The Moog Strikes Bach

Hans Wurman - The Moog Strikes Bach...To Say Nothing of Chopin, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Paganini and Prokofieff

LP released in 1969

This is one of those "switched-on" (classical music performed using Moogs or other synthesizer) LPs that were released on the coattails of the popularity of Walter (Wendy) Carlos's Switched-On Bach record. I often find these hit-or-miss. The LP featured in this post is one that I enjoy more than most of the others.
I'm sure this has made the rounds on various blogs in the past (as can be said for almost everything nowadays). I found this copy a couple of months ago. I thought perhaps this could brought back in circulation.

We are witnessing the birth of a new instrument - awesome to contemplate. The Piano, with all the inspiration it provided for composers in the 100 years after its invention, is so limited compared to the Synthesizer that one cannot even hazard a guess as to what effect the latter will have on the course of composition and performance in years to come. (Hans Wurman)

Hans Wurman is a classically trained musician, a pianist basically, but also an organist, cellist and conductor. His musical interests range wide, and perhaps the best demonstration of the fact is that, at this writing, he is both director of musical activities for one of the large Chicago religious organizations and music director of the Chicago company of the hit revue "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris." He has the classical musician's discipline coupled with the popular musician's imagination and flexibility.
...
The music chosen for this disc consists mainly of transcriptions, but it also includes a composition written specifically for the occasion.
Chopin's "Black Key" Etude (the right-hand part is played entirely on the black keys of the piano in the original) retains all its fleet-fingered charm as the Moog adds a light countermelody to the rapid melodic line. The Wurman Mooged version of Mozart's Turkish March (originally the final movement of the Sonata in A, K. 331, for piano) brings us the added dimension of bell and percussion effects (created synthetically), such as Mozart and Beethoven used in some of the "Turkish" music they wrote. The Rachmaninoff Vocalise was originally a wordless vocal piece, later transcribed by the composer for strings and since by many others for many combinations of instruments. Note how the Moog can alter the tone character of the melodic line as it moves along. Next comes the Prokofieff Prelude, Op. 12, No. 7, a piece originally written for piano or harp; those glissandos in the middle section of this charming, all-too-seldom-heard piece have never before had quite the treatment that Wurman brings to them!
Hans Wurman speaks of his Variations on the Paganini theme as having been specifically composed for Moog and four-track recorder. In writing them he joins such illustrious company as Liszt, Brahms, Schumann, Rachmaninoff and the contemporaries Blacher and Lutoslawski, all of whom have composed variations on the same theme, itself originally written as the basis for a set of variations in the last of Paganini's 24 unaccompanied violin caprices.
The towering Bach Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, no doubt the best-known of the composer's organ pieces, here receives a performance which particularly displays both the performer's and the instrument's improvisatory capabilities in its concluding pages. The final selection is Mozart's delightful serenade, Eine kleine Nachtmusik, heard in adventurous new sounds that give transparency to the four voices, originally written as string parts.
It's marvelous music, imaginatively realized and beautifully played. And it's great fun, too.  (Norman Pellegrini from the liner notes)

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1.  ''Black Key'' Etude, Op. 10, No. 5  {1:33}
Chopin

