Excellent choice Fraser. Challenging for both the organist and the listener. An education!

Nice piece. Btw I completely agree with you. You play it as you want it, or to say it nicely, as you seem right. I am looking forward to the complete one. Thank you for sharing.

Actually it sounds good on that organ. Each organ gives its own character to a piece, as does the organist. Thanks for sharing the learning/sight reading.

You had my undivided attention for nearly 30 minutes, well done! I do not play the organ but love the lessons you provide us, the viewers.

So very happy I discovered your channel a few weeks ago. I love the easy conversational manner that you use in all your videos. It reminds me so much of the time I spent badgering church organists in my youth (some 50+ years ago). Thank you so much for “throwing back the curtain” (as it were) and telling us NOT ONLY how the organ does what it does, but (also) how the organist prepares him or her self to play the wonderful music selected.

Fraser, I really enjoy your videos and this one in particular. Your humility comes through and you're honest to admit something not many organists would admit publicly. Hats off to you. Looking forward to hearing your Pièce Héroïque when you're ready.

Thank you for doing this. Your personality and style are a big part of what make your videos great! Because of these I have been brought back to the organ and am going to pick my own organ up for the house on Monday! I've been stuck for years playing on an old pump organ from the 1880's. While it sounds great, and is of course fun, it's just not the same!

Fraser, you're spoiling us! Another excellent video, thank you - & that rant 😂! I'm already looking forward to your finished piece (only played the Cantabile from the 3 Pièces so far...) 😊

I started watching this video thinking I would only watch a short bit. Once again you make the mundane fascinating. Really interesting to see how you break down the learning of a piece. Look forward to hearing the full piece.

That is a fantastic piece. I love it. Can't wait to get to 25K subscribers. You will do wonderfully. Great choice!

Parts of this piece were a go-to for the better theatre organists back in the day. Can't we all see how the organ could be seen as an orchestra long before the advent of the film industry? The development of the theatre organ concept, it's design and usage were inevitable. The history of the organ is a fascinating one and plays a large part in the evolution of composition, styles of music and popular culture in general. Fraser is hitting on all of these things. Bravo! Really. No foolin'! :)

Loved your little rant in the middle - it made me laugh again :) All the rest was interesting, too. Keep up the good work, and hope you get to rest between practicing, too.

I believe I was the one who suggested Messiaen. But this Franck piece is a good one! :)

This is one of my favourite pieces of Organ music really enjoyed your interpterion of the piece, The last time I heard it played live was in the Ulster Halls Mulholland Organ played by Dame Gillian Weir who I had the pleasure of meeting. Sorry for the name dropping! You really do make learning music fun. I wish I had had you as a teacher. I played the violin though. Well done on another excellent video. Is there any chance we will see you working with one of your choirs?

Fantastic! I love your reasoning behind interpretation. I remember many years ago Carlo Curly justifying his recordings of the music of Bach on "Romantic" organs by saying "If Shakespeare had the word processor available would he not have used it?" I paraphrase but you get the gist! How about when you reach 30K subscribers you perform Reubke's Sonata on the 94th Psalm? :-D

Looking forward to hearing this piece of music. Sounds good already, even with you just picking out those few parts of it.

I do enjoy your video's so much. I loved the Toccata. I would love to hear you play it on the Organ of St Bavo in Haarlem, The Netherlands. where the young Mozart also played. However, I als stick arround because of your dry sense of humor. My students (I'm a teacher on a highschool) say that I sometimes have a dry sense of humor too and am sometimes not aware I am being funny. I start to think it comes natural to you too. Unfortunately I am not financially ably to support you on Patreon just jet, but if I can, I will... (I do not even play any music instrument, but listen very much classical music, Haydn, Chopin, Mozart, Beethoven and above all Bach).

Here's my take on the Franck from just last month! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nqtdi8er0727fYE.html

I am extremely curious if it will be possible before the end of the year with the 25,000 subscriptions!

Another entertaining and studious programme

I've seen you with your choir you are amazing with them

12:21 AMEN !!!!!!!! e finalmente qualcuno comincia a dirlo!

Again, very cool ma boy Frase'!

Спасибо, товарищ!

For the 100.000 mark what do you think of one of the most strange pieces of organ music: the Organ Symphony No.1 of Kaikhosru Sorabji?

