The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

May I add my thoughts ? My uncle is an organist, & when I was a kid I would help him tune the reed pipes on our church organ. Then I could sit in the pipe chamber & listen to him play. What a great & impressionable experience for a youngster. I heard Marie Madeline Durufle play in person in 1991. It was exquisite. Since she still had problems from a past car crash, we were warned about reaching out to embrace her. I complemented her in the few words I knew in French. "Oh, merci" she said as she reached out to hold my hands. It's something I will always remember. I have picked up several organ 78's over time. I think some of the best sounding are Columbia Viva Tonals of Eduard Commette at the St. Jean organ in Lyon. I think it is well worth investigating the music of Louis Vierne. The first two symphonies are glorious, and the sixth is a bridge from traditional to modern organ composition. He had quite a challenging life due to being legally blind and various blows in his personal life. He died at his instrument at his last recital. I'm happy to hear of other organ fans out there.

We're glad you joined!
I'm also a comete fan, although I only have one record by him, the pastorale of franck, another French Columbia recording, and it sounds beautiful! Some of those were also issued in Spain, and they are very good pressings. Although I also have to say that my only record by Sittard is a German Polydor, very well recorded too, the toccata by Boellmann. I'd like to have more records by those organists!. I love organ 78s. The big gramophone makes them sound great!

Although I have dozens of LPs, the only organ solos on shellac in my collection are performances of Bach and Franck by Marcel Dupre and of Liszt played by Fernando Germani, unless I find something else that I have forgotten in the hundreds of records not yet catalogued.

Bill

Here is a wonderful new video of maestro Balint Karosi playing Duruflé's Toccata: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFjKgj0iSxE

I do agree with Tim about the music of Louis Vierne. And Bill's mention of Fernando Germani reminds me that I must upload some astonishing organ 78s to Youtube sometime soon...

Orchorsol wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 3:44 pmI must upload some astonishing organ 78s to Youtube sometime soon...

Oh my goodness, you might trigger some organ 78s purchase madness, just as you did when you uploaded those piano pieces a pair of years ago...

Trig!
I also love Germani. His was my first classical organ 78 (1979), a French recording of Bach Sonata in E flat major BWV525, on one of those rare 78s with the Vatican label SEMS. I love that recording. Also Dupre, of whom I only have one recording, a British one with franck prelude choral & fugue**, played on one of those big english organs (westminster or Queen's Hall or something). Here classical organ 78s are not very common, I've found much more theater organ 78s than classical organ in my 44 years collecting 78s.
I also love Sidney Torch... whose Decca recordings were published here in the mid forties.

**EDIT; franck prelude, fugue and variation

Well, you may have one organ work hiding if you have Carl Schuricht's 78 RPM set of the Bruckner 7th Sym. The final side filler is this one:

Reger: Toccata in d, op. 59 no. 5. Alfred Sittard

I have to investigate Reger...

Here's my two disc set of Fernando Germani in 1952 playing Mozart'a Fantasia in F minor on a ferociously loud English organ. You'll never hear a performance like this nowadays! (Or just possibly up Cameron Carpenter's street?) Enjoy - those as do!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drquVduXHvU

Great record, Andy! Did you try to play it also on any of your EMGs? Does it sound good?