Perhaps wrong for Sunday, I ask that you please play this interpretation of Petr Eben’s Moto Ostinato.
Some people, like my brother, enjoy various pipe organs around the country for their charm and the massively-facile dexterity demanded of their artistes. There is no doubt that some pipe organ keyboardists border on the supernatural. Every finger of every hand works, every foot is placed. An exquisite organist is — well — busy.
I, however, tend to “enjoy” the sound of a massive pipe organ only when it tends to delve into the lower registers, when it seeks the depths of minors, extended bass pedals, when the music is dark, rumbling, arrogant, yet utilizing overwhelming chords, keyed to frighten, surge and explore the Mr Hyde within us all.
Let us listen to Eben:
BZ
BZ,
That was incredible. How does he know how to move between the three keyboards? Talent is hard to quantify, but this guy certainly has it. As usual a well-written post. My problem is that this whole thing sounded like a sound track from a horror movie. Yikes.
Whoa! Thanks for sharing this BZ. Within the context of what is happening worldwide and in the US, Eben’s music is hauntingly appropriate. Here is an article about his life that brings home the point:
Petr Eben, Czech composer who courageously pitted his religious and musical beliefs against the dead weight of totalitarianism
And regarding the previous healthcare posts, the economics of ObamaKare are an irritant. But stories like this one show the inherent flaws in such a system:
Homeless people die after bird flu vaccine trial in Poland
Three Polish doctors and six nurses are facing criminal prosecution after a number of homeless people died following medical trials for a vaccine to the H5N1 bird-flu virus.
…The news of the investigation will come as another blow to the reputation of Poland’s beleaguered and poverty-stricken national health service. In 2002, a number of ambulance medics were found guilty of killing their patients for commissions from funeral companies.
It is incredible, for sure.
I’m not a huge organ fan, but this was wonderful, thanks.
As a pianist, I was asked to play the organ for a while as our church looked for a real organist.
People complimented me ‘you really are a good organist’…(I wasn’t, I didn’t even use the pedals, I just played with the STOPS enough that they liked different sounds going on!)..I told them I’m not an organist I’m an ORGAN PLAYER. BIG difference.
This guy is ABSOLUTELY incredible. And it is a wonderful piece.
LOT: and that’s another point you bring up that reminds me: you know, the ONLY real orchestral music made these days is for film. The only GOOD composers these days create music for soundtracks. How sad.
Mahndisa: thanks for the links! I’ll go Czech them out!
Z: thanks! Sadly, I never learned to play any instrument save the bass guitar, and I haven’t touched one of those in years.
BZ
It does possess a certain charm and some so-called dark music is actually quite good.
I learned to play the piano in college but am 25+ years rusty.