2.  Turkish March  {3:22}
Mozart

3.  Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14  {6:17}
Rachmaninoff

4.  Prelude, Op. 12, No. 7  {1:54}
Prokofieff

5.  Thirteen Variations on a Theme of Paganini  {10:04}
Wurman

Side 2

1.  Toccata and Fugue in D Minor  {7:15}
Bach

2.  Eine kleine Nachtmusik: I. Allegro  {5:23}
Mozart

3.  Eine kleine Nachtmusik: II. Romanze: Andante  {5:36}
Mozart

4.  Eine kleine Nachtmusik: III. Menuetto: Allegretto  {2:27}
Mozart

5.  Eine kleine Nachtmusik: IV. Rondo: Allegro  {2:48}
Mozart

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Toy Symphonies

Raymond Lewenthal - Toy Symphonies

LP released in 1975

Here is a record for the man who has everything. Music to wake up to. Music to surprise your friends with. Music for Christmas. Music for your children. A sugar-coated history lesson pill. An inquiry into the mores of bygone days.
Hear 'em and laugh!
But above all, here for once is happy music - frivolous, even silly, some will say... but who can deny its happiness? It was written for happy occasions, for a world that was prosperous, secure, and certain at a time when family life was the center of life and when music in the home was homemade. It comes from a time when the cracks in the plaster of society were scarcely noticeable to the naked eye.
This record is the evocation of an era: the 19th century; and a place: the home ... the comfortable home of the well-to-do bourgeois, where people had leisure but not so much money that they were too indolent or too preoccupied with the cares of supervising their fortunes to make their own entertainment, and had to resort to hiring it.
Long ago, a hundred years ago and more, anyone who studied anything studied music. It was part of one's education. One was expected to learn it as one was expected to learn the ABC's. One didn't study music only if one intended (perish the thought) to go into it as a profession, nor did one decide to go into it as a profession simply because one could play a scale decently or eke out a high tone (as is happening more and more today).
No ... music, drawing, letter writing, reciting poetry, these were all part of the general education of those classes which had any leisure for any kind of education at all ... adjuncts to a culture civilized life. Music in those days was part of all family occasions, from the quiet evenings at home to the big festive holiday reunions, when visiting relatives came from afar and the house was full to the brim with the laughter (well-mannered!) of children, the warmth of the hearth and all the happiness that humans are capable of in those periods when troubles, misery and sadness can be warded off, forgotten or hidden in cupboards. The only mechanical music available then was from the music box standing in a corner of the parlor. All other music had to be made. People lifted their voices in song, and created sounds with the aid of their lungs and their fingers. Composers were kept busy supplying music to fill all needs. For this world came most of the lieder of Schubert, Schumann and Brahms, most chamber music and four-hand piano music, and a good deal of the music written for two hands.
And for this world also came the music for this record. Here was music in which the whole family could participate ... the elders playing on "serious" instruments such as the piano, violin and cello, while the children took care of organized noise in the form of peeps, tweets, thumps and what have you. Sometimes the elders took all the parts, to the delectation of the children. Sometimes the children were advanced enough to manage everything, to the vast entertainment of doting grown-ups.
Thus, toy symphonies form a not inconsiderable literature. (The French called them Symphonies burlesques, or Foires des enfants [Children's Fairs]; the Germans called them Kindersymphonien, Children's symphonies.) Their popularity made them a lucrative business for publishers, who sold not only the music but the toy instruments as well. Toy symphonies go back quite a bit in time. Both Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and Michael Haydn experimented with the idea, and it now seems to be pretty conclusively proven that "The Toy Symphony by Haydn" was actually written by Leopold Mozart. An inspiration for writing this kind of music came, in the 18th century, from the existence of a world famous toy industry in the mountains near Salzburg ... not far from Berchtesgaden (which, ironically later, became infamous as the eyrie of Adolf Hitler). During the long winter months the peasants, confined much of the time to their huts, manufactured all manner of musical toys ... bird calls, drums, rattles, whistles, toy trumpets and the like. The tradition of toy symphonies grew and flourished in the German-speaking countries throughout the 19th century and spread elsewhere, though never to the same extent.
One of my musical hobbies (I have many) has been the collection of Toy Symphonies. Those presented here are a culling from among the best of many. All these pieces were written lovingly, with imagination and with care and, given the built-in pitch limitations of the toys (cuckoos are rather single-minded), they contain delightful music. The parts for the toys are always written out very specifically. Nothing is ad libitum or left to chance. The players are expected to follow all the rhythms and markings with scrupulous attention and the works only really sound well when played with the same care with which they were written.
The first time I conducted a toy symphony was for a gala benefit a few years ago in Newport, the famous summer gathering place of old-time American wealth. The concert took place in the hundred-room "cottage" of the Vanderbilts, The Breakers. The toys, tea trays and glass bowls were manned (or rather, womaned) by pillars of Newport dowagerdom. These formidable ladies took their work very seriously and were a most conscientious orchestra. At the concert they covered themselves with glory (and made only a minimum of wrong entrances). Other toy performances which I have led, numbering among the performers some well-known musicians, have sometimes been on a less high artistic level due to the fact that some of the professional players seemed to have had more difficulty counting correctly than my Newport dowagers!
In Newport there was, however, one major disaster. Before the first rehearsal a tour of the grand homes was made for the purpose of auditioning glass bowls, in order to find one which had the proper pitch and timbre. The lady entrusted with the very important glass-bowl part, while an excellent musician, had not yet mastered the technique of managing the bass-drum stick which was to make the bowl ring forth in all its glory. In one of the grandest homes, she swung her drum stick with a trifle too much vigor and shattered into a thousand sparkling splinters a very large, very expensive and very precious crystal bowl ... thereby almost putting an end to toy symphonies in Newport. (Raymond Lewenthal)

