Today in the morning I was practicing entire program for my upcoming recital and felt I would be ready to record Passacaglia in D Minor, BuxWV 161 by Dieterich Buxtehude. In the afternoon I practiced this piece a little bit more and asked Ausra to turn the pages during the take when I turned on the cameras. I think I'm quite happy with the result. Hope you will enjoy the sounds of the Schnitger organ from Martinikerk Groningen, Hauptwerk sample set by Sonus Paradisi.
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
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Organ Recital | Vidas Pinkevicius | Hauptwerk Martinikerk Groningen and Nancy | 2021-07-107/10/2021 In this recital I'd like to share with you the works of D. Buxtehude, J.S. Bach, Ph. Lehenbauer, F. Mendelssohn, G. Twist and improvisation. Hope you will enjoy the sounds of two different Hauptwerk sample sets - Martinikerk Groningen by Sonus Paradisi and Nancy Cathedral by Piotr Grabowski.
Thank you for your support! Buy me some coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo PROGRAM: Hauptwerk Matinikerk Groningen 1. Passacaglia in D Minor, BuxWV 161 by Dieterich Buxtehude Score: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/new-edition-of-the-complete-organ-works-volume-1-sheet-music/2473787?aff_id=454957 2. Largo from Trio Sonata No. 2, BWV 526 by Johann Sebastian Bach Score: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/organ-works-volume-7-sheet-music/2450036?aff_id=454957 3. Improvisation on the chorale An Wasserflüssen Babylon Hauptwerk Nancy 4. A Promenade Postlude by Phil Lehenbauer Score: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/a-promenade-postlude-organ-work-by-phil-lehenbauer-digital-sheet-music/22012850?aff_id=454957 5. Adagio from Organ Sonata No. 1, Op. 65 by Felix Mendelssohn Score: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/organ-sonatas-op-65-sheet-music/3764891?aff_id=454957 6. Jubilate by Graham Twist Score: https://www.timknightmusic.com/product-page/organ-music-for-joyful-moments-6-pieces Recently I started studying improvisation from Sietze de Vries' course on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sietzedevries
In Lesson 5 he taught how to create a chorale prelude with Ritornello and soloing out the melody on another manual. As an example he took the melody of Psalm 93. So in this video, I'd like to share with you my own rendition of Psalm 93 chorale prelude based on Sietze's instructions. Hope you will enjoy the sounds of Schnitger organ from Martinikerk Groningen, Hauptwerk sample set by Sonus Paradisi. Thank you for your support! You get early access and I get to keep going. Get early access: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo Lithuanian National Anthem | Plein Jeu en taille Style Organ Improvisation | Hauptwerk Nancy7/8/2021 A couple of days ago, July 6, Lithuania celebrated Statehood Day. On this day we commemorate the coronation in 1253 of Mindaugas as the only King of Lithuania. At the same time there is the celebration of the Lithuanian National Anthem with singing by all Lithuanians across the globe at 9 PM, Vilnius time. So it seemed really appropriate for me to improvise on the melody of Lithuanian National Anthem on that day. In this video you will hear our National Anthem in the style of De Grigny and Couperin with Plein Jeu registration. My feet are playing the tune while the hands are having fun playing lots of ornaments and harmonies around the tune in the French Classical style. Hope you will enjoy the sounds of Hauptwerk Nancy sample set by Piotr Grabowski!
