How Walcha learned to memorize organ music?

4/5/2014

My organ professor, George Ritchie at UNL told me a story of how his professor, the great blind German organist and composer Helmut Walcha memorized organ pieces (especially polyphonic compositions). I made a video recounting this story. Feel free to make an experiment of Walcha's method with one of your favorite organ compositions. Dr. Ritchie also talks about Walcha's memorization method in the section of the documentary "Desert Fugue".

Comments

DON'T MISS A THING! FREE UPDATES BY EMAIL.

Our Hauptwerk Setup:

Photo by Edgaras Kurauskas

Would you like to say "Thank You" to us?

Buy Vidas Coffee.
Buy Ausra Coffee.

Authors
Drs. Vidas Pinkevicius and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene
Organists of Vilnius University , creators of Secrets of Organ Playing.

Don't have an organ at home?
Download paper manuals and pedals, print them out, cut the white spaces, tape the sheets together and you'll be ready to practice anywhere where is a desk and floor. Make sure you have a higher chair.

How Walcha learned to memorize organ music?

DON'T MISS A THING! FREE UPDATES BY EMAIL.

Buy Vidas Coffee.​Buy Ausra Coffee.

Buy Vidas Coffee.
Buy Ausra Coffee.