Thank you Frasier. That looks like its going to be tough. Glad your such an acomplished organist. Me that would be like nope lol. Too hard for me. Lol

I want to let you know when I worked for that retired episcopal minster me played that price for me

That piece looks really interesting! Not only I don't know the author, I know little of the whole style, so this will be a fascinating journey! It's great to be able to enjoy and learn at the same time, another added value of this amazing, unique channel! I was actually about to ask how do you decide which registers to select for each piece or part of a piece (like the Tocatta...), but I see that in "modern" organ partitures they even cover that! (I have only seen Bach's organ partitures, which are particularly spartan, so to say). It's still an interesting exercise, I see, to adapt that to a particular instrument. That's very fascinating, because it's so personal and subjective, right? And that links to your rant: The author cannot say: "only play this piece this way on this organ or it won't work". Of course not, because any piece of music can be played or adapted to be played in almost any instrument or ensemble of instruments. Does that mean it's less true to the original? Is the "Asturias" by Albéniz less true to the original when played on the Spanish guitar by master Andrés Segovia because the original piece was written for the piano? I don't think so! The guitar version is probably closer (due to the theme of the piece) to that spirit, and as respectful to the original as can be. Or when someone plays Paganini Caprice #24 on guitar instead of a violin (challenge aside)?? Of course, when a composer makes music, there's an ideal set of tempo, instruments and synergy between all of them that's translated from their minds to the sheet music. However, once that's done, it's the interpreter who has to provide the soul that's missing in the paper. That's why the same piece interpreted by the same orchestra with different conductors will be different: there's a different humanization in between. And even so, no two performances will be the same. If Bach played his Minuets 1,000 times in his life, I bet he only played them twice exactly the same when teaching them to his wife or his son. Considering how good he ws at improvising, I doubt he'd interpret the same piece twice without variations (and I am sure the Goldberg Variations are just a proof of something he probably did on his head on a daily basis with all his pieces). If the authors themselves can't be "loyal" to their own partitures (of course they are true to the music itself, the paper is just a poor substitute to the echoes that are lost in the mists of time) why ask that to a modern interpreter? Who knows how or what Bach wanted? Or Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart, Vivaldi...? It's so unjust... We cannot look at pictures like Van Gogh or Picasso painted them, not even like those who lived at their times: our cultural background and current reality forces us to a certain degree of foreknowledge. You cannot read Verne or Doyle like people some 100+ years ago, you cannot forget all the history and science that's happened. Music is the same. Solidaric rant off. :-) Really looking forward those 25,000 subscribers now! BTW, I'm still working on something for you, however progress is slow, I'm just a beginner... :-P Cheers and tata!

I'm glad you're going to play Franck. After that, could you perhaps one day play a choral fantasy by Max Reger? Like for example, Op 40, No.1 "Wie schön leucht uns der Morgenstern". That's lovely music.

I may not play the organ myself, but I have always been fascinated by it! I've learned a lot just by watching your channel. I also have a question to ask. I'm not sure this is another piece you could try to work on, but I have listened to a great piece by Marcel Dupre myself. It's his "Noel." You could look it up and see how others have played it. Do you think you could look into analyzing this piece sometime in the future? It is such an amazing piece especially for the Christmas season.

Thank you Fraser for another great video! Not sure if I will be able to tackle this right now, but it’s still very interesting to watch how one approaches a new piece. I do have a question: does this mean that we will never see you in a kilt? Or are you holding out for 50,000 subscribers?😉🌺🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

This music from Franck certainly inherited it's name from the "heroïc" organists who tried to master it, as it was in a way designed as a demonstration of knowledge or as a concourse piece. It's also challenging for the audience, as it's forms are way modern and elaborate, even for a romantic auditor. As you demonstrate in your video, it looks simple at first look, but really needs some attention and work to play it. The Dupré notes also perfectly demonstrate what it needs with special fingers exchanges, hand position exchanges, a specific "romantic" way to play it... Many of these details are not public as for a piano work where it's interpreter is in direct view, but the result and effect are perfectly known by those listening to the "bête à concours" trying to demonstrate it's ability and desire to please the "master", and eventually get the position "au Conservatoire". No doubt you are our next "Héro"! What I really appreciate in your videos is the way you show us all these tiny details and know-how few teachers have the time to do, like this specific remote control, why you can find different version of the same music piece... You make it easy and entertaining, someway demystifying the role of the "hidden" master of music. I know the amount of work even these short videos and first rehearsals represents... You remind me of my Uncle, who was entitled organist untill he passed away 30 years ago. He was always pleased to explain those things to his students or few people who dared to climb the narrow stairs to the organ. No doubt you know what challenge this piece is. The sole organ choice is difficult to get the best results, but we know you have the ability to surprise us. I wish you get your 25k or more soon! I

Is there any other chanels about organ playing around here? I really like your style, and hope you're not the only one !

I think you'll play this piece of music at St. Joseph - Bonn Beuel because there is a huge french style organ😉

An “obscure” but beautiful piece of organ music is the rare Franck’s Fantasy in La M, the “Saint Eustache fantasy”, written for the inauguration of the Doucroquet organ in Saint Eustache in 1854. the organ went on fire...some days later...

