Vidas: Hello and welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast!

Ausra: This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better organist.

V: We’re your hosts Vidas Pinkevicius...

A: ...and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene.

V: We have over 25 years of experience of playing the organ

A: ...and we’ve been teaching thousands of organists online from 89 countries since 2011.

V: So now let’s jump in and get started with the podcast for today.

A: We hope you’ll enjoy it!

Vidas: Hi guys!  This is Vidas.

Ausra:  And Ausra.

Vidas: Let’s start episode 652 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by James, and he writes that he is struggling with:

“Sitting down and learning a new repertoire. With all the performances and recitals I’ve been doing, it’s hard to set aside time to learn new things.”

Vidas: So, James is our friend on YouTube, and he plays very frequently, both recitals and new videos, records new videos. Do you know what I’m talking about, Ausra?

Ausra: Yes, of course I know. He’s very prolific.

Vidas: Yes, and we’ve been chatting with him, and he wrote this question especially when he was playing a lot of live recitals both in his church and on YouTube as collaborations and solos. At that time, he was struggling to learn something new, because all the pieces on his programs, or most of the pieces on his programs were repeat things. Right, Ausra?

Ausra: Yes, I guess so.

Vidas: So, do you think a lot of prolific concert organists struggle with this?

Ausra: Probably yes, but I think you still have to find time to do it; maybe to perform publicly less and instead of that to learn something new. It depends what is more important for you, but you know, after a while if you will play only the old repertoire, probably you will not improve as much as you would if you would learn also a new repertoire.

Vidas: For me it was the opposite, actually. I would learn a lot of new things, but struggled to put all of them in a recital. I remember at the moment when he wrote this question, I was thinking it’s quite the opposite for me, because I wasn’t playing many recitals at the moment, but recording a lot.

Ausra: So basically, the truth lies somewhere in between these two extremes.

Vidas: Well, probably you are right, and it’s interesting. What is your take on this? Do you struggle more with gathering programs for recitals or learning new things?

Ausra: Basically I’m struggling most at finding time to sit at the organ bench and play something, especially now when the spring came. 

Vidas: What’s so special about the Spring?

Ausra: Because I have extra work to do at school, as always, but I hope that when the June will start I will still have work, but I will have more time to practice and to learn something or to finish some pieces that I have started learning. 

Vidas: Such as?

Ausra: Such as C Minor Bach’s Prelude and Fugue, which I have actually played more than twenty years ago, so it’s like a new piece for me.

Vidas: BWV 546.

Ausra: Yes. And then to learn six pieces of Jeanne Demessieux.

Vidas: Oh, Six “Chorale Preludes” from the cycle of 12.

Ausra: That’s right. 

Vidas: And who will play the rest of this?

Ausra: Of course, you will! But you know, I’ll give you advice, for you and for James, both of you! Because if you know you don’t have enough time for whatever reason like to learn new repertoire or to perform more, I would suggest you to chat less with each other! I think you would have plenty of time!

Vidas: You’re referring to our friendly chats in the morning?

Ausra:  Yes, of course!

Vidas: But you see why it is important? He is my colleague, you know? Not only friend but colleague in the way that we both are doing similar things, and…

Ausra: Internet organists, you mean?

Vidas: Yes, virtual organists. And we could add to the bunch crypto-organists as well, because he is also very active in the crypto currency world. So, if I’m just sitting down and playing alone and preparing for my repertoire and recitals, it’s kind of lonely. You know? There are not so many people to talk to, because regular organists are different from us.

Ausra: Okay, Okay, you don’t have to defend yourself against me, I’m supporting you anyway. Actually I really like when you talk and chat with James.

Vidas: Why? I know why! Because then I leave you alone, right?

Ausra: No! It’s just good for me to know that you have a good friend. 

Vidas: Ah!

Ausra: That way you talk less with me about crypto and all those other things.

Vidas: That’s what I meant! Well...

Ausra: I wish Australia were closer to Lithuania.

Vidas: I wish they would open their borders, first! There is no possibility to ever go to Australia if they keep their borders closed.

Ausra: Well, you know, with the pandemic developing like that, I don’t think it will be very soon when they will open their borders, what now is happening in India, for example.

Vidas: I hope all our subscribers and listeners are keeping themselves and their families safe!

Ausra: Yes, I hope so, too.

Vidas: Staying indoors and practicing. That’s why having an instrument at home is so important right now.

Ausra: Yes, this pandemic showed yes, it’s crucial.