Pieces:

Toy Symphony (Kindersymphonie) in C, for piano, two violins & cello with nightingale, cuckoo, toy trumpet, drum, ratchet, bell tree, glass bell & tea tray - composed by Carl Reinecke

Adagio & Finale from the Toy Symphony, for piano, violin & cello with cuckoo, nightingale, fairy bells, sleighbells, triangle, toy trumpet, drum, bass drum & cymbals - composed by Franklin Taylor

Kitchen Symphony, Op. 445, for piano with trumpet, funnel trumpet, wine glass, bottle, saucepan, fire irons, milk jug & tin covers - composed by Henri Kling

Three Bacchanales, Op. 53, for piano with tambourine & triangle - composed by Daniel Steibelt

Toy Symphony (Kindersymphonie) in C, Op. 169, for piano, violin & cello with quail, cuckoo, nightingale, triangle, toy trumpet & drum - composed by Cornelius Gurlitt

Ouverture Burlesque, for piano and violin with three mirlitons, triangle, toy trumpet, drum, ratchet and whistle - composed by Etienne-Nicolas Mehul

Performers:

Raymond Lewenthal - conductor, piano
Nathan Ross - violin
Marshall Sosson - violin (tracks 1-4, Side 1)
Eleanor Aller - cello
Malcolm McNab - trumpets
Tom Raney (including solo tambourine), Hubert Anderson, Larry Bunker, Richie Lepore, Wally Snow, George Sponhaltz - toy instruments and percussion

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Toy Symphony (Kindersymphonie) in C: I. Allegro un poco maestoso {5:38}

2. Toy Symphony (Kindersymphonie) in C: II. Andantino {5:44}

3. Toy Symphony (Kindersymphonie) in C: III. Moderato {1:42}

4. Toy Symphony (Kindersymphonie) in C: IV. Steeple Chase (Molto vivace) {1:42}

5. Adagio from the Toy Symphony {5:17}

6. Finale from the Toy Symphony {5:49}

Side 2

1. Kitchen Symphony, Op. 445 {5:49}

2. Three Bacchanales, Op. 53 {4:21}

3. Toy Symphony (Kindersymphonie) in C, Op. 169: I. Allegro con fuoco {4:28}

4. Toy Symphony (Kindersymphonie) in C, Op. 169: II. Scherzo (Poco vivace) {3:11}

5. Toy Symphony (Kindersymphonie) in C, Op. 169: III. Rondo burlesco (Allegro, non troppo) {3:57}

6. Ouverture Burlesque {4:12}

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The Art of the Hurdy-Gurdy: From the Middle Ages to Mozart

various artists compilation - The Art of the Hurdy-Gurdy: From the Middle Ages to Mozart

cassette released in 1975

Performers:

Michele Fromenteau - hurdy-gurdy
Francoise Cotte and Brigitte Haudebourg - harpsichords
orchestra directed by Roger Cotte

The hurdy gurdy or hurdy-gurdy (also known as a wheel fiddle) is a stringed musical instrument that produces sound by a crank-turned rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to a violin. Melodies are played on a keyboard that presses tangents (small wedges, usually made of wood) against one or more of the strings to change their pitch. Like most other acoustic string instruments, it has a soundboard to make the vibration of the strings audible.