Please upload the piece 🙏 it's one of my favourites. Thank you so much for your wonderful channel and content 👏👋👍👌

It is true that the registration requested by Dupré is not the same one than the one we can find on the original scores, but is not sure that it is the Franck's registration, it is possible that was his pupil's one (I forgot his name). And it is obvious that the registration must be adapted to the organ on which we play on. Jacques, from France.

My undergrad organ prof (a great Francophile/phone who studied with Langlais and spent every summer in Paris "recitaling") ONLY permitted the Dupré editions for Bach, et al. So I have *numerous volumes* of these pricey tomes! And there's *nothing better* for learning proper fingering technique. The Franck is a great choice (maybe played on that gorgeous English/French beast you showcased a few months ago?) 👍 In reference to several comments below about organists being stubborn "purists": It's important to replicate, as accurately as possible on your particular instrument, the composer's general stop combinations, etc. This applies to Bach, Franck, any composer. We certainly wouldn't play Bach with the same registrations we'd use playing Franck, and vice-versa. That's why it's essential that organists be well-versed in the musical "environment" of the various historic periods and the different types/styles of organ-building (17th-18th cent. Baroque, 19th-cent. French Symphonic, etc.) as these basic factors *directly determined* how the music was created and why. Many thanks for this interesting video.

good job mon ami !!! :0)

The "rant" didn't include Beethoven's loss of hearing. I demand a supplemental rant ! :D

Watched loads of your videos Fraser. You’ve got a very high level of musical skill. Why haven’t you perused a cathedral appointment? Cologne is the Nearest to Herschbach I believe.

hello fraser, when you reach these 25K subs, i'll come over and would like to hear the franck piece live :) you play more relaxed for a live audience, so organize a live concert in the west of germany, i'dd gladly drive the 300 KM, no matter where. i went to the Ben van Oosten release of the Franck CD in Rouen, last year on the mighty Ouen organ, and it is extra ordinairy how you show, or lift the curtains for the non-experts, how a professional learns a piece.

When I hear that piece, up pops images of Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi.

I am already a subscriber so great thanks. Basic point is I think most of the audience, mostly German? is missing the point about Dupré. He made his editions of the concert pieces of JSBach, Franck (only 12 pieces and there is a lot more harmonium Franck), Händel, Mendelssohn, Liszt because he wanted to use the exact same fingering when he memorized them for his concert tours. He could also earn money by making his students and anyone else interested buy them. If a player wanted to use an alternate fingering because of a small hand or he detected a motive repeated that should have the same fingering, go ahead, Dupré would not have been hurt. Justify it. By contrast, the urtext editions dont have much fingering as the composers werent interested in playing them too often, just pass them on to students, write out a few fingerings for Wilhelm Friedemann or an occasional student. The British royal family whom Händel taught never even got to the grade where they could do the organ concerti. Liszt was busy transcribing Schubert, Wagner, and Beethoven, so why would he worry about fingering? If you want to learn Baroque fingering usually without the thumb on the raised keys, get the CPE Bach book on the art. After that, there is post performance-practice where the player is free to use the thumb. I remember why I gave up on most organ teachers: they drone on about legato and staccato and should be talking about composition techniques and how to memorize. What do you mean by learning a piece? Take it as far as you want to go, the aim should be playing in several keys and playing variations and imitating motives, studying genres. Learning means playing right notes for a few minutes before the Mass... In other words, the Orgelbüchlein is fine especially on Xmas and Paques when old JSB was on vacation and had some time to write down his extemporizations, but you have to extemporize on what is in the hymnal today! Just some wild thoughts. Keep up the good work. I would look at the pieces a little closer from the harmonic and compositional standpoint and ignore the composers' bios and organs à la Schola Cantorum, which still exists in Paris and where Guilmant's main job was. Dupré was by himself at St Sulpice and over the Atlantic every summer where the money was.

It really would be great (in my opinion) if you could record and upload the entire midnight mass at Christmas :)

Thanks for the little musical genealogy on Franck, Guilmant and Dupree. I didnt know that but its sort of obvious in thguilmantseir music, now. I like funeral march a lot. But if you were to desire to please me on a futere milestone, i would suggest Sweelinck. Maybe the chromatic fantasia.

I love this piece Fraser! Oh, do I hear a late German romantic piece by Max Reger? ( no groaning please) lol I am sure you could do the "Introduction" of the piece and do a great job of it.

Very interesting video. Just learnt this piece. Does the dupre version alter the original chord stretches, to something more attainable for the average finger stretch. I have duptitrense conjecture, and have to improvise with the octave stretches, but even so a fabulous piece of music. I am playing it on Piotr Grabowski Grand Orgue Allesandria Organ, it blows my mind on the final page. Sorry for the spelling, doing it quickly, with an alcoholic beverage. Looking forward to hearing it on a larger French organ.

my favourite piece of franck is "pastorale" Op.19 - FW 31

I LOVE how Fraser has a minor rant at 12:14 where he SLAYS organ "purists" (in America we call them organ cows) for playing the Bach wrong or not historically enough! Famously, Virgil Fox had a total disdain for purists. He'd say "the purists are the ones who talk about it and CAN'T DO IT!" Way to go Fraser! In my book, your stock just went up exponentially! Cheers!

