Diane Bish - "Allegro" from Symphony No. 5

[@kgs202]

An example of power and drama....love French organ music with use of the reed stops...my favorite family of stops on the organ...add Diane as the artist performing and you have...well, perfection.

[@claviergoren]

Diane Bish is a consummate musician. Her technical ability is like that of Joyce Jones. She can play anything! Diane Bish we thank you for your artistry.

[@scottdunavent]

Outstanding!!!! What an honor to have the opportunity to hear this!! Thank you for posting this video

[@pericles733]

I have nothing to say but to thank you indeed for this video music as you have vanished my ignorance aoutrt the potentioal of the organ

[@HomeOrganist]

very nice to see this part of the 5th! i love it more than the final toccata! thanks for posting!

[@bourdon0774]

It's great to see Diane playing something other than her hymn arrangements and the usual classical organ stuff (Finale of this Organ Symphony, Bach T&F in D minor, etc.)

[@Tokkemon]

What I love best about this interpretation is when Widor puts ff and fff in his score, Ms. Bish ACTUALLY uses stops that are ff and fff. She isn't some old lady who has sensitive ears. Very powerful!

[@tamiasthechipmunk]

Agreed! In addition, the same type of critics you are talking about also pick on Virgil Fox for the same things they say Diane is doing. What they are forgetting is that music can't be played like a typewriter. It has to be expressive and vibrant. The reason the like of VIrgil and Diane are well regarded is because of their ability to give music life and gusto, not just playing note by note. As long as the music is entertaining who cares what registration Diane uses or what organ she plays on.

[@farthereast54]

I haven't heard an interpretation of this that I enjoyed quite so much since that of Richard Ellasasser back in the 1960's. There is much life and energy in it, and a bit of lightness. So many of the recordings in the intervening years have been ponderous, and rather like dirges, which cannot be quite what Widor had in mind for his Allegro. Anybody up to outplaying Ms. Bish on this one? Those who couldn't seem to have become critics.

[@christiancolard]

Beaux souliers!

[@organist12345]

You should hear a recording of Ian Tracey playing the organ of Liverpool Cathedral in England(the largest organ in the UK). He uses virtually full swell + great pleno for the whole of the firt part of the piece.

[@jsb0321]

Other recordings of this organ sound much better- sounds like more or a recording or upload problem to You Tube.

[@gngeannakakes]

Diane Bish's interpretation of this piece is just right. I like the fast tempo - other organists usually play it too slow - actually, a little bit faster would be o.k. The reverb of this church unfortunately is lacking.

[@Tokkemon]

@0627nmp ff = fortissimo, or very loud. fff = fortississimo, or very very loud. Fortississimo tends to mean "as loud as possible" being the generally the loudest dynamic (though ffff and ffffff have been seen too...)

[@mhuizing7725]

bijzonder

[@organist12345]

I knew that but some people still classify Liverpool as having the biggest organ

[@steamboat75043]

And there are other recordings of this instrument, so, the tinny sound of the recording is what's pulling the sound down.

[@michaelwhytock]

Thank you. I agree with you a lot. Vierne, went on a tour of North America playing American organs such as the Wannamaker one. If Vierne, a FAMOUS FRENCH composer had any problems with playing French music on non French instruments, why did he go to North America? Why is it that when we encounter people that are better than us we moan and complain. Just get over it. Until your in a position to criticise her, keep your mouth shut.

[@steamboat75043]

Nice to see we have plenty of collective ignorance to throw up on boobtube. Glad to see there is no room for other interpretations and that if you don't have a french organ, then by God, don't play the thing. And that there is only one way to register the organ. I enjoyed the performance. Diane probably plays better than the lot of you put together.

[@kasha1932]

So sorry. This broke up all through the piece.

[@orgelspielen]

I really don`t understand the big fuss about playing French organ music on an American organ! Does that mean just because peices that were written by, for example, Widor and Vierne, should only be played on the organs they were composed and played on or only on French organs? I enjoy listening to the very many interpretations of organ music. I believe it would be a shame to restrict organplaying to a particular form. Diane Bish is very dynamic and plays exceptionally!! DO NOT RETIRE, DIANE!!!

[@rotunda57]

These organ clips would be much better if the camera just stayed on the console. No panning or special effects.

[@willowthebored]

It's interesting what she's done, it's definitely not a traditional French interpretation. I like it. I'm sure it would have sounded better live, too, this video doesn't really capture the majesty of 117 ranks...

[@Tetsuo315]

By restricting ourselves to one type of interpretation we limit ourselves with music. There are many organs in this country to play Widor & Vierne. Who gives a shite if Diane plays a French organ piece on an Italian,German, or American intrument. Whats important is the enjoyment one gets from playing and entertaining an audience of listeners. Besides, organs are expensive to maintain and electronic is replacing them. Lets not limit our playing or there will be no real organs to play at all.

[@organum74]

I agree, je suis d'accord avec votre point de vue. Far away from sound of real symphonic organs, especially Cavaillé-Coll like Saint-Sulpice : gere the stops are too briht, and like often with American organs, many stops but they sound quite small, reeds too agressive too...

[@willowthebored]

It's not the organ, mate, trust me...this was a very nice Ruffati before Walker and Rodgers had their way with it (this was recorded before that dark day). The problem is that Godawful McChurch they installed it in. It's like singing underwater, totally ruins the sound. Unfortunately, she doesn't have six, seven, eight seconds of reverb to hide her staccato behind like the French organists of yore...

[@aidavandebrake-miavoca8794]

You can buy a nice private jet for the price of an organ like this ;-) (translation: millions of USDollars)

[@Ken_Weber_organist]

I love Diane's playing (truly she has 'fire' in her playing) however, that Ruffatti is way too shrill!! She sounds much better on Skinner organs!!!!

[@penguinflag]

Go jump in a lake- let's see you play the mighty organ and let's compare to see who's better. The song and the organ don't mix well, I'll give you that, but she could pull it off if she'd been on Widor's precious organ in St. Sulpice. Stick to music you like and we'll keep on listening to Bish.

[@pipeup1]

Registration not good. Instrument sounds like a box of whistles!!

[@Principal16]

TOO FAST!!!

[@ihadaralf]

She looks like your typical American middle aged no taste granny but she plays very well and for once, I approve of the organ. I like Bish's playing but her wardrobe's atrocious.

[@1401JSC]

Disappointing. It's time she went into retirement, perhaps. An organ that has no French sounds on it in an acousic that is very far from that of Saint-Sulpice and just playing the notes with no sense of majesty, fun, dignity, space, love...whatever. Oh dear!