Vidas: Imagine we didn’t have Hauptwerk, for example. Yes, we have a pipe organ, little two manual, two rank practice organ at home, but of course if we wanted to record on this, and I was recording previously, of course, but then everything sounds so similar with those two flutes…

Ausra: Yes, but at least you could simply practice, learn new repertoire to keep in good shape!

Vidas: Yes.

Ausra: I think it’s still much more than many people can afford to have at their homes.

Vidas: Oh, that’s totally true, because all of our organist friends from Lithuania, or most of them, they need to go to church to practice, and churches were closed for a long time. I guess now you could go to a church, but you still have to travel to church, and that’s a risk, too.

Ausra: Sure.

Vidas: I know only a few organists from Lithuania who have organs at home. Very few! I think it’s more popular abroad.

Ausra: Yes, for example in The United States.

Vidas: So, going back to James’s question about learning new things, also my advice is to keep a good balance. Maybe schedule your recitals with programs that you’re currently learning. Right? For example, you could learn a new piece every day, or a part of a piece every day, and this piece could be recorded, let’s say, every day or whenever you feel comfortable, but then your repertoire grows and in a few weeks, you will be ready to play a small recital.

Ausra: Well, you know, that recording every day I don’t think is such a great idea, because it doesn’t help you to learn major pieces, because what can you learn in one day. But I think that what I would suggest is that you always would be working on at least one major piece of organ composer. 

Vidas: In addition to…

Ausra: Yes! And I think in the long run you will still learn it some day. Maybe not in a week or two or three, but maybe in a month or two.

Vidas: Right. This week I was struggling actually with “Trio Sonata No. 1” by Bach, and of course this is a major piece, and I would never dream to learn all three movements in one day and record it, but it’s part of my upcoming recital program with you! Right? Where you will be playing C Minor by Bach and Demessieux, and I will be playing this “Trio Sonata” and the rest of the Demessieux Preludes. So, I was struggling because even the first movement is a long one, and quite complex, virtuosic, three part writing, polyphonic style. And even though I made a video of mastering this piece in eight steps, obviously I was not able to master this piece in one sitting. I needed, I think, three days to record it. The first day, I did a video, and the second day I attempted to record it, but was not entirely successful, and the third day I was finally successful with the first movement. So it took only three tries—three sessions—long sessions for me. So every three days I would record, probably, a “Trio Sonata” movement. That’s good, right?

Ausra: Yes, very good. Too good, actually.

Vidas: But that’s, I don’t know if that’s sustainable, but there are only eighteen movements total, six Sonatas. So… but it’s a good project, but very very strenuous, like a marathon. So you have to find something that works for yourself, obviously. Right Ausra?

Ausra: Sure.

Vidas: With your life obligations, life and work balance… and if organ playing is not your main job, it’s a hobby! Right? Or for example if you are a full time church organist but learning new repertoire is not really required! You know, you could get by with a simple Prelude or Postlude or improvisation even, with very little preparation, and a bunch of hymns which you could actually sight-read, so then if you do this for a long time, you will not learn anything new.

Ausra: That’s right.

Vidas: So, keep in perspective your long-term goals then. Thank you guys, we hope this was useful. This was Vidas,

Ausra: And Ausra!

Vidas: Please send us your questions; we love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice,

Ausra: Miracles happen!

​V: This podcast is supported by Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online.

A: It has hundreds of courses, coaching and practice materials for every area of organ playing, thousands of instructional videos and PDF's. You will NOT find more value anywhere else online...

V: Total Organist helps you to master any piece, perfect your technique, develop your sight-reading skills, and improvise or compose your own music and much much more…

A: Sign up and begin your training today at organduo.lt and click on Total Organist. And of course, you will get the 1st month free too. You can cancel anytime.

V: If you like our organ music, you can also support us on Buy Me a Coffee platform and get early access:

A: Find out more at https://buymeacoffee.com/organduo

I was glad to be able to practice and record Festive Trumpet Tune by David German at my church today. Although there were some workers in the background, I don't think their chat made too much noise. Hope you will enjoy it!

Score:
https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/...

Thank you for your support! You get early access and I get to keep going.

Get early access:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo

Today I went to the University to do a checkup before my duties of playing a Graduation ceremony tomorrow at Aula Parva. I practiced Academic Anthem Gaudeamus igitur and Festive Trumpet Tune by David German. Although this organ has only one manual, one pedal stop and no reeds, I think the result came out quite fascinating nonetheless.

Score:
https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/...

Thank you for your support! You get early access and I get to keep going.