Guilmant was most definitely not a student of Franck. Rather, Guilmant is said to have met Franck once to discuss the interpretation of his music. Guilmant was a student of Jean-Jacques Lemmens, who belonged to a completely different technical school -- that Benoist at the Paris Conservatoire. Jean Langlais, who studied with Tournemire who studied with Franck, called Dupré's Franck edition "an assassination."

I much prefer having permanent hymn card boxes up on the walls. Lets every one see what hymns are there from the start, and to me helps make the sanctuary look "churchy". I'm in choir but it's anglican so we're up at the front with the organ and all the hymns are printed, along with which verses, in the Sunday programme or bulletin

ein echter Entusiast

A superb choice of music, one of my favourites. First heard it played on a 1970's analogue electronic organ, your German organ sounds far far better

i have one question not regarding this video specifically but organs in general. How are dynamics performed on an organ, exept engaging more pipe divisions is there a way to get play pianissimo and fortissimo

Hi Fraser.....very interesting and helpful...also would like to purchase the Dupre edited version you are using...any suggestions about were I can find it? also talking with PW PEPPER music store they would do a search but would need the name of the publisher. Many thanks! Ernest

Tiny detail: the ‘H’ in Pièce Héroïque is silent.

Using the Dupre edition is inadvisable.

Cesar Franck made great organ pieces, I really love them, but sadly my main organ is a baroque organ so it’s hard to study it on there.

The Dupre Edition--scandalous! :D

I’m feeling really sorry for those poor bellows operators when your holding those notes for demonstration, don’t be cheap with the wine.

Hi Fraser, do you have any idea where I could buy the Dupré version of the piece (either printed out sheet music or pdf)? I wasn't able to find it yet.

Thanks,Bob,for helpful explanation. I am still a little puzzled. You mention setting ‘pistons ‘ for each manual. One assume therefore that the pedal board pistons are for pedal stops only. But Fraser said that the pedal board pistons were an alternative to ‘under manual’ pistons, if hands were ‘busy’. But perhaps one cannot ‘set’ combinations for the pedals. If pistons are located under EACH manual, are they general . and repeated, so each ‘no1’ piston operates the same combination irrespective of the section, swell,great,Choir or ,pedal, Sorry if I’m still analysing - my engineer brain , now 93 , perhaps. Despite your reply, I hope Fraser sees, and takes my query on board for a future episode. BC

Forgotten? It's one of the standards for Romantic era organ works!

Passing the coronavirus time by watching your videos! Hey, at the moment don’t have a lot to do😅. Why not listen to some organic music?

There is a cavi colle organ in the town of machester the organ was built in 1877 but the state of the organ today Is not good some notes are missing or don't play at all there is an echo division that entirely does not work the town hall,that its in is going be removed formstorge but hopefully someday it will work like it did when it was instilled

AND MINTY SWEETS

Nice real french accent saying is name...César Franck.

American Halloween Sonata.along with Mr. Bach’s toccata.

How would you learn the Widor Toccata??

what are those switches above the stops?

I don't want to sound like an uneducated person but what do the switches above the stops do? I've been wondering for a while about them.

You underestimate your talents, I don't play but I do appreciate good music.

After Franck, Messiaen! or Buxtehude...

Maybe now - How do you learn Boellmann Toccata?

Fraser you should play bachs pascgalla and fuge in c minor

I'm rather surprised you make it sound as if Pièce Héroïque is a somewhat obscure organ piece. In fact it's one of the staples of modem romantic organ music

Wheres the link?!

Simple mnemonic: KZfaq links are on YOUR left.

Bruh because he’s French you should Play on the 1877 Cavaillé coll organ in rheinland pfalz in Germany

Remember what Virgil Fox said about "purists?"

I olay my home 5 rank pipe organ every day, I do not read music. To each his own.

To me you still haven’t explained in sufficient simple detail how the ‘combination ‘ pistons are set up. Presumably for each piston you choose and set up the few stops you want, then press the piston ( numbered 1 onwards, presumably, ) to ‘lock ‘ that group to piston 1, and so on. Presumably you need to do the same with the pedal board pistons, and No1 on the pedal board pistons will call up the same group of stops as no1 on the the ‘ manual’ pistons ? Perhaps you can select the stops and press no1 manual piston , AND no1 ‘pedal’ pistons AT THE SAME TIME, locking the selected stops to BOTH ? BC

Regardless of how "authentic" the performance, the audience never will be.