We are so lucky to have David as Artist-in-Residence at St. John The Divine in NYC. He is truly a spectacular musician!

Daniel Roth's face is the best. You see him analysing the improvisation on the spot. He's clearly amazed, so am I. This is an incredible improvisation, one of the best I ever heard. Fugues are one of the trickiest things to improvise because you have to be focused all the time. Contrapunctal improvisation in general is hard. To do it this well it needs many, many hours of practising.

@lordenoch0

2 жыл бұрын

I'd suppose that many improvisations consist of ideas that have been played or practiced before.

@Tuscanskipper

2 жыл бұрын

I hope they have rebuilt that organ since then. The action is worn out and making a terrible racket. I have a couple of LPs i bought close to 60 years ago, with Marcel Dupre playing that instrument. It was not making that racket back then.

@noiselesspatient

2 жыл бұрын

@@Tuscanskipper the action is indeed noisy in this video but not out in the church. The Barker 'machine' is in the case immediately behind the player, and the compression of both the video recorder and KZread could well have exacerbated its percussive nature.

@timothytikker1147

Жыл бұрын

I know Daniel Roth, who is a friend of mine. I have seen him play in liturgy at Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre and here at St-Sulpice. So I know his concern for the correct timing of organ voluntaries to fit the liturgy. He's not amazed at this improvisation. Listen carefully: at some point, he tells Briggs that it's time to stop the music, then he gets worried when Briggs ignores him and continues playing -- a major uncool.

@asmrdividendledger3566

Жыл бұрын

@@timothytikker1147 continues playing for another 15 seconds to finish. Big deal.

I met Daniel Roth nearly thirty years ago following an inaugural recital on a new Walker organ in Mayfield church, East Sussex. He was such a courteous and kind man and patiently listened to my somewhat over enthusiastic platitudes of praise. He kindly ignored my initial blunder of addressing him as monsieur 'Roff' and not' Rot', an error quickly corrected by the then organist of Mayfield, Kenneth Pont. Sadly, the ignomany and shame remain to this day! David Briggs I remember giving a recital on the matchless Father Willis organ in All Saints, church, Hastings in the early 1990s. I suggested a hymn tune theme, Glory to thee my God this night ( Tallis's canon) for his improvisation piece, which he brilliantly developed with a performance, which left his audience open mouthed in admiration. (I managed to pronounce his name correctly!)

Lovely. Improvised fugue in the late romantic style. I enjoy this sort of thing so much more than the loud bombast and tutti-flutti we so often, especially from the French school of improvising. This is much more satisfying.

What an experience. I've seen videos of people running up the stairs at the end of Mass to be one of the lucky few to watch.

Beautiful. I am very happy that I got to know David Briggs very well at St John Divine. He is one of the organist that keeps the French/English style of improvising not just in New York but all around the world.

Wonderful improvisation. Love the interest and expression shown by Daniel Roth, a man who seems to breathe music. A very talented organ loft that day!

So thankful you have re-uploaded this marvel of restrained, elegant spontaneity. A perfect balance of heart and intellect. Thank you, David, Daniel, Richard, Aristide, François-Henri, and all the giants on whose shoulders we stand 🙏🏻

wow - what can I say! (Except Thank You for sharing this very special moment! )

Awesome Richard. It must be so grand to witness such musicality at one of the most iconic organ consoles in the world!

Quel génie, une pure merveille ! Un moment de grâce divine ! (traduction pour les plus jeunes d'entre nous : wesh, wesh, il déchire sa race !)

WOW!!! That was a superb piece. I so enjoyed listening to it. Thank you for sharing it. The organ also looks spectacular. I don't think that I have seen such a fabulous organ before. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

David Briggs n’est pas un IMPROVISATEUR comme Daniel Roth - avec tout le respect qu’on lui doit - mais un COMPOSITEUR. Il n’est pas du tout en train d’IMPROVISER, mais de COMPOSER (et d’interpréter simultanément) une œuvre, une très belle pièce d’ailleurs, dont j’aimerais beaucoup avoir la partition ! C'est un grand privilège que de voir "en temps réél" le travail de l'artiste et d'assister "en direct" à la naissance d'un chef-d'oeuvre ! Oui, un chef-d'oeuvre, car cette fugue n'a rien à envier à celle de Mendelssohn. Un grand merci à celui qui a filmé ce moment rare !

I had no idea it was YOU who recorded this, it did indeed disappear from KZread, so I am also glad you put it back!

Thank you so much for uploading this! I noticed it disappeared from KZread a while back and have been looking for it ever since

Thankyou Richard for posting this

I'm speechless. You carried us along with a theme that purported to be straightforward but what a universe it contained. How you can keep all the lines moving relentlessly and in concert is far beyond my understanding. But it was a visceral treat just the same. Always like to see videos from St.Sulpice because there are registrars who are so focused and attentive.

How incredible! Just stunning!

Thank you for sharing this. 👍

Magnificent to David and Richard both

A god among men . . .

The stretto at 2:15 is a particularly magical moment.

