Westerkerk Carillon - Johann Sebastian Bach - Toccata in D minor

Boudewijn Zwart, carillonneur for the Westerkerk in Amsterdam, NL, plays Toccata in D minor by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Recorded and produced by the Peabody Essex Museum. Video created by Chip Van Dyke, Media Production Manager at the Peabody Essex Museum, with help from Holland Production Services. Edited by Jack Moffit and Chip Van Dyke. Carillon recordings by Forrest James forrestjames.b...

[@rubiksmaster301]

I can only imagine how epic it feels punching the keys that make music over an ENTIRE CITY.

[@peabodyessexmuseum]

It was a thrill to be up in that tower with Boudewijn and even moreso when he took our request to play Stairway to Heaven! kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJ6umnyZeN6pd9E

[@tom7601]

peabodyessexmuseum p

[@GLPS2020]

It's epic.

[@chrissydude1]

As someone who has played a carillon over a City, it feels absolutely surreal.

[@Caildyn]

that, and how scared I would be to make a mistake because everyone in teh city would hear it.

[@hendrikfranss]

Me : *enjoying my short break* School bell :

[@anahiquinteros7900]

Epic

[@JonatasAdoM]

Time to go back.

[@fatitankeris6327]

@@JonatasAdoM More like "Time to go Bach!"

[@Sgdhsbsbdb]

Imagine this as your school bell

[@shimok9102]

​@@fatitankeris6327 Take my like you filthy animal

[@palosnes3147]

Rarely do you punch an instrument and it sounds right

[@karllegrand]

The exact opposite of a Theremin... :-)

[@palosnes3147]

@@karllegrand ha tru lol

[@rofo2107]

Carillon will NEVER sound right :D It is always out of tune with a complete mess of unharmonic overtones fighting each other and with delayed bass line. But it is good to hear it - once a year or so :D

[@pwk22]

For example, the cello.

[@babyskunkcat]

Unless you’re playing Liszt.

[@adrien7072]

When you know that if you make an error, thousands of people will judge you

[@Lummerbummer115]

I mean... Same with someone in a successful band or orchestra, or a pianist playing in an auditorium. This way, at least they don't know who you are.

[@sridash]

@@Lummerbummer115 The same also happens for getting live in a sunburn

[@UncleBeefRecords]

And GOD

[@DracoHandsome]

in actuality thousands of people will go: "Who's that nutcase up in the tower going ape on the bells?" I dunno. He's playing Beethoven, right? "I think so? It's that one old song everybody knows." What's it called again? "I DON'T KNOW!"

[@frogbather8464]

Me: just chilling downtown The sky: starts playing this music

[@da8874]

I too, want to play the sausage piano keys

[@lightespeed]

If it helps I have a sausage key you can practice on.

[@FloopIsReal]

@@lightespeed oh my ;)

[@overrated3237]

lightespeed I’m sorry but playing the mini version is nothing like playing the real thing

[@mastinho6761]

@@lightespeed lol rekt

[@jacob1931]

lightespeed Smooth

[@paolbackman651]

This is amazing work, i hear Tocata in D Minor on many instruments, but this is really good and unique.

[@niccolopaganini4268]

Try violin. But the fugue and not toccata, it works just perfectly on violin

[@peihuang2618]

that’s not very good

[@jackmclane1826]

It's definitly unique and well played. But when played on a grand organ it has a many times deeper effect on me.

[@julieutley2073]

These 2 ton instruments are incredible, and the people who play them are so gifted. There is a Renaissance fair in Colorado every summer, and there is a Carilloneur who brings his and plays it, sells CDs, and we love it. The vibrations go right through and vibrate your bones.

[@skalimorethegreat616]

Creo que se llama cast in bronze, si más no me equivoco

[@Doug791]

I reckon this one weighs more than 2tonnes. It's an entire building.

[@jamesgodfrey5887]

This guy must be amazing at wack- a -mole at arcades

[@reeblesnarfle5443]

He's not bad on a carilon!😳

[@alejandrocuevassan]

When your foot is pressing the sustain pedal through out the entire piece:

[@ianletbey]

That's exactly what I thought holy fuck. The instrument sounds amazing, but this is awful sf

[@JohannesCardano]

Theres no nees to sustain cause bells are used there. A big hahah

[@carlcarlton328]

Yap nose knees atal.

[@joeallen3970]

He's the best Carilloneur I have ever heard!!!! His technique and articulation is also very nice :) Well done

[@picante28]

Do you often hear carillonneur ..? 😑😂

[@marnikvanhelden3427]

His technique isn’t great, look to Jan Verheyen or Geert d’Hollander from the bok tower gardens!

[@Xaeram]

@@picante28 😂

[@Roman-us2fp]

I didn’t know that tuned hotdogs could make such wonderful sounds.