Thank you for your support! You get early access and I get to keep going. Buy me some coffee: 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 661 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was written by Diana, and she writes, "This week I was struggling to record videos. When I play, sometimes I hit the wrong key or pedal... also I had some difficulties recording the introduction of my performance in Unda Maris concert." So Unda Maris is our Vilnius University Organ Studio, which is now just recently played joint recital, and Diana was preparing for that earlier when she submitted this question. Do you remember the recital, Ausra? A: Yes, of course I remember it. V: Maybe I’ll share the link with our listeners in this conversation as well, to remind them what happened during this recital. I think this was a rather nice concert, considering we are only practicing and studying online, not physically at the church. A: Yes, I think the result was actually better than in the previous years when you played the live recitals with your studio. Because people were taking recordings, and of course they could take several takes and to put their best, the best out of the best. So no mistakes, no sloppy job. And I think it went very well. V: Yes. A: Plus everybody had to talk a little bit about the program, which I found very nice too. V: And Diana was also writing about the difficulty in recording introduction. But probably her English about her pronunciation. What do you remember? A: I think in general it’s hard for people to talk in public or to film themselves, and to talk, I have heard and read that some researchers show that actually for some people, the public speaking is scarier than disease or even death. V: Right. You remember Jerry Seinfeld the comedian? A: Yes, I remember. V: And his joke was that because people are more scared to public speaking than death, so speaking at a funeral, eulogy, is more scary than being in a coffin (laughs). A: (laughs) Not so funny, but actually it is funny. V: Right, right? A: Yes. V: So remember when we first arrived in the United States to do our Master’s Degree? We had to take English as a Second Language courses, and you took some course where they required you to film yourself. A: Yes, that was called the course of Academic Communication. V: Did you enjoy filming yourself? A: No it was really scary. V: But was it helpful? A: But it was very helpful because I had to analyze what I had recorded and I would have to look at myself, at my face, and to all my intonations, and how I look at the public. And it was really helpful for all my future presentations. V: Yes. Then you could see how people are perceiving you, not how you think you are perceiving yourself, right? When you see yourself in the mirror it’s a different thing than if you only hear yourself talk. A: Definitely. And I have seen funny things how people don’t know where to put their camera. And for example, if they are talking to a public, recording something to the public, but they are looking down all the time or up all the time. But basically you need to put your camera at your eye level, that you could keep eye contact with your audience. It’s very important. V: Right. And of course background is important. What is behind you. A blank wall looks different than, let's say, a wall with some pictures or paintings or some furniture. Just nicer colors I think. Don’t you think? A: Well I think it’s a matter of personal taste. I would say that the surroundings should not sort of... V: Distract you? A: Distract you, yes. V: But, if you put let’s say many many books, thick books behind you or on the table, you will look smarter, don’t you think? A: Do you think so? V: Yes. A: Do you think that you are wearing glasses you look smarter than I am? V: I don’t think I look smarter than you are. A: But you wear glasses, and I am not. V: Because I am smarter than you! A: If you would put many books behind you and you would talk with your thick glasses, people would think that he hadn’t to read so many books, that way he wouldn’t need to wear glasses. V: So it helps, or not? A: What, books? V: Glasses. A: (laughs). I don’t know, I don’t wear them, see? V: Okay, so yeah - suggestion to everyone who is struggling in recording themselves while talking is actually to do it more often and to analyse your recordings. A: Yes, it will be scary at the beginning but it really helps. It’s like recording your performance too. You know, if you want to live peacefully and sleep peacefully you wouldn’t have to do that, but that way you will never be really good. V: Right. You could actually get away without recording if you always are performing in live settings, like always in situations where people are watching and listening to you like concerts, recitals. Church services count to some degree, but not so much, because music there is more or less background, not, people’s attention is not entirely on you. It’s sometimes yes, when you play hymn introduction or solo piece when people are actually listening, which is rare during church service, then yes, you need to focus and it’s as important as playing solo music during recitals. But nowadays we know that there is not so much opportunity to play live recitals because of the pandemic. So what people do instead is record and upload their playing to YouTube. It’s proof that they have mastered the piece. Not only for any other reasons, but just to have an archive of their accomplishments. A: Yes, but you know, some people just like to criticise what, for example, I am playing. But when I ask them to present me recordings of the work, they say to me proudly, “we only play in a live environment,” and they don’t have recordings. So maybe they can play. V: But they listen and watch your recordings. What double standard that is, right? A: Sure. V: If you don’t like recordings, so don’t even watch them! Just go to live concerts then. But no, they watch and listen to recordings and never record themselves, which is actually hiding. That’s their excuse. A: And you know, the other nasty thing I thought, that usually when I play something French that let’s say Marie-Claire Alain or Demessieux has recorded themselves, people are sort of impolite enough to send me recordings by these two great French ladies. Of course I know how they play - I have watched and listened to recordings. I’m not as dumb. But to sort of compare me with legendary organ figures, I think it’s so unfair, because I’m just middle-age, Eastern European lady who didn’t had really good environment let’s say to study organ music from early childhood. V: I don’t think you need to underestimate your skill and experience, Ausra. Because those people who send you only masters, world-renowned organists recordings, behave the same like people who say their favorite organ piece is Widor’s Toccata or Bach’s Toccata in D Minor. You know why they say that? Because they don’t know any other pieces. A: Mm. V: That’s the same thing. They might know only a few, five people, legendary people who are playing the organ. Marie-Claire Alain or Olivier Latry being two of them for sure. A: Well, don’t be so sure. Latry gets so much critique from all these “experts,” as he gets compared to Marie-Claire Alain. V: Of course, when you play Alain’s music, you naturally get compared to Marie-Claire Alain, because she was a sister. But I think there are hundreds, if not thousands, great performers all over the world. And not only organists, great musicians in general who play other instruments, and who should not get this very short-sighted vision to only listen to three or five people and exclude everything else which is going on. Which is actually a way for them to undermine their own abilities. If they say, “only these masters are great,” and what everybody else is doing is not worth their attention, they are diminishing their own skills as well. A: True. V: Thank you guys for listening, for sending these questions. Please do that more often. 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 Today I went to play graduation ceremony at the university in between of which I decided to practice and record this joyful Jubilate by one of my greatest fans Graham Twist. The process wasn't easy - either I made mistakes, or there was some noise downstairs or I forgot to turn on the camera. However, eventually I succeed in recording it. Hope you will enjoy this joyful sound!
