Moskowski & Cziffra of the Feet!!

[bach-liszt]

---This may have been posted.  What are you folks practicing this summer?  I am working on some of Moskowski's Studies/Etudes.  Great for technique and good music (Horowitz, of course, played some).  They really do help develop finger velocity.   Any of you try these?

---Check out the video clip of the late organ virtuoso, Virgil Fox, playing W. Middleshulte's "Pedal Solo."  He has the techique of Cziffra--- with his feet!  At one point he plays an ascending chromatic scale in the left foot while playing doubles with the heel and toe of the right foot with blazing speed.  Incredible.   Click on "chronology" and scroll down to the video clip on the pedal solo.

link:

www.virgilfoxlegacy.com

[debussy symbolism]

---This may have been posted.  What are you folks practicing this summer?  I am working on some of Moskowski's Studies/Etudes.  Great for technique and good music (Horowitz, of course, played some).  They really do help develop finger velocity.   Any of you try these?

Yeah, I am playing the first 2 virtuosic etudes(op72.) The E major and G minor. They really are great studies and pieces in fact. Go along with Czerny and move towards the romantic era.  Which ones are you learning?

[kony]

Moszkowski = very good. i think that if he had written more works of the same quality as his op.72, he may well have been the most respected and well-known Romantic piano composer, rather than Chopin.

too bad there are very few recordings of his works.. i've only played/heard a few, and all of them have been terrific. Terrific as in, on a equal footing with Chopin's etudes.

[ahinton]

---Check out the video clip of the late organ virtuoso, Virgil Fox, playing W. Middleshulte's "Pedal Solo."  He has the techique of Cziffra--- with his feet!  At one point he plays an ascending chromatic scale in the left foot while playing doubles with the heel and toe of the right foot with blazing speed.  Incredible.   Click on "chronology" and scroll down to the video clip on the pedal solo.

Indeed - and this is a "Fox" that DID exist...

So, however, does Kevin Bowyer. For evidence of some of his wizardry in this department, check out his Alkan organ music CD and the pedal part in parts of Sorabji's Organ Symphony No. 1 (IF you can find a copy) and that of my own "Pansophić for John Ogdon" (on Altarus, AIR-CD-9063[2] - "In Memoriam John Ogdon").

Best,

Alistair

[stevie]

you must have had quite a tremendous organ to work on, alistair.

[debussy symbolism]

Moszkowski = very good. i think that if he had written more works of the same quality as his op.72, he may well have been the most respected and well-known Romantic piano composer, rather than Chopin.

too bad there are very few recordings of his works.. i've only played/heard a few, and all of them have been terrific. Terrific as in, on a equal footing with Chopin's etudes.

In my opinion the Chopin etudes are much harder than Moszkowski. What are your opinions?

[kony]

i think the most difficult Chopin etudes (10/2, 25/6, 25/11, etc.) would be more difficult than all of the Moszkowski etudes. but just flipping through, Moszkowski's 72/13 seems as difficult.

i think a part of Chopin's etudes' difficulty lies in the "unreachable" tempi, e.g. 25/11.

By contrast, (on my copy) the Moszkowski has no specific speed request.

[ahinton]

you must have had quite a tremendous organ to work on, alistair.

I think that most of us here would have been able to identify the author of that remark blindfold at a hundred paces had you been able to post it anonymously. That said, I am sorry (am I really?) to disappoint you, but I must tell you that, when composing, I do not work at any instrument; your assumption is therefore false. In any case, I take leave to doubt that you've ever heard the piece concerned (although I'm sure you'll tell us all if I'm wrong about that).

Best,

Alistair

[thalbergmad]

I have a DVD of Fox playing the massive Wannamaker Organ.

That organ has more switches than the Space Shuttle. How me manages it all, is beyond me.

You could spend 50 lifetimes on that instrument and still not have explored all the possibilities.

Thal

[Kassaa]

what

How can you reach the upper keyboard, and how the hell do you what what is for :O

[thalbergmad]

If you can reach the 7th, you should be able to reach the 6th.



The Atlantic City Convention Hall Organ.

[bach-liszt]

Great pictures of the Wannamaker, Thal.  That instrument covers 14 floors and, I have read, requires around 200 horsepower in order to power all of the separate windchests.  It has pipes ranging from 64 feet tall to as small as a pencil.  The tonal range is just unbelievable. 

You may know that when Fox made his famous and brilliant 1964 recording (that is part of the great dvd you referenced) the combination action was not working and he required two assistants at the console to work the numerous stops.

I recently played a recital on the large, five manual  organ at the Crystal Cathedral. The combiantion action has a hundred different levels of memory and the tonal variations seemed endless.  It was awesome playing that instrument.