[@avitalalef9947]

I did not expect to see gudetama over here

[@nataliableu6390]

I can't stop laughing and listening to this beautiful music.🤣

[@SalatielNascimento2896]

Kkkk

[@dleblanc]

How do you practice the carillon to get good at it? I feel like trying to learn scales and such might be annoying to some (all) towns/cities. :P

[@peabodyessexmuseum]

Check out our interview with Boudewijn Zwart, Westerkerk Tower Carilloneur He has the answer

[@DanBanan69]

peabodyessexmuseum He didn't mention anything about practising the carillon. :(

[@peabodyessexmuseum]

Aculnahuacatl Tzaqualcatl Apologies. The section never ended up in the final video! Here is a link to the school where Boudewijn learned his craft www.beiaardcentrum.com/en/netherlands-carillon-school I remember he said they had a real carillon in a real tower "in the middle of the forest." www.beiaardcentrum.com/en/amersfoort-carillon-town

[@DanBanan69]

peabodyessexmuseum Thanks a bunch, that clears it up. :)

[@augiebendoggie]

I know that at UC Berkeley that they have at least one practice keyboard in Sather Tower to practice on and for the classes that they give for (to?) students.

[@opeendaginmaart57]

It is said of Bach that he "was able to accomplish passages on the pedals with his feet which would have given trouble to the fingers of many a clever player on the keyboard." Here, Boudewijn plays passages with his fists that would have given trouble to the fingers of many a clever player on the keyboard!

[@stew148]

Can you imagine trying to practice with the entire city listening.

[@mji71]

Exactly!

[@fidgetelftree9432]

As far as I know I think they have a practice version in the bottom floor that’s not hooked up to any bells. Still, making a mistake on an instrument that echos for miles must be stressful.

[@ihavenothingbettertodotoday]

a reason to not f--k up your carillon lesson

[@SteamCrane]

When I was a kid many years ago, our church group visited a cathedral that had a carillon. We got up in the tower and watched it being played, very much like this. There was also a practice keyboard so that you won't embarrass yourself to the whole city. 60 years ago, still remember it clearly. We also got inside the wind chests of the organ.

[@AbbeyWagner4547]

When I was little I always loved church bells :) thanks 🙏

[@chipblock2854]

Just amazing. I really live this on an organ but to hear it played this way was a big treat! Thanks for sharing!

[@yowzephyr]

Wow. Heavy metal music that has class.

[@wonpound5326]

lol

[@thereforeayam]

That would be fun to hear out hiking around, or on a special occasion.

[@animositie]

That would be creepy as fuck

[@zamarioijean4736]

Interpréter au carillon la toccata et fugue de Bach écrite pour orgue doit présenter beaucoup de difficultés ! Bravo !

[@magdielluna6336]

Imagine hearing this in your mid-day nap 😴

[@rekordea]

would be very happy to hear this in real life

[@AndrewJens]

I don't think that there's ever been a more magnificent performance in a browner coat.

[@oferzilberman5049]

As someone who played it on several instruments, No matter the instrument, It is always fun to play it :D

[@cattycorner8]

Stupendous! I had never seen or heard a carillon before! The internet is a wonderful thing. Boudewijn Zwart is a master whom I hope has students so that he may pass along this talent. Thanks also to Chip Van Dyke for bringing this into my life. I am richer for it.

[@blipblop6622]

me at 3am: taking something to eat fallen spoon:

[@jlmiller77]

Could you imagine visiting a city, walking the streets and being surprised when this suddenly starts?

[@vaniberi8189]

Just perfect in every sense: taste, musicality, technical virtuosity, interpretational originality, transcription fully organic for the carillon and utilizing its full potential... Bravo!

[@sgtpepper6379]

I hate how the audio was edited. Just listen to the bells in the intro. They don't even finish ringing. They just get cut off. Sounds horrible to the ear. Guess I'll have to hear this awesomeness in person.

[@gilsonoi1188]

Very Beautiful.

[@s000sdas]

Impressive But can you do the third movement of moonlight sonata on that?

[@BobbyJCFHvLichtenstein]

Hahaha I was just thinking that

[@thanos4677]

Probably not. You’d have to modify the piece a lot because it has a lot of chords that would be impossible on this instrument

[@KVAAM]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3umZGeshJ6qatE warm regards, Koen (carillonist of Antwerp, also owner of mobile carillon www.bronzenpiano.com)

[@zavier3644]

Thanos if anyone wooshes you... they will burn in hell

[@luizmiranda1950]

Or Perpetual Moto by Paganini.

[@johntrescott6975]

Really nice. I have never heard a caroleur, much less seen the player perform as I listened to the bells. More exciting than watching a bell choir perform. Thank you for this video and wonderful listening experience. Very much up to the PEM standard of excellence.

[@esshyy]

And once again KZbin recommendation brought us all here.....

