# Arranements for organ - are they hopeless or should we prepare for them (Delius exmp)



## jonatan (May 6, 2016)

Last night I went to one of my beloved organ concerts that happen every 2 or 3 weeks and yesterday its program was packed by the organ arrangements of Frederick Delius works that were initially written for the orchestra or chamber orchestra. Arrangements were for organ solo or for organ&flute.

Well - I was shocked by this music (and as usually - the shock represented itself as some kind of wandering around city and violating diet in some newly found cafeterias) - I didn't know the biography of the organist (only his name) and I thought that his is complete unprofessional, amateur. There was unending string of different tones, as some kind of seeking the notes and so on, so, on. No sense, no music. Well - I am all happy about contemporary classical music and contemporary organ including, but those arrangements were something unbearable.

After searching in Internet I found that Mischenko is professional organist indeed and he is assitant professor in conservatoire and he has recorded usual organ works with great mastery.

I am putting here examples:




 - original work by Delius




 - arrangement as performed by Mischenko (but on different organ - this youtube recording has better sound, I guess, this youtube organ had more responding keyboad than in our local churhc which nevertheless has great organ with more than 60 stops).

So - it is up to your judgments - about arrangmenet, about performance.

I had not heard Delius befor, so, I had no sense in arrangements. After hearing orignial Delius I can see that arrangement can make some sense, but still - I don't understand - why on earth such thing ever happens?

Are all arrangements for organ doomed and hopeless? Or maybe I should gain more education, more listening experience to see some sense in them and enjoy them?

Just wanted to ask all the musicians and organists - don't do and perform arragnements, let's encourage composers to create original music for organ.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Some things transcribe really well for organ. The Franck D minor symphony is one. That Franck was himself a superb organist matters - his orchestration resembles how one would use organ registration. There's a new recording of the Bruckner 5th that is getting great reviews - and Bruckner was also a famous organist. I've suffered through some organ transcriptions that just don't work: a god-awful Dvorak New World sticks in my mind. I have an old LP of selection from Star Wars on organ - just awful. I've never heard Delius on organ and can't imagine it; his orchestration is too sensitive I would think. Same with Debussy. But then I've heard Ravel's Bolero on organ - kind of worked. I can see why organists would want to try transcriptions, but with such a vast repertoire for the instrument unless one has exhausted it, stick with the organ-originals. I've been listening to the Vierne symphonies this weekend - terrific stuff!


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## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

Not generally a fan. There's too much great organ literature out there for concert organists to continually churn out "crowd-pleasers" with transcriptions of well-known orchestral works. Then again, there are some benefits, using the organ's status as "an entire orchestra at your fingertips" to produce a memorable, symphonic experience with one instrument. But I see many recital programs dominated by these transcriptions, when I think organists should be concerned more with revitalizing the great classics of the Baroque, the French organ school, and so much other great 20th century music for the instrument.


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

I once sat through a performance of Wagner's Tannhauser overture arranged for, and played on, a church organ. It was a truly horrific experience.


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## 13hm13 (Oct 31, 2016)

Vieuxtemps - Violin Concerto No. 5 in A minor, Op. 37... on this Dutton CD...


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## adriesba (Dec 30, 2019)

Pat Fairlea said:


> I once sat through a performance of Wagner's Tannhauser overture arranged for, and played on, a church organ. It was a truly horrific experience.


Really? Maybe it was a bad arrangement. I love this!


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## adriesba (Dec 30, 2019)

I love to hear a pipe organ and have been to several organ concerts including several silent movies accompanied by organ. Like Allegro Con Brio mentions, a lot of concerts seem to do mostly arrangements, and I have at times wished to hear more pieces originally intended for organ. That being said though, I have no problem with arrangements (though some are better than others) and don't see why we can't have both arrangements and original pieces at concerts.


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