Franz Liszt's - "Ad nos, ad salutarem undam" (conclusion)

[@michaelherring1944]

All respect for your recording of "ad nos..."! I've heard the M-L in person many times and can only imagine hearing the power you brought forth from my favorite instrument 'LIVE". I've described the sound as "the voice of God" many times, but I think you've added an entire host of angels to the mix. I can hardly wait to meet you and thank you in person!

[@tubamaxima187]

There is something magical about this organ. The sound rolls down the building to the far wall like a Tsunami and comes back to the stage like a giant wave envelloping you in sound. Standing on the stage you can experience what it is like to breath in the sound. When I first heard the Ad Nos conclusion back in 1998, I'll be honest, it gave me goosebumps.

[@MelancoliaI]

I want to hear it in person. Even through my crappy cell phone speaker it puts the power to me. I can only imagine being in Boardwalk Hall for this. Not to sound hyperbolic but it must sound like the voice of God 2:34

[@tubamaxima187]

@@MelancoliaI You can ,indeed, hear this magnificent organ in person by visiting the hall for their almost daily concerts. There has never been, and probably never will be, an organ that will exceed the stunning and emotional sound of this instrument. To describe the sound of this instrument as the voice of God suggests an experience of magnificence and grandeur that has never been equaled. One must stand in awe of the instrument and those that built her. And to think that as of today the organ is only about 55-60% complete. Jonathen Farnsley's performance has raised the bar to a new level. My hat's off to the members of the organ committee and organ shop.

[@philstevens9914]

Especially with Anna playing it!

[@podiumman2]

Goosebumps? Heck this would have me in tears!

[@johnmilburn5715]

Oh God i cried through that. The raw power is stunning, and the struggle the blowers have to support that panolply of awe just makes it all the more emotional. Thank you so much.

[@tubamaxima187]

When it comes to pipe organs, size does matter. More is better than less.

[@rafagomy]

OMG! Hopefuly, i'll make a visit on next summer!

[@rotunda57]

This organ was just BUILT to play the conclusion of this piece. ❤

[@kennethross786]

The bass on that final chord defies description, even on my computer speakers (which do have quite solid bass, but couldn't begin to reproduce the bass this organ produced at the end). And it shows why the Grand Ophicleide was driven with 100" of wind - even at 130+ dB at 1 meter it was having a near-impossible time making itself heard (pretty sure I did hear it at the end, but just barely). Hoping to head northeast to Atlantic City once the organ reaches 100% playable.

[@JIMD6370]

He didn't use the G.O., it was off line for maintenance at this time

[@ethanlamoureux5306]

@@JIMD6370 That’s what I thought I heard, or rather didn’t hear. The 1998 recording featured the Grand Ophicleide in the last chord, and it cut through all of the rest of the organ like a hot knife through butter!

[@rickwhite4137]

OMG! What an organ! What a sound!

[@knollozx]

Unfassbar, wie genial dieses Stück auf dieser wundervollen Orgel klingt....Bitte mal solche Stücke auf CD bringen....

[@tubamaxima187]

Thankyou Jonathen for your magnificent performance of the Ad Nos,ad salutaren undam. I was present on the stage when the original performance was recorded in Nov 1998 for the CD. It was an experience that was not able to be described in words. It seems you have raised the bar and gone one better !!!!

[@masonbradford]

I would love to hear another recording of this at boardwalk hall perhaps when the grand ophlecide and some of the other 100” stops are running.

[@JonathanFarnsley]

YES. I am in 100% full agreement that it should be recorded again once more of the organ is functioning. There is currently one 100" stop that is functional in Gallery I, but I did not use it in this recording. From what I've been told, the newly restored 8' portion of the Grand Ophicleide (that is playable on the Great manual) is supposed to be debuting this week for Anna Lapwood's Concert on the 5th. I am attending this event and am very eager to hear if any difference is able to be heard in its quality of sound. I was afforded a few opportunities to hear and play it in its previously unrestored condition about a year ago. I have absolutely no words that are capable of providing an accurate portrayal of the raw power in sound and massive wall of volume that the stop was/is able to produce. There is absolutely no mistaking when its being used.

[@JIMD6370]

​@@JonathanFarnsley one things that interesting, even at the end, is how quickly the regulators recover. Throughout this you hear it.

[@vincentiaquinta2119]

This is why Saint Saens said this is the greatest piece ever written for the organ -- since Bach.

[@masonbradford]

Wow from 1998 to 2022 no comparison absolutely I love the way you registered that’s what this instrument was built for the next one you should play is is tu es petra thou art the rock

[@buddhistandcatholic]

Yes thank you for adding this just so we can hear how far this instrument

[@williammorris584]

It’s sounding incredible. Who wouldn’t push the registration on the Ad Nos? It sounded like a wordless choir of a thousand voices joined at 2:40. This is a bucket list thing for me; I intend to hear this when it is 100% restored and tuned.