[@yves-noel-mariegonnet1043]

Magnifique = un grand Merci!

[@HPD1171]

when are we going to hear the fugue? it would be interesting to hear how you interpret the change in the timbre between the various parts in that section with this instrument.

[@erikkrabbenbos4347]

Type in 'Boudewijn Zwart speelt Bach Boudewijn Zwart plays Bach'. There's also a vid, though split into two parts, where he plays the entire Passacaglia in c minor.

[@JellyNutButter22]

imagine waking up to this

[@ownerfate]

they look like Great fun only bad part is if you mess up like big time, every one with in the ringing distance will know...

[@marnikvanhelden3427]

At the same time you are anonymous, non body knows it’s you!

[@ownerfate]

@@marnikvanhelden3427 .... unless the town got word of people playing certain songs...lol

[@Xterminator8411]

Yup, at least a few miles away. No stress. XDDDDD

[@YouT00ber]

I was today years old when I found out about what a carillon was by randomly listening to a “John Klein at the Carillon Americana..” Christmas record from the 1960s(?). Pretty cool to find this piece when jumping down the rabbit hole

[@norwedish01]

Can someone pleeaaassee turn that horrible audio compressor off.

[@JonatasMonte]

I hate it.

[@tristanb.3470]

You mean KZbin?

[@norwedish01]

@Egg MCMUFFIN This has nothing to do with KZbin because there are plenty of videos on other channels where this doesn't happen.

[@lucaslemonholm5492]

Ok for the people in this reply section: there's a couple different types of compression when you talk about audio. One is like what you might find in an effect pedal, where high volumes are brought down and low volumes are brought up, giving punchier attack but less dynamic range. The compression youtube does is not that. KZbin compresses audio files, meaning sound will sound a little less life-like, but the dynamics are not really affected and it certainly doesn't just shave off overtones. The effect that is actually used here sounds like just a simple gate, where if the volume is below a certain threshold, it cuts out. That bothered the heck out of me too. I'll bet the segment came in between or after a talking segment on some show, and the sound people forgot to adjust 😭😭

[@yolunik]

Vous n'avez pas la chaîne Hi-Fi pour ça. Le rapport db/w/m des cloches est trop important.

[@SuperEggplant]

Gee, just googled carillon music looking for a recording. Didn't expect the PEM to have recorded one in Westerkerk of all places. Good job guys!

[@peabodyessexmuseum]

Thank you. The reason you don't see more videos like this is very explainable - Carrying heavy video equipment up hundreds of steep tower stairs is NOT EASY!

[@AhnemMee]

Prachtig gedaan, Boudewijn - wat een gevoel dat je daar inlegt, ongelooflijk.

[@berndbodenstein2258]

Ganz hohen Respekt! Einfach nur "wow"!

[@hendersonribeirobrandina2120]

I've never seen this instrument before! Bravo! It was great! Thanks for the video.

[@garymoore8711]

God can surely hear you play, Sir. My heart is still in my throat. Magnificent. A monster of an instrument.

[@dominiquedescottes8314]

Absolument remarquable,l'oeuvre d'origine garde son authenticité Et met le carillon au rang d'instrument majeur La mise en image du début est très réussie Merci z l.éditeur de cette vidéo Chapeau bas au carillon neur

[@Unknownlll123]

That must be one of the most hardes pieces of music to play, i have it on my ring tone and I certainly get a few heads turning when it rings. This is absolutely beautiful, such talent. 🙂.

[@squeakD]

Ahhhh, finally! A keyboard for the player who’s always mad..., no reason, just literally about to lose his sh** at any given time :-)

[@user-xp8be9uc4h]

БРАВО!

[@joahnnseneca1407]

Si consigues tocar a Bach con cualquier cosa, sonará bien, porque es Bach. Sorprendente

[@dawsoncolby5487]

When i saw the thumbnail i thought it was a bunch of hot dogs

[@TheMartian11]

Exactly! Me too

[@olivervue1422]

WA Mozart 😂😂😂

[@ezequielstepanenko3229]

Someone is hungry

[@olivervue1422]

Ezequiel Stepanenko Yep😜😂

[@hr4268]

😂😂😂 Same

[@lol_itslorri1210]

Nobody: Annoying kids that can't play instruments but like to touch them whenever they see one: 2:38

[@FroggyRibbits]

Sometimes I feel bad for them because they probably want to but their parents won't let them.

[@benjaminmarks8765]

I don't get it

[@omegagamer1860]

LOL right

[@wyster14]

@@FroggyRibbits I don't feel bad for them. If it's not their instrument, and or they don't play it, they shouldn't touch it

[@InterTekker]

Очень замечательное исполнение и звучание инструмента!! Не думал, что такое возможно..

[@sashkilesa1562]

Тоже был удивлен......

[@EdLove]

Stunning!

[@vilstef6988]

The ringing in my ears has a tune. . .