Most hurdy gurdies have multiple "drone strings," which provide a constant pitch accompaniment to the melody, resulting in a sound similar to that of bagpipes. For this reason, the hurdy gurdy is often used interchangeably with or along with bagpipes, particularly in French and contemporary Hungarian folk music.
...
During the Renaissance, the hurdy gurdy was a very popular instrument, along with the bagpipe, and a characteristic form with a short neck and a boxy body with a curved tail end developed. It was about this time that buzzing bridges first appear in depictions of the instrument. The buzzing bridge (commonly called the dog) is an asymmetrical bridge that rests under a drone string on the sound board. When the wheel is accelerated, one foot of the bridge lifts up from the soundboard and vibrates, creating a buzzing sound. The buzzing bridge is thought to have been borrowed from the tromba marina (monochord), a bowed string instrument.

During the late Renaissance, two characteristic shapes of hurdy gurdies developed. The first was guitar-shaped and the second had a rounded lute-type body made of staves. The lute body is especially characteristic of French instruments.

By the end of the 17th century changing musical tastes that demanded greater polyphonic capabilities than the hurdy gurdy could offer had pushed the instrument to the lowest social classes; as a result it acquired names like the German Bauernleier ‘peasant’s lyre’ and Bettlerleier ‘beggar’s lyre.’ During the 18th century, however, French Rococo tastes for rustic diversions brought the hurdy gurdy back to the attention of the upper classes, where it acquired tremendous popularity among the nobility, with famous composers writing works for the hurdy gurdy (the most famous of which is Nicolas Chédeville’s Il pastor Fido, attributed to Vivaldi). At this time the most common style of hurdy gurdy developed, the six-string vielle à roue. This instrument has two melody strings and four drones tuned such that by turning drones on or off, the instrument can be played in multiple keys (e.g., C and G or G and D).

During this time the hurdy gurdy also spread further east, where further variations developed in western Slavic countries, German-speaking areas and Hungary (see the list of types below for more information on these). Most types of hurdy gurdy were essentially extinct by the early twentieth century, but a few have survived—the best-known of which are the French vielle à roue, the Hungarian tekerőlant, and the Spanish zanfona. In Ukraine, a variety called the lira was widely used by blind street musicians, most of whom were purged by Stalin in the 1930s. Today the tradition has resurfaced. Revivals have been underway for many years as well in Sweden, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Russia, Italy, Spain and Portugal. The revival of hurdy gurdies has resulted in the instrument’s use in a variety of styles of music including contemporary forms not typically associated with the hurdy gurdy. (from Wikipedia)

Tracklisting:

1. Danse Royale {1:08}
unknown composer, for hurdy-gurdy and percussion

2. Danceries of Thoinot Arbeau {1:21}
unknown composer, for hurdy-gurdy and percussion

3. Suite of Contredances {3:37}
unknown composer, for hurdy-gurdy and tambuorine

4. Noce Champetre {3:39}
composed by Jean Hotteterre, for hurdy-gurdy, cello and harpsichord

5. "Laissez Paitre vos Betes" {1:54}
composed by Esprit Philippe Chedeville, for hurdy-gurdy and violin

6. Suite Pastorale {6:42}
composed by Charles Buterne, for hurdy-gurdy, harpsichord and bassoon

Side 2

1. "Il Pastor Fido" Sonata No. 1 {8:56}
composed by Antonio Vivaldi, for hurdy-gurdy, cello and harpsichord

2. "La Servante au Bon Tabac" {1:59}
composed by Michel Corrette, for hurdy-gurdy and orchestra

3. "Aire de Fanchon la Vielleuse" {1:18}
composed by J.D. Doche, hurdy-gurdy solo

4. German Dance No. 3 K. 602/Menuet No. 2 K. 601 {3:33}
composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, for hurdy-gurdy and orchestra

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Spielereien: The Baroque Organist's Playthings

Franz Haselbock - Spielereien: The Baroque Organist's Playthings

performed on Gabler Organ at Basilica of Weingarten

Collection of organ pieces from the Baroque period (approximately from 1600 to 1750) emphasizing accompaniment by devices such as a Zimbelstern, Glockenspiel, Tremulant, organ stops that imitate calls of the cuckoo and nightingale and more.

Zimbelstern - The Zimbelstern is a musical instrument which rings small bells at random as an accompaniment to organ music. The Zimbelstern (also called Cymbalstern) has been used for centuries in devotional music.

