I came across this promo. Unfortunately it's not the series of videos for the entire sonata, but the opening only. But it sure shows the potential!

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m6GR29P ... 1BF7604493

David

Wow! Now that's my kind of organ playing!! I loved that; all those big low notes....sounds great! Thank you, David.

What's with those crazy socks, though? Do organists usually wear two different socks so that they can see the pedals better?

Absolument très magnifique!!!

With such a wealth of original organ repertoire I don't understand why organists feel the need to take up piano pieces. You come across the strangest things on organ (did I mention finding someone playing the Prokofiev Toccata ? )

Having said that, the Liszt Sonata seems to suit the organ with its many majestic, solemn, and theatrical moments. It's not such a far cry from Liszt's organ warhorse Ad Nos Salutarem Undam. And this guy's technique, both manualiter and pedaliter, is jaw-dropping. I'm not sure dispensing with shoes makes pedal playing easier, never tried it. As for the different colors, probably just a gimmick - a good organist seldom if ever looks at his feet.

I would think playing in socks would make it easier to feel the pedals. You can move up/down/forward/backward and better feel the cracks between the pedals so you know where your feet are.

That must be it. What do I know

Well, see? Now I am your teacher and I'm telling you to play in your socks. And make them colorful and pretty!

Yes, ma'am.

At the piano I never play in different colored socks... but then again, there are only three pedals there.

David

Me neither. I did once leave my house with two different shoes on. That was embarrassing...

As a high school kid I used to walk around demonstratively with two different, clashingly colored socks. Preferably in the middle of the road. I guess that was my contribution to the hippie era But we're getting a bit OT here.

That is just crazy!! I have to agree thoough that it works well as an organ work.

As for the socks, he may have trouble distingushing his right foot from his left.

Scott

Hi Scott,

You might have a point there. Through the years I've met a couple of people who have been very intelligent and have held responsible positions. Yet they had great difficulty telling right from left. One was a very nice lady. Her method for finding "right" was that she had a birthmark on her right forearm. So she would look for that as a guide. It seems odd, but some people cannot distinguish the two without a cue of some kind.

David

And yet is is so easy ! The left hand is the one with the thumb on the right.
Same for feet, though it would require the organist to play barefooted.

What you do with these people is give them a viola. They will instinctively pick it up with their left hand, and the bow with their right. There is an inconspicuous sticker on the back of the viola which reads "Viola: left hand. Bow: right hand". They simply look at the sticker as soon as they put the viola down again. Problem solved. Most violas tend to come with these stickers pre-fitted by the manufacturer, because real viola players need them for a different reason. They already know left from right, but lack the aforementioned instinct.