[@JonathanFarnsley]

You and me both! I'll see you there, whenever that glorious day comes to be! 😍

[@Arkienkeli_Working_Angel]

Like never? (sorry to be a pessimist...)

[@JIMD6370]

Absolutely just thunders.🤗

[@dyackman]

What an instrument. I have to hear it in person one day.

[@ajg617]

Have to wonder what Bach would have done with a pipe organ such as this......

[@n6mz]

Just imagine how this incredible masterpiece of organ building will sound when it's completely restored!

[@tubamaxima187]

There are many negative nay-sayers that have nothing positive to say about this organ. They have probably not heard this organ in person. I would suggest that they make an effort to hear this organ in person. It is a transforming event that cannot be described in words. If they are organists themselves they should arrange to play it. It will more than likely change their opinion of this organ. Comments from famous organists, like “ this is incredible” suggest that they were very favorable to this instrument. Enough of the negative comments. This instrument is beyond description.

[@JonathanFarnsley]

SPOT ON. There are literally no words on earth that can describe the sound a capability of this instrument. It is an absolute necessity to hear it in person!

[@williammitchell1864]

My dream pipe organ to play some day!🥰

[@bryceword1768]

The Mighty Beast!!!!!

[@thomasphillips5850]

Nothing can equal it!!!! Thank you ,beautiful

[@podiumman2]

I would love to hear the Mahler Symphony No. 2 with this organ and this space. Also, the Gothic Symphony by Havergal Brian.

[@roberthoffhines5419]

geeeeez! and it's only 60% there? Ho-ly CATS!

[@c-historia]

well done 👏 thanks for this wonderful music

[@ВладимирОкоренко]

Супер 👑 ангел музыка органа 😎😍🤩😃😄

[@TomFynn]

This is why you need to have a big organ.

[@louise_rose]

The biggest EVER! :)

[@connor_flanigan]

this is one of the finest examples of a magnificent instrument crafted by the Big Johnson Organ Company

[@JIMD6370]

@@connor_flanigan midmer-losh, long island is who made the organ.

[@cliftonburrell5047]

Totally awesome ! cburrell

[@richardsmith7004]

The end here is the Om Holy Ghost, the voice of God!

[@jonwelch686]

Here's an older recording that was on vinyl record. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHSWlI1jbJJ8pas

[@buddhistandcatholic]

According to that video’s description it was actually made in 90s when the organ first came back online

[@barnarus]

Holy smokes....

[@thomasphillips5850]

What do you think Franz would say?

[@JIMD6370]

Thomas, holy s^€t comes to my mind lol.

[@rotunda57]

His hair would be swept back like a motorcyclist without a helmet

[@georgemurphy2579]

The final page, but can you play the part that separates the men from the boys?

[@JonathanFarnsley]

I so wish I could! Perhaps one day! 😊

[@ngcolby]

She runs out of wind and goes slightly flat at the end...

[@roberthoffhines5419]

i noticed that too. I wondered if the recording equipment was clipping or something. Those 64 foot resultants have to play havoc with the wave forms in the space. I can't imagine she was running short of wind.

[@JIMD6370]

You missed the description where he said he pushed the organ way passed anything normal to see when it would sag, didn't you?

[@roberthoffhines5419]

@@JIMD6370 Oh, thanks, but where is that? not in the desc pulldown above.

[@JIMD6370]

@@roberthoffhines5419 oh do I have egg on my face. The description was on his FB post, not here. Fast version: room was still warming up from Disney on ice, so pipes were a tad flat everywhere. And he intentionally over registered it to cause wind sag, like happened pretty easy in the 1998 recording of just what was playable in the right chamber only. In that recording, it only took around 25 stops, on this one, he was over 250 stops, way past anything you'd normally use in Grand organ .

[@ngcolby]

@@JIMD6370 That is an insane amount of stops. To be there to hear just how insanely loud that had to have been....bucket list stuff.

[@jacquesbruno6046]

Atlantic City is too far from me ........ Friendly from Marseille - FRANCE

[@mauriziobartolotti8671]

Cos'è 'sta baracconata? ??

[@dantemombelli3602]

Come sempre tutte le americanate.Poi mi spiegate perché manuali d a7 ottave come il pianoforte ? Normalmente le composizioni urbanistiche rientrano nella estensione di 5 ottave. L'organo non è un pianoforte, sono 2 cose totalmente diverse.

[@reinholdschade2319]

Geil

[@arvidlystnur4827]

Hey Norton, I bet this organ cost at least 200.00 bucks!

[@JIMD6370]

Arvid, 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@m.b.v.jansen7116]

1 million "bucks"

[@JIMD6370]

@@m.b.v.jansen7116 actually, near $7,000,000 so far on the restoration.

[@1106gary]

Amazing number of switches, but flip any 15 of them and you end up with audio mud.

[@JonathanFarnsley]

The audio record mode also was on lower quality and I didn’t realize it until much later unfortunately. It actually records a lot better than this

[@JIMD6370]

​@@JonathanFarnsleythis was lower quality audio???