The word Zimbelstern means "cymbal-star". In fact, the original Zimbelsterns were made in the shape of a star with small bells at each point. The star was turned, either manually or pneumatically, and the bells were struck by stationary clappers mounted around the star. Modern Zimbelsterns are electrically operated. The bells do not rotate. Instead, a rotating device in the center strikes the bells.

On organs of the Baroque period (1550 to 1750), Zimbelstern was also a mixture stop. This would cause the organ to "break back", or repeat every octave. The higher harmonics produced in this way sounded like small bells. (from The History of the Zimbelstern)

Glockenspiel - A percussion stop whose tone resembles the orchestral glockenspiel. It is formed of dish-shaped bells, spiral rods, bars, or tubes made from steel, copper or bronze, and struck by hammers actuated by a pneumatic or electric mechanism. It is usually of short compass. Skinner gives it resonators, and considers it synonymous with the Celesta, and with the Harp, but pitched an octave higher. Grove dates it from around 1720, in Swabia, Silesia and Saxony, but the earliest known example dates from 1709 (see below). According to Maclean, on theatre organs the Glockenspiel sounds a single stroke each time a key is pressed, and Bells is the same stop with a reiterating action. (from Encyclopedia of Organ Stops)

Tremulant - A device on a pipe organ which varies the wind supply to the pipes of one or more divisions (or, in some cases, the whole organ). This causes their pitch to fluctuate, producing a vibrato effect. A large organ may have several tremulants, affecting different ranks (sets) of pipes. Many tremulants are variable, allowing for the speed and depth of tremolo to be controlled by the organist. The tremulant has been a part of organ building for many centuries, dating back to Italian organs of the sixteenth century. (from Wikipedia)

Nightingale - A stop which imitates the warbling of birds. Most sources describe the construction of these stops as consisting of two or more small metal pipes whose ends are immersed in a vessel of water or light oil. [Peter] Williams, however, writes:

"The usual distinction is between small pipes twittering when the stop-knob admits wind to their miniature chest (Uccelli, Vogelgesang), stopped pipes a third apart and successively blown, thereby creating a cuckoo (Kuckuck), and small open pipes suspended in a metal dish of water, the pipes and dish of one construction (Nachtigall, Rossignol, Usignuolo - ‘nightingale’)."

He also states the the Vogelgesang might be “a very high Zimbel or Flageolet (Adlung), repeating or only slightly varying in pitch from note to note”. Grove dates these stops from at least 1450. According to Williams, they were found mainly in the 16th and 17th centuries throughout Europe, and as late as the mid-19th century in some parts of Spain, Italy and southern Germany. (from Encyclopedia of Organ Stops)

Cuckoo - A “toy” stop which imitates the call of the cuckoo bird using two pipes pitched a major or minor third apart and blown successively. It was, according to Williams, found mainly in the 16th and 17th centuries throughout Europe, and as late as the mid-19th century in some parts of Spain, Italy and southern Germany. (from Encyclopedia of Organ Stops)

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Capriccio, "Cuckoo" {3:52}
composed by Johann Kaspar Kerll; uses Cuckoo and Nightingale

2. Carillon {1:44}
composed by Louis Couperin; uses Big Glockenspiel

3. "In dulci jubilo," Chorale prelude, BWV 751 {1:41}
composed by Johann Sebastian Bach; uses Zimbelstern

4. Echo {2:07}
composed by Gerardus Scronx

5. "Lasst unns das Kindelein wiegen," per imitationem Cuculi {5:31}
composed by Franz Xaver Murschhauser; uses Zimbelstern, Cuckoo and Nightingale

6. "Chanton de voix Hautaine," Noel {5:30}
composed by Jean Francois Dandrieu; uses Zimbelstern

Side 2

1. Les Cloches {2:22}
composed by Nicolas Lebegue; uses Big and Little Glockenspiel

2. Ballo della Battaglia {2:54}
composed by Bernardo Storace; uses Drum

3. Echo ad manuale duplex, forte et lene {4:32}
composed by Samuel Scheidt

4. Three Pieces of the Glockenspiel in Salzburg {1:20}
composed by Michael Haydn

5. Pastorale {2:56}
composed by Giambattista Martini; uses Tremulant and Nightingale

6. Nova Cyclopeias Harmonica/Aria-Ad alleorum ictus allusio {6:02}
composed by Georg Muffat; uses Zimbelstern and Little Glockenspiel

