re stressed actually, right? A: Yes. V: You never know if you make a mistake or not. You’re basically shaking. It’s like driving a car at too fast a speed. A: That’s right. Because you know, it’s really a very good comparison with this, about the car. V: Thank you. A: Because you know, if you will drive a car too fast, maybe everything will be fine. Yes. If you are lucky. But, think about some unexpected things that might happen. Your tire might explode, you know, or somebody might run in the way right in front of your car, and then you will be toast. V: Like a hedgehog, right? A: Yes or a person, too, or a bicycle or something. V: A piglet. A: Yes. I doubt a pig would cross my road, but hedgehogs, yes! And in the evening we have those a lot. V: Plus, if you drive too fast, you will never experience the beauty of the scenery. A: True. And I think the same with learning a new piece of music. So, and then you will be able, you can play it fast, but not in the beginning. V: What would you say to people who are criticizing a little bit this kind of approach and say, “Ok, if I play too slow all the time, considerably slower than I just want, and practice at the tempo which I could control, how on earth could I play fast in the concert tempo later on?” A: Well, for me it was never a problem to play fast. The problem was to play slow, actually. Because, when you are learning a new piece, you know if you are doing everything step by step in sort of a correct way, or you know put your mind in what you are doing, too, not only your fingers, V: Mindfully! A: Mindfully, yes, that’s right, that’s a very good word. Mindfully. Then, you know, that speed will come up. You will not even notice that you finally will be playing at the concert tempo. V: Because you will be ready. A: Sure. But if you will play at too fast a tempo when you are not ready yet, you will constantly make mistakes and you will play sloppy, probably. V: I think it depends a lot on muscle memory, too. When you play very slowly, your muscles get developed better. Do you remember working out at the gym in our classes? They always do slow exercises, not fast moving exercises, because to move slower is much harder. A: That’s true, yes. V: Right? So if you do this with organ, you play it at the slow speed, and little by little your finger and your mind starts to think that this is the normal speed—it’s not too fast for you, so they will gradually pick up the tempo actually. You’ll want to play a little bit faster then, and still be in control and still can understand and appreciate the beauty of the details, right? In a few weeks you will speed up the tempo even a little bit more, when you’re ready. Right? A: True. V: And that’s how you pick up the tempo up to the concert speed. By practicing at your tempo which is under your control. A: That’s right. V: Very naturally. Ausra, are there any exceptions for this, where you have to do some extra work to get up to speed? A: Well, yes. There might be some spots where you have to exercise more, to practice more. V: And isolate those, right? A: Isolate those V: Isolate those spots and first play them extremely slowly! A: True. V: Maybe even not all voices together—in combinations and solo parts. What else? Maybe you could make it like an exercise. Transpose half steps or whole steps upwards and downwards through the entire range of the keyboard, right? And once you do that up and down, up and down, you will learn this fragment—this maybe measure or two. What do you think about it? A: Yes. Yes, I think this might be helpful. Although, I’m not sure about the fingering. Because you might not be able to apply the same fingering while surfing through differing keys. V: You’re right. But also, think about Hanon exercise; It’s written all in C major. But, in the preface, Charles-Louis Hanon writes that he recommends transposing, for example, to C# major, and playing it with the same fingering. A: Well, it makes some sense, because if you practice always only in C major, then you will become very good only in C major. And all the accidentals will definitely kill you. V: Yeah, but you will keep the same fingering in C# major as well. A: But that’s a very bizarre way, you know, I see his point, but it does not always work in real pieces. V: It’s like forcing your fingers to do what they are not meant to do. It’s very good for maybe very chromatic music and modern music to do this from time to time, just to see if it’s possible. A: Yes, but you know if you have a very thick texture, oh my gosh, what kind of bizarre things with your fingering you’d do! V: Mhm. I think people who cannot play up to speed are not ready for it, right? They’d have to choose easier pieces! A: Could be, and I think the Hanon exercises would be very beneficial for those performers to improve these skills, to strengthen their finger muscles. V: You’re right. And also, people who criticize slow speed practice I think have never mastered this piece in this way before. I think they think they would wish to try it, but they find some reason not to do it. And before they even try it, or before they mastered it, maybe the did it for a page or two, and it felt really hard, and then they complained… but if they persevere and do it from the beginning until the end for several weeks or even months, they will start noticing benefits. A: Yes. I’m positive about it. V: Excellent. Thank you guys for these wonderful questions. We love helping you grow and we need more of them, actually. Please send them today. And your questions can be about what you’re currently struggling with organ playing. Just think about what you are playing right now, and what would you like to achieve in three to six months with that piece or with organ playing in general, and what specifically stops you from achieving that—why are you not at this level yet? So write to us, and we will be glad to answer your questions on the podcast. A: Yes. We are waiting for it… looking forward to it. V: So, do it now, we are still waiting. Have you done it yet? Not yet? Maybe now! Ok...Thank you guys, this was Vidas, A: And Ausra. V: And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen. |
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Drs. Vidas Pinkevicius and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene Organists of Vilnius University , creators of Secrets of Organ Playing. Our Hauptwerk Setup:
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