[@georgemungai1323]

Wow! Amazing playing bells like an organ pedals

[@pri_kristel]

Wowww... well done!

[@TheMaskedman52]

So beautiful.

[@vickieevenson9309]

Wonderful!!

[@flemmingranch8777]

Fantastisk instrument det klokkeværk. Flot spillet og en god lyd.......

[@stevecannon1774]

I would never have thought of this piece of music for the carillon. What a rare treat for those of us who play instruments. I love the carillon and listen to them whenever I get the chance, but sadly, many churches and cities now use recorded music instead of having a real, live musician and that's just sad.

[@argentik82]

A brilliant kind of urban music.

[@caterinacarpi4005]

Complimenti!...😲👍👏👏👏

[@Gitika1956]

Bravo, Forte Maestro!

[@andrewgorham1193]

MERVEILLEUX TALENT. Et dire que nous avons aussi un carillon à l'Oratoire Saint-Joseph à Montréal...et rarement la chance de l'entendre. Bravo.

[@Anquitil]

He’s got some strong hands! The lower the note, the heavier the keys get because they’re attached to larger bells.

[@laurawillits176]

Thanks, I didn't know that!

[@EddyVandewalle]

Prachtig instrument den beiaard en dan nog zo een muziek stuk opspelen chapau.

[@noalademagogia]

Wonderful instrument and player.

[@tetracor]

Bravo ! Amazing; never heard this before. Thank You BZ.

[@ricardojuricic9027]

BRAVOooooooooooooooooo!!!!! GRACIAS TOTALESss!!! THANKS million thousands thanks!!!

[@erykkulawski]

he is awesome

[@tomaszk4750]

Maestro!

[@leninha5549]

Amazing and fantastic.!!

[@AnkothOfficial]

Who else, when they heard the initial bell tolling, was expecting and mentally prepared for the riff For Whom The Bell Tolls to start playing?

[@peterjameson321]

Breathtaking.

[@Yukimaru676]

This is absolutely amazing!!

[@gratefulpianist8640]

Pianists: the fingering is kind of hard, you have to jump a lot Carillonneur: hold my bell

[@cptcrogge]

Radio station 500 years ago :D

[@jgesselberty]

Just, wow.

[@howlandowlle7953]

Well. . First, there's a score edited to an instrument of fifty bells with all the complexities and, therefore, limitations from overtones that bells have. . Second is the demands of full downstroke done evenly on each individual key in rapid melodic runs. Carillon keys have long travel from rest position to bell strike. . Third is the sheer athleticism of the performer in sustaining the level of focus and energy to play this. . Fourth is the sharpness of technique in accurately striking, in time, innumerable notes in complex runs. . Fifth, again in technique, is in not allowing the pace of the piece as a whole to lapse while executing the physically complex moves throughout. . Sixth is the accuracy of the right notes in those same runs. . Seventh is the thorough memorization of the piece. The last time we saw him glance at the score was when he placed it on the instrument. Whenever we see him his eyes are fixed on the keyboard. .Boudewijn Zwart goes in the same high class of performers of this piece with Vanessa-Mae and Amy Turk.

[@MrJoeHelmet]

Beautiful.

[@ProfesserLuigi]

Bloody amazing. You have a finesse that most carillion players I've heard don't have.

[@clivesmith2123]

Litt

[@JMJ580]

Extraordinaire ! Bravo au Carillonneur!

[@Nicholas2011ist]

What an amazing racket. Enjoyable too

[@Dzwonek05]

That's that's incredible!!!!!!

[@saviomartin9295]

Wow.. This was epic.

[@johnguertin840]

Quite impressive!

[@voxpopulivoxdei1155]

Excellent and virtuous. What a pity, that so many cars disturb this phantastic sound.

[@opaline444]

magnifique!

[@BardofCornwall]

Amazing!

[@AbbeyWagner4547]

This is lit :) hello from Canada 🇨🇦

[@sussusussu8846]

wow....this guy is good

[@ingorichter649]

Like a mighty celesta, wow!

[@FelixKim579]

Amazing!!

[@Mary_nyaw]

Дуже гарно

[@trisshy]

Here i am, minding my own business KZbin: *recommends this video*

[@goscott444]

_Beat the hell out of it........Take it for what it's worth!_ 😎

[@DylanTedford]

Scott Payne Are you sure you shouldn’t beat the “bell” out of it?? 😂😂 Okay, I’ll stop.

[@kyky51000]

Fantastique

[@kythe143]

dude is rocking tf out, hell yeah

[@peabodyessexmuseum]

Did you watch him play Stairway? kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJ6umnyZeN6pd9E

[@kythe143]

@@peabodyessexmuseum holy crap thank you for this, dude is awesome!

[@ritabodenmann-kunzi3340]

Wow!🥺

[@sandrinoi6490]

Bravo