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The Electro-Voice Series D Organ Speaks with Authority

Jon Spong and Ken Nordine - The Electro-Voice Series D Organ Speaks with Authority

This is a demonstration record of the instrument in this album's title. Jon Spong is the organist throughout the album and Ken Nordine is the narrator on side 1. I have to admit that Nordine is the main attraction on this album as I am a fan of his work (Word Jazz, Colors, etc.) although I do enjoy the rich tones emitted by this organ.

The Electro-Voice Series D Organ was produced by the organ division of Electro-Voice, a company specializing in producing audio equipment and sound systems. It is an electronic organ that reproduces well the sounds of authentic massive pipe chruch organs although the liner notes insist that it is not an electronic organ in sound or principle. This particular organ appears to have been a cheap compact alternative for those who did not have the space nor the funds to obtain pipe organs. For some reason, there is not any information about the Electro-Voice Series D Organ on its website. The company doesn't make organs anymore if the lack of mention of organs is any indication.

Electro-Voice self-released this LP.

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Introduction and Demonstration of the Electro-Voice Series D Organ {16:54}

Side 2

1. All Glory Be to God on High {1:47}

composed by J.S. Bach (1685-1750)

2. The Bottom and Top of the Trumpet {1:55}

composed by Louis N. Clerambault (1676-1749)

3. All Glory, Laud, and Honor {1:39}

composed by Melchoir Teschner (1584-1635)

4. Allegretto, For Glass Harmonica {2:00}

composed by J. G. Naumann (1741-1801)

5. Introit and Chorale, Opus 154 {3:27}

composed by Sigfrid Karg-elert (1879-1933)

6. Prelude on "Greensleeves" {2:28}

composed by Marianne Bahmann

7. Tone Poem for the Pedals {1:10}

composed by Jon Spong

8. Hymn Tune "Olivet" {1:51}

composed by Lowell Mason (1792-1872)

9. The Fourth of July {6:25}

composed by James Hewitt (1770-1827)

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Music for Glass Harmonica

Bruno Hoffmann - Music for Glass Harmonica

Performers:

Bruno Hoffmann - glass harmonica

K.H. Ulrich - flute

Helmut Hucke - oboe

Herbert Anrath & Walter Albers - violins

Ernst Nippes - viola

Hans Plumacher - cello

Gert Nose - bass

From the liner notes:

Bruno Hoffmann, who has done more than any man living to revive the fascinating eighteenth-century art of "glass music," was born at Stuttgart, Germant, 15 September 1913. The son of a church-music director, he attended the Eberhard-Ludwigs-Gymnasium and was trained in piano and organ playing. But from the early age of sixteen, when he first encountered musical glasses, his life has been devoted to mastering their executant technique, resurrecting the masterpieces originally written in this medium, and fostering the composition of new works by contemporary composers. He is the authority chosen to write the article on the Glasharmonika in the German encyclopedia Musik in Geschichte and Gegenwart. The glass harp on which he performs is of his own design and construction, and with it he has appeared in recitals and as soloist in chamber and orchestral concerts all over the continent and the British Isles, in innumerable radio and television broadcasts, in several films - including a Benjamin Franklin documentary.

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Adagio and Rondo in C Minor, K. 617 {15:12}

composed by Wolfgang Mozart

2. Adagio for Glass Harmonica Solo, K. 617a {3:48}

composed by Wolfgang Mozart

3. Rondeau for Glass Harmonica, 2 Violins, Viola, Cello and Bass in B-flat-major {8:29}

composed by Johann Friedrich Reichardt

Side 2

1. Glass Harmonica and String Quartet in C Minor {10:01}

composed by Karl Leopold Rollig

2. Largo in C Minor for Glass Harmonica Solo {4:20}

composed by Johann Abraham Peter Schulz

3. Quartet for Glass Harmonica, Flute, Viola and Cello in C Major {11:31}

composed by Johann Gottlieb Naumann

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