was E. Power Biggs good?

[widornut]

Re: was E. Power Biggs good?

P.S. #1. I didn't know that Julliard had an organ department!
P.S. #2. I KNOW Marie-Claire! Glad to hear that she is still living!

[chimay]

Re: was E. Power Biggs good?

widornut, aka Dave, I think I'd better take you up on that offer of a drink. I'd like to find out how people get so dang passionate here. Can't we just admit that all organists [myself included] are just all a bit freaky? Loving and playing an instrument that requires the support of hundreds of parishoners/educators.. start there. Playing an instrument that is basically known to the public as a relgious instrument only. Playing the KING of INSTRUMENTS. That sort of says it all, doesn't it? Are we all trying to be little kings, whipping out and checking the length of our individual scepters? come to think of it, maybe I'll just have a drink by myself...

chimay

[widornut]

Re: was E. Power Biggs good?

Cole: Why would anyone want you to change? I thought your comments were well said and quite thoughtful. Dave

[Jerry]

Re: was E. Power Biggs good?

Dear 582 one obtains the achievement of being a Know-it-all by the mere fact of being "opinionated." Sorry, you can't change from that as hard as you may try. but I'll be glad to join the both of you for that drink! I'm sure a loose tongue enhances all opinionated knowledge and I would love to know what you changed in the past. Your statement, " So try to convince me......" sounds more like "come into my parlor say the spider to the fly" Should I be cautious here? For some reason I feel the swords drawn, pointing at my heart. and who was it referring to me a young? And who told on me about flunking out of charm school, so what if I did, I didn't want to go there anyhow!

[Jerry]

Re: was E. Power Biggs good?

Well, the majority gets even more majored. I would like to point all those critics and advocates together at the "The American Organist, August 2004" Review of "The Bach Gamut" Volume I. Mr. Peter J. Basch, KCHS reviews Virgil Fox's "The Bach Gamut" so eloquently descriptive that It explains exactly how I feel about Fox's ability as an organist. I have never seen anything like this written about Biggs
If I can't change your way of thinking Cole, maybe this review will.

[widornut]

Re: was E. Power Biggs good?

O. K. gang. Here goes!

In the 50's we may have heavily criticised Fox for his flamboyance, but that doesn't mean that we didn't quietly admire it, either! The thing that amazes me is that none of you ever mention a word that was PARAMONT then. Maybe it isn't important now. And that word is musicianship! THAT'S why we were crazy about Fox!!! Doesn't anyone remember what that word means? Isn't that sort of thing taught anymore?

When Fox played he TORE you out of your seats and DRAGGED you with him through every measure of the piece! And he never finished a piece in his entire life! When Fox finished a piece, everyone in the entire building WON WITH HIM!!! I swear to God, when Fox played, even the stonework in the building was moving with him!

That isn't what we were looking for in Biggs. The man from Harvard! He set the style! From him we wanted to know what was scholarly! What was newly discovered! What was right with our strange new Aeolian Skinners and Holtkamps. Biggs gave us intergratity!

In the 1950's, Fox and Biggs were BOTH our boys! And neither one of them EVER let us down, either!

Dave

[sb]

Re: was E. Power Biggs good?

i met both of them and heard them both and they each had their unique qualities and so i can say i am not overly concerned with virgil's liberace approach nor jimmy e power biggs scholastic style /they both played beautifully and both made our world and our lives more enriched from god-given talents

[Allan]

Re: was E. Power Biggs good?

In response to an earlier statement that Virgil was not a very good Bach interpreter. Another person mentioned the newly released Bach Gamut (vol. 1). Buy that cd!! Virgil's interpretations are fantastic. Check out his playing of the a minor fugue. I like Biggs, but he could never play like Virgil!

[j_weidinger]

Re: was E. Power Biggs good?

Everyones right. They are both good.
When it comes to pefecting, rythym and articulation, Biggs is the best. But when it comes to style of the own performer, flamboyancy, emotion, Fox is better.

I however like Fox, lots better, because he shows it. If you made a computer generated MIDI file off a music notation software, thats like Biggs, perfect in every way, except the fact that it sounds like a computer!

Foxs styles are unbelivable. I have the Wanamaker DVD of him, and its just unbeliveable. And he can play 200 compositions from memory, huge breakthrough.

I have various CD's of both, but I think, once you've heard one E . Power Biggs song, the other CD's of that song are exacly the same.
Thanks
Joseph

[Jerry]

Re: was E. Power Biggs good?

Joseph,
Although terminology is correct any way spoken, Songs are usually sung. Don't you think that "playing a piece" fits a little better?

[j_weidinger]

Re: was E. Power Biggs good?

what????

[Jerry]

Re: was E. Power Biggs good?

You said, "I have various CD's of both, but I think, once you've heard one E . Power Biggs song, the other CD's of that song are exacly the same.
Thanks
Joseph"

E. Power Biggs was not a singer, although, maybe he should have been

[Allan]

Re: was E. Power Biggs good?

Jerry is right. Most of what Biggs and Fox played are not "songs" (which is music with a singing part) The generic term "pieces" is okay.

[j_weidinger]

Re: was E. Power Biggs good?

Ohhhhhhhhh. I see.
THanks
JOseph

[danwebre]

Re: was E. Power Biggs good?

I have one objection to make about Widor's own recordings- he was 88 years old and suffering from arthritis, which makes it difficult to use as an example of technique at that time. What other recording by an 88-year old would you compare it to?

dan