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“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Video Excerpt • “Fastest Organ Pedals I’ve Ever Seen!”

Jeff Ostrowski · August 28, 2020

HE ORGAN I currently play is a Hauptwerk virtual pipe organ, and it allows me to “cheat” on playing pedals. I justify my cheating because the pedal device (which allows it actually function) comes from a real pipe organ that existed once upon a time. With my fingers, I have no problems when it comes to playing very fast—e.g. here’s an excerpt from a recording I made while in tenth grade (playing the piano). So, I have no issue with playing fast, but I find using my feet on the organ pedals impossible!

Virgil Fox was a student of Marcel Dupré (d. 1971). Look how quickly he can move his feet:


I’m jealous of anyone who can play the organ pedals so fast! I could never play pedals that quickly—even were I to practice my entire life, it wouldn’t matter. An organist also must have strong stomach muscles.

My favorite organist is a very great musician—pianist, organist, harpsichordist, musicologist, composer—whose name is Daniel Chorzempa. He is still alive, and once I received an email from him. He currently lives in Italy. I have tried to get him to consider doing an interview with CCW, but his response was: “A possibility, but I fear I live in Italy, some distance from you…” I absolutely love his recording (circa 1970s or 1980s) of my absolute favorite organ piece:

*  Mp3 Download • Daniel Chorzempa (Bach’s Passacaglia & Fugue)
—This recording is available on on YouTube.

I encourage everyone to listen to that recording at least once a day!

Some photographs of Daniel Chorzempa:

Daniel Chorzempa began piano studies at the age of four, violin at seven, organ at twelve, followed by harpsichord and fortepiano as well. At the age of seventeen he became instructor of music at the University of Minnesota (USA), where he also studied architecture and took a Ph.D. in musicology and Renaissance studies. He subsequently took diplomas in conducting, piano and composition as a member of the Studio for Electronic Music of the Musikhochschule of Cologne. His compositions have been performed throughout Europe and several have been the subjects of studies in books and journals. For his organ playing he was awarded the Bach Prize of Leipzig. His performances as keyboard soloist on all five keyboard instruments (piano, clavichord, harpsichord, fortepiano, and organ) as well as his conducting engagements have been acclaimed internationally and his recordings have been awarded international prizes. He has assisted at opera productions primarily in Germany and for the Salzburg Festival and began his operatic conducting career for the Wiesbaden Festival. He occasionally holds seminars on topics which range from the Middle Ages to contemporary music and his architectural activities continue. He has recently been re-elected to the Board of Directors of the Neue Bach Gesellschaft, Leipzig (“New Bach Society”).

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Pipe Organ Last Updated: August 28, 2020

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

19 May 2022 • “Trochee Trouble”

I’m still trying to decide how to visually present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores, using what is (technically) the official rhythm of the Church. You can download my latest attempt, for this coming Sunday. Notice the “trochee trouble” as well as the old issue of neumes before the quilisma.

—Jeff Ostrowski
16 May 2022 • Harmonized Chant?

This year’s upcoming Sacred Music Symposium will demonstrate several ways to sing the CREDO at Mass. This is because—for many parishes—to sing a full-length polyphonic CREDO by Victoria or Palestrina is out of the question. Therefore, we show options that are halfway between plainsong and polyphony. You can hear my choir rehearsing a section that sounds like harmonized plainsong.

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • “Pure” Vatican Edition

As readers know, my choir has been singing from the “pure” Editio Vaticana. That is to say, the official rhythm which—technically—is the only rhythm allowed by the Church. I haven’t figured out how I want the scores to look, so in the meantime we’ve been using temporary scores that look like this. Stay tuned!

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“In my capacity as the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, I continue to remind all that the celebration toward the East (versus orientem) is authorized by the rubrics of the missal, which specify the moments when the celebrant must turn toward the people. A particular authorization is, therefore, not needed to celebrate Mass facing the Lord.”

— ‘Robert Cardinal Sarah, 23 May 2016’

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