[@JonathanFarnsley]

Yes. Believe it or not.

[@JIMD6370]

@@JonathanFarnsley that's almost a terrifying thought lol.

[@ron101346]

Has a bigger sound than the Wanamaker organ, but not as musical.

[@alanash5870]

This organ is only bigger in the number of pipes. The issue though, is , the number of WORKING pipes. Only about half of this organs 33,000 pipes are operational. The Wanamaker organ has 28,750 pipes, and is kept in perfect working order.

[@andrewkessinger5966]

A lot of the musicality comes from the player too. Just because it’s the biggest and loudest foe not mean it needs to be played big and loud all the time. Though it is a sound to behold.

[@roberthoffhines5419]

There's not much chance so subtlety in the space. You can get somewhat up close and personal with the Wannamaker from the photos I've seen. This one has to yell at you from afar. Which it does!

[@JIMD6370]

@@roberthoffhines5419 actually, there's several videos that show it very, very, quiet, but it still projects bass as well. It's getting better all the time.

[@JonathanFarnsley]

The two organs were built for entirely different purposes and style of venue. The Midmer-Losh has more pipes because of the extended keyboard ranges not seen on the Wanamaker organ which technically has more ranks. But because the number of pipes is considered the ultimate deciding factor on true size, the Midmer-Losh hails as the largest pipe organ and musical instrument in the world, and also the loudest with multiple reed stops on 100” (water column) of wind pressure.

[@Parker6432]

Loudest is not necessarily musical!

[@JIMD6370]

He intentionally way over registered it on purpose btw, normally would never use 250 of the 280 available stops as it tends to turn to mush.

[@jonwelch686]

It's a recording. Duh it won't always register well on digital recording equipment.

[@OrganMusicYT]

@@jonwelch686 Polly usually gets on the wine and likes to run everyone else down. It's his specialty.

[@brucefrank6752]

Its typical American

[@JIMD6370]

Explain.

[@m.b.v.jansen7116]

Afschuwelijke geluidsopname, één grote geluidsbrij, jammer!

[@JIMD6370]

You do realize M.B.V. that he intentionally way over registered it, right? Yes, it went to mush, but what a mush it is!

[@bobkonradi1027]

It seems that the people playing this instrument are primarily biased in favor of old classical music that nobody ever listened to in the past 300 years. I'd like to hear some good-to-listen to classics, or even current compositions that are upbeat in nature. For instance, some of Rossini's Overtures, some Beethoven concertos, and so forth. Liszt had many Hungarian Rhapsodies that are interesting. And the same criticism goes for the Wanamaker instrument in Philadelphia, their musicians just play some old, somber fugues, and so forth. For both instruments, if the organists insist on playing some somber music, at least mix in some good-to-listen to songs as well. I've never heard either instrument ever play the fanfare to the Overture to William Tell, yet both instruments could produce music for the ages if allowed to do so by the organists.

[@JIMD6370]

Actually, in recent years anyway, there have been many recitals of much newer stuff, including show tunes that they've done here. I guess it's up to the organists to choose.

[@TheMikeOrganist]

This is, because on one side transcriptions of orchestral works for organ weren't very popular to play/learn in the last 50 to 70 years. Organists prefered to play "classical" (especially baroque) music in these times. Over the course, romantic music also had a renaissance, even though many good composers like Sigfrid Karg-Elert and Joseph Jongen are still underrated. Why learn a piano or orchestral piece, when you've got a very big repertoire scaling from the earliest written music till today. Playing and learning transcriptions only got popular again in the last few years. On the other side studying and learning these transcriptions can be very hard to extremely hard - harder than some difficult repertoire piece. Just watch the videos of @scottbrothersduo and their organ transcriptions of, e. g. William Tell or Beethoven's Symphonies. These are just insanely cool sounding, but extremely difficult to learn. They stated, however, that they'll soon come to the US and play the two giants. ;)

[@andrewkessinger5966]

There is a recording out there of a young man playing the finale of The Lion King on the Wanamaker. Excellent arrangement and it sounds incredible

[@richardsmith7004]

Problem is that there are few compositions that are sheer genius and spiritually uplifting. Ad nos is one of those! I've heard the great Raul Prieto Ramirez and Nathan Laube play it live on two great organs here in L.A.

[@Arkienkeli_Working_Angel]

One has to play this really slow as the sound is so mushy and muddled. No amount of restoration is going to fix that. Attack time on lowest stops prevents any sensible pace to be used. Let's face it: this organ is just a megalomanic anomaly in the history of organ building and holds no musical or artistic value whatsoever. Where is the console at 1:21 from, not the main one as it has only 5 manuals and the top ones are not tilted.

[@masonbradford]

The 5 manual console is the portable console for this instrument. It’s awaiting restoration and is proudly on display until restoration.

[@JIMD6370]

Don't like it?, don't listen then comment negatively, that's just not cool. Can't wait to hear your recording on any organ.

[@Arkienkeli_Working_Angel]

Big but not beautiful.