Get early access:
​https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo

I always wanted to play this famous Festive Trumpet Tune by David German and today I've done it! Hope you will enjoy the sound of Nancy Cathedral sample set by Piotr Grabowski!

Score:
​https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/...

Thank you for your support! You get early access and I get to keep going. Get early access: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo

Today I will improvise a set of variations based on In dich hab ich gehoffet Herr which I'm playing on Martinikerk Groningen. Hope you will enjoy it!

Thank you for your support! You get early access and I get to keep going.

Get early access:
​https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo

Vidas: Hello and welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast!

Ausra: This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better organist.

V: We’re your hosts Vidas Pinkevicius...

A: ...and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene.

V: We have over 25 years of experience of playing the organ

A: ...and we’ve been teaching thousands of organists online from 89 countries since 2011.

V: So now let’s jump in and get started with the podcast for today.

A: We hope you’ll enjoy it!

Vidas: Hi guys!  This is Vidas.

Ausra:  And Ausra.

V: Let’s start episode 653 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Jeremy.  He’s our member of Total Organist Community, and helps us with fingering and pedaling scores.  And he writes,

Today I did a variety of different things on the organ.  The past couple of weeks I have been working through the New Oxford Organ Method just to see what it did (I really am enjoying it).  It acts kind of like an organ teacher for those who have basic piano skills.  It walks you through how to break the piece down into technical and musical bits.  So I recorded the last piece in the "ordinary touch" section of the book today--Rising Passacaglia by Frederick Stocken, and practiced the next piece in the book (which is evading my memory at the moment).  I began week three of the Pedal Virtuoso course and was inspired by Vidas to start the first Trio of J.S. Bach (learned four measures of the notes).  Then I started working on Walther’s Komm Der Heilige Geist and made sure Buxtehude's Lobt Gott ihr Christen Allzugleich was still in my fingers.  Practiced BWV 536 (which is Prelude and Fugue in A Major) for Sunday's service and worked on Hindemith second sonata, first movement.  Here's the Stocken:
https://youtu.be/eJYeQ-BJh_k
​
V:  It’s very nice that Jeremy was practicing from my Pedal Virtuoso Course.  I wonder if he was inspired by my Trio Sonata recording?

A:  Yes, that’s what I thought as I read.

V:  Yeah, it’s good to know that other people watch these videos too.  But today I want to talk about his work through the New Oxford Organ Method and specifically about the touch in the Rising Passacaglia, the ordinary touch.  Should we remind, Ausra, to our listeners what the ordinary touch means?

A:  Yes, I think that would be very helpful.

V:  Go ahead.

A:  Why me?

V:  Because I’ve been talking too much.

A:  (laughs) But I got my second shot of AstraZeneca yesterday, so I need to be careful not to overstrain myself.

V:  Not to use your, not to move your left arm.

A:  Sure.  Well but okay, the ordinary touch was known as Baroque articulation style.  Basically, all the music written in the Baroque style had to be played with articulate legato, or every note has to be detached.

V:  Mm hm.

A:  Unless it’s indicated otherwise.

V:  Yeah, it’s sort of detached but not too much, not too choppy.

A:  Sure, and that’s usually a mistake made by many beginners, that when you tell them detach each note, they start sort of to play staccato almost.

V:  And I asked Jeremy in this conversation, “Does it say why Rising Passacaglia is listed in the ordinary touch section?”  And he answered probably that the reasoning is that the ordinary touch helps provide clarity and can be used in music of later times, especially in music inspired by Baroque models.  Would you agree, Ausra?

A:  Well yes, but not 100%.  It depends on the complete piece, I would say.

V:  You mean specific piece?

A:  Yes, specific piece.

V:  Probably it’s interesting to look at what organists of other countries do with modern pieces.  And sometimes they do play with ordinary touch.  I’ve heard Sietze de Vries from the Netherlands improvise in modern styles, or even play a piece by Mendelssohn, right - this is legato sort of style - but he would articulate.  And a few other of his Dutch colleagues would do that.  And I was always wondering why.

A:  Yes, and I don’t think that’s approach that I really like.  I’m not talking about contemporary music, about modern music.  Usually with modern music, if not the guidance is included how to play it, I guess you could do whatever you want with it, because it’s so eclectic and...

V:  Don’t you mean composer?

A:  Yes, yes, yes.

V:  Composer can do whatever they want.