Score: https://www.timknightmusic.com/produc... Thank you for your support! You get early access and I get to keep going. Get early access: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo 10 Steps in Mastering Passacaglia in d, BuxWV 161 | D. Buxtehude | Hauptwerk Martinikerk Groningen7/6/2021 As part of the preparation process for my upcoming recital I decided to create a video with 10 steps in mastering the famous Passacaglia in D Minor, BuxWV 161 by Dieterich Buxtehude. I'm using Schnitger organ from Martinikerk Groningen, Hauptwerk sample set by Sonus Paradisi.
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 9 Steps in Mastering Adagio from Sonata No. 1, Op. 65 | Felix Mendelssohn | Hauptwerk Nancy7/5/2021 This Adagio is such a beautiful slow movement from Sonata No. 1, Op. 65 by Felix Mendelssohn and it is well worth the effort of learning it. Today I recorded a video with my 9 step process in mastering it. Hope you will enjoy Hauptwerk Nancy sample set by Piotr Grabowski!
Score: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/organ-sonatas-op-65-sheet-music/3764891?aff_id=454957 Thank you for your support! You get early access and I get to keep going. Get early access: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo Although I performed Fantasie in C Major, Op. 16 by Cesar Franck (1822-1890) last Saturday during recital I haven't done a tutorial on it on time. So last night I sat down on the organ bench and created this video with 12 steps in mastering this beautiful piece. Originally I planned this piece to be mastered in 11 steps hence you will see me saying this at the beginning but at the end I discovered I needed one more step to fully internalise it. Hope you will enjoy the sounds of Hauptwerk Nancy sample set made by Piotr Grabowski!
Score: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/complete-works-for-organ-vol-1-sheet-music/5676670?aff_id=454957 Thank you for your support! You get early access and I get to keep going. Get early access: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo A couple of days ago I had an opportunity to provide organ music at the end of academic year ceremony at Vilnius University St John's church - Finis Anni Academici. In this event distinguished members of the university community were celebrated. In the middle of the ceremony former members of the university community who were oppressed during and after World War II by the Nazi and Soviet regimes were given "Memory Diplomas" either in person or through relatives of people who were too weak to come because of age and health conditions.
I agreed to perform and save the situation - originally organisers.were planning to broadcast a lot of copyrighted music from YouTube, like soundtrack from Schindler's List movie and Canopy by Charlie Siem but of course this wasn't allowed. I was glad to help them out. But the situation was very stressful - imagine the script was already done and rehearsed with actors and dancers. Anything new would be very confusing to them. To help smoothen the situation we chose selections with the same character as original copyrighted playbacks. In this video I took out most of the speeches and left only the musical part. Often this music sounded in the background of the text which was spoken by the actors in Lithuanian. Here you will hear lots of fanfares, improvised variations on famous descending tetrachord and Folia themes as well as 4 pieces of popular classics arranged for organ solo: 1. Arioso by Johann Sebastian Bach 2. Summer by Antonio Vivaldi 3. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by J.S. Bach 4. Festive Trumpet Tune by David German This event was broadcasted to Facebook by the University so you can watch it in its entirety and see what was going on on the scene: https://fb.watch/6uT46k0BZx/ I wish I had a second camera and filmed the action downstairs so that you could have a picture in picture view besides the organ console. Hope you will enjoy my music making nonetheless as it was the first long performance for me on a real pipe organ at the church after a long silent months because of the pandemic! The entire event lasted almost 90 minutes and pure organ part came out to be 35 minutes - 1/3 of this - you can see how integral it was to the entire celebration. Thank you for your support! You get early access and I get to keep going. |
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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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