Topic by Pianoteqenthusiast

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Topic: Handel "Allegro" from "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale”

G F Handel "Allegro" from "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale”, Organteq

I upload this piece also here, because this piece of music is perfect for using all three manuals in Organteq alternately - Positif, Grand Orgue and Récit. Maybe interesting.
The Cuckoo and the Nightingale, HWV 295, is an organ concerto in four movements. The second movement uses bird song motifs corresponding to the birds of the title. The Cuckoo and the Nightingale is one of Handel's better known organ concertos and has often been recorded.
Birds in baroque music!  Wonderful

Here is my way of using the keyboards and the registrations. As always, I have to record play with headphones, living in a flat. It sounds a bit different with my speakers…
I tried to give a vision that some birds are further away and some closer in the forest.
It was fun to play this piece of music

https://forum.modartt.com/uploads.php?f...gro%20.mp3

Cuckoo vs Nightingale - What's the difference?
As nouns the difference between cuckoo and nightingale is that cuckoo is any of various birds, of the family cuculidae, famous for laying its eggs in the nests of other species; but especially the cuculus canorus , that has a characteristic two-note call while nightingale is a european songbird, luscinia megarhynchos , of the family muscicapidae.

Best wishes,

Stig

Reply by mprimrose

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Re: Handel "Allegro" from "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale”

Stig,

Thank you for this delightful rendition of the "Allegro" from "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale”. There is something about Handel's organ music that lifts the soul and fills it with light. Of course, Bach is always Bach, but Handel is concentrated joy unbounded.

Just a couple of quick technical questions, if I may? Which diapason did you utilise when playing the piece, the modern A=440 Hz, or the Baroque tuning of A=415 Hz? The change in timbre between the two diapasons does seem to be quite marked, and I find that the 415 Hz does seem better suited to the Early baroque and Baroque pieces I am playing. It may all be in the ear of the imagination, but I believe I can hear a different timbre.

Which organ FXP were you playing the "Allegro" on? I have been mostly playing my Baroque organ music on jbuvat's "L'orgue de la Cathédrale Ste Marie à Auch - Jean de Joyeuse 1694", but recently I have also been using alex_vD's "Positiv1", which reminds me of my College organ and conjures up the sense of playing in an old English village church in the deep mid-winter; the purity of the sound and nothing but the sound exists. Both organs have the diapason set to A=415 Hz and I have also been recently experimenting with the tuning to see what a difference not having a Well Temperament makes.

Thank you again for bringing a smile on a warm summer's day in Aotearoa.

Michael

Pianoteq 8 Studio plus all Instrument packs; Organteq 2; Debian; Reaper; Carla

Reply by Pianoteqenthusiast

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Re: Handel "Allegro" from "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale”

mprimrose wrote:

Stig,

Thank you for this delightful rendition of the "Allegro" from "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale”. There is something about Handel's organ music that lifts the soul and fills it with light. Of course, Bach is always Bach, but Handel is concentrated joy unbounded.

Just a couple of quick technical questions, if I may? Which diapason did you utilise when playing the piece, the modern A=440 Hz, or the Baroque tuning of A=415 Hz? The change in timbre between the two diapasons does seem to be quite marked, and I find that the 415 Hz does seem better suited to the Early baroque and Baroque pieces I am playing. It may all be in the ear of the imagination, but I believe I can hear a different timbre.

Which organ FXP were you playing the "Allegro" on? I have been mostly playing my Baroque organ music on jbuvat's "L'orgue de la Cathédrale Ste Marie à Auch - Jean de Joyeuse 1694", but recently I have also been using alex_vD's "Positiv1", which reminds me of my College organ and conjures up the sense of playing in an old English village church in the deep mid-winter; the purity of the sound and nothing but the sound exists. Both organs have the diapason set to A=415 Hz and I have also been recently experimenting with the tuning to see what a difference not having a Well Temperament makes.

Thank you again for bringing a smile on a warm summer's day in Aotearoa.

Michael


"Which diapason did you utilise when playing the piece, the modern A=440 Hz, or the Baroque tuning of A=415 Hz?"
440 this time, have used 415 with harpsichord.

"Which organ FXP were you playing the "Allegro" on?"

The normal Organteq equal, but I use the tremulant settings for some stops to get the sound softer.  Some people said Organteq sometimes get dry sound (not a problem for me)

Thank you Michael for your kind and most generous comments. They are appreciated and highly valued. Appreciate your taking time listening.

I have actually played many pieces of Handel and recorded several. Because you are so interested, here are two of my favorites (more in Recordings feat. Pianoteq and Organteq and on my Youtube channel (Rytmi Jäbä) and two Handel are in Organteq audio demos.

Best wishes from a cold Finland with much snow 

Stig

https://youtu.be/tauD91uTR8Q

https://youtu.be/TcfXqFIpIgM

Last edited by Pianoteqenthusiast (05-01-2022 15:04)