Simply brilliant.👏👏👏

David's musical prowess and genius makes me want to listen to this improvisation countless times. I just cannot get enough of this rich, French-romantic sound on this beautiful instrument. The ritardando at the end is so satisfying and releases an eternal energy that proves the enormous power such beautiful music and incredible musicians have on us. Thank you for uploading this lovely work of art by the great David Briggs! I absolutely love ALL of it! P.S. The acoustical echo at the end with a "...oh, what a sound..."

This is incredibly skillful and beautiful, unbelievable!

I've searched for that video for a long time now, and I'm happy it's back online to enjoy it once again. This gotta be one of the most amazing and harmonic improvisations ever recorded, the flow is just breathtaking. But what a surprise that BIS actually recorded the original video, I'd never have thought that back in 2013 (or was it?) when I first saw it. Fantastic!

@TheMikeOrganist

2 жыл бұрын

... du hier? xD

@fluteceleste

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheMikeOrganist Dito, Mike😅 das Video kannte ich auch

@gopalkambo5885

Жыл бұрын

Have likewise been waiting for this and so pleased to have fortuitously found it!

lovely... sooo nice he should write it down and share it with organ world...

@beautyinsound

Жыл бұрын

You can buy it from David’s own website 😊👍🏻

Beautiful playing.

I love every part about that. I am especially fond of the clicky noises of the trackers is a nice touch!

@michaelberg9656

Жыл бұрын

I think the noise is from Barker Levers, that Cavaille-Coll put in his organs. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

@wouterattheorgan

Жыл бұрын

@@michaelberg9656 yes, correct

Amazing music 🎹🎶👏

Awesome!!

Wonderful. Michael

The sortie section was amazing. Can you re-upload it, please?

I like the two stop meisters there! 🤣😂🤣

Beautiful improvisation. Monsieur Roth looked visibly moved by the piece.

@petitpapanoel9158

2 жыл бұрын

Monsieur Roth rather looks as if he had just a terrible headache . . .

@timothytikker1147

Жыл бұрын

He is actually just dismayed and worried, because he told Briggs that the time had come to stop playing, and Briggs ignored him and continued playing, going into overtime, something that Roth himself would never do in liturgy. I have been with Roth while he played for masses both here at St-Sulpice and Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre, and he was always very courteously careful about his timings.

Bro can improvise a fugue and I can’t even write one

@beautyinsound

2 жыл бұрын

😃

Fantastic!I never saw Roth so schocked, on something so perfect he would never be able to do by far

I love hearing his improvs. You can hear his love of Cochereau in so much of his playing. Richard--have you posted the sortie?

@beautyinsound

2 жыл бұрын

No, I might post the Sortie at a later date.

Monsieur...et is marvelous!

Richard ....? Will it be possible if you could transcribe this improvisation. It is the most exquisite improvised fugue I have ever heard.

@richmcveigh

2 жыл бұрын

It’s already been transcribed. I think it might be available from David’s website.

@lordenoch0

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah I was going to say I have the sheet music for this. Love playing it.

@deew6625

2 жыл бұрын

@@lordenoch0 how do I obtain a copy please?

Thanks for sharing this improvisation, so much theory must have been put to the test in this! Love hearing the tracker action too - I think they're barker levers? :)

@astian_sebus

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, they are. I love those mechanic noises. By these you are reminded that this is a fully mechanical instrument. No electronics whatsoever.

@pauljames5914

2 жыл бұрын

Except for the blower, of course.

@guscox9651

Жыл бұрын

Listening to this is improv inspiring on another level

wow

Where to purchase the Improvisation for Saint Sulpice Paris: davidbriggs.myshopify.com/products/improvisation-for-saint-sulpice-paris

It sounds like those clicky-clacky keys and trackers need to be re-felted. They are very noisy! One thing about many French organs is the well designed coupler action that is not too hard to play. Many English organs with tracker action are very hard to play with the manuals coupled. I imagine that St Sulpice would have a Barker Lever system. I find this improvised fugue very intriguing with many unexpected progressions.

@julianmatthews5785

2 жыл бұрын

Sorry but you’re wrong, the mechanics used always have it make that sound. And the action at st sulpice although it has a barker is still very heavy because af the size of the instrument!

@romantiachristiana5147

2 жыл бұрын

@@julianmatthews5785 Thank you. I was wrongly speculating, since I have never played the organ at St Sulpice.

@timothytikker3834

Жыл бұрын

The Saint Sulpice organ has Barker machines for all five manuals. The action is noisy on this recording apparently because the recording device was set on the console, so was picking up all the direct vibration from the action.

Ah, that old "clacker-action"

La bouche ouverte, Daniel Roth hallucine complètement !!! Or il est lui-même un improvisateur hors-pair, comme l'était aussi le regretté Yves Devernay.

Daniel Roth, ahuri : "Sacré Nom de Dieu ! Mais comment fait-il ça ?"

@timothytikker3834

Жыл бұрын

Mais Maître Roth est un des premiers laureats du Grand Prix de Chartres. Et il a gagné son Premier Prix à la class d'orgue au Conservatoire Supérieur National à Paris, sous la direction de Rolande Falcinelli, c'est à dire il a étudié l'improvisation de fugue scholastique.