A:  Well no.  I mean if composer haven’t included specific performance instruction for his or her piece, then I think you could do whatever you want with it.  But if we are talking about Romantic period, like Mendelssohn, Liszt, Reger, and all these wonderful composers, I’m even not talking about French composers but in general about the Romantic period could find many many pieces that have titles like Passacaglia for example - I’m talking about Max Reger…

V:  Mm hm.

A:  It really doesn’t mean that you need to do it and to play it with ordinary touch.  I think that’s a big mistake.

V:  If it’s very very chromatic you mean.

A:  Yes.

V:  If it’s very late Romantic style.

A:  Yes.  But even in Mendelssohn and Liszt, I think you should play legato unless there are other performance suggestions.

V:  What if composer imitates old style?  Then you could probably use ordinary touch, right?

A:  Are you talking about composers that lived in 19th century?

V:  No...well, in a sense sometimes yes.  Grieg for example, would write neo-classical style too.

A:  But then he would indicate specific articulation marks.

V:  Would he?

A:  Yeah!

V:  And that will be probably arrangements for organ, not original.

A:  That’s right.

V:  Mm hm.

A:  But otherwise really I wouldn’t suggest to use the ordinary touch in Mendelssohn.  Of course, like your god Sietze de Vries does that, but I mean it’s up to him.  Of course I respect his opinion and his way of playing, but I wouldn’t do that myself.  And if I were to teach organ, I wouldn’t suggest my students to do that.

V:  But it helps to understand his reasoning, you know?  He is probably doing this out of some deeper understanding, not just incidental.

A:  But still, you know, we need to talk then on what type of instrument he had performed that piece.

V:  Exactly.  I was going to…

A:  Well, and if we are talking about historical performance practice it’s better, it’s really better not like a general rule for 100%, but if you perform Romantic music on instruments built in Romantic period.  I think you would agree on that.

V:  Of course.  And these instruments differ from country to country.

A:  Sure.  For example, recently I tried so many of them, all kinds of sample sets made by Piotr Grabowski.  It mainly featured organs built in Poland.  And many of them, most of them I would say were built in the Romantic period.

V:  Yes.

A:  Or Post-Romantic period, but still holds that great Romantic tradition.  And basically, if I would start to articulate on instruments like that, it would really sound like a big mistake.

V:  And this is probably because those instruments, most of them, are not tracker action.  Right?

A:  Yes, of course.

V:  And what happens in the Netherlands, look, even in the middle of the 19th century they still had those Baroque stop handles, and everything drawn by hand.  So it was fully tracker, slider chest organs.  And I would suspect that Sietze de Vries uses that touch for later music because he plays that type of instrument.  And if he had an opportunity to play a different type of instrument, let’s say a pneumatic instrument, Sauer organ from late 19th century or beginning of 20th century, he would probably adjust his touch as well.

A:  I think so because he is a great musician, and he knows what to do and how to do.  But I just think it would be bad if some inexperienced organist listened to his recordings and started to imitate his playing on different type of instrument.  Then it wouldn’t sound really good.

V:  Yeah, there is so much to these things to consider.  So much depth and it requires so much knowledge.  And little bit of knowledge is actually dangerous, right?  Because you only see the surface and not entire thing, entire context.

A:  That’s right.  So I think the deep knowledge is always good.

V:  So.

A:  But of course, if you are, or if we are talking about early Romantics, then I think more articulation is appropriate.  And in general, you need to look at the structure of the piece.  You need to listen what works and what not.  Because of course if you will play everything just complete legato, then of course it will be a real mess too.  Even on great Romantic instruments.  Because you still need to look at the phrases, at the structure of entire composition.

V:  And repeated notes?

A:  Of course.  That gives so much pain while playing Franck, for example.

V:  Yeah, and playing Franck’s music is not the same as Mendelssohn’s music.

A:  Sure.

V:  That’s the big difference.  All right guys, we hope this was useful to you.  Please send us more of your questions.  We love helping you grow.  And remember, when you practice,

A:  Miracles happen.

​V: This podcast is supported by Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online.

A: It has hundreds of courses, coaching and practice materials for every area of organ playing, thousands of instructional videos and PDF's. You will NOT find more value anywhere else online...

V: Total Organist helps you to master any piece, perfect your technique, develop your sight-reading skills, and improvise or compose your own music and much much more…

A: Sign up and begin your training today at organduo.lt and click on Total Organist. And of course, you will get the 1st month free too. You can cancel anytime.

V: If you like our organ music, you can also support us on Buy Me a Coffee platform and get early access:

A: Find out more at https://buymeacoffee.com/organduo