Today I was allowed to practice the baroque Dubois organ at Wissembourg, built 1766 (which means it recently celebrated its 250th birthday).

The console of the instrument is a feast for the eyes, and it sounds absolutely overwhelming. Four hours passed in the blink of an eye.

Two minor issues caused that I was unable to play the pieces fluently. Firstly (and foremost), the pedalboard is relatively small, so I cannot use techniques like heel-toe-playing. I was unable to play eigth notes accurately with the toes alone. The second issue was the strong pressure point of the great organ. Typical french pieces (like Plein Jeu or Grand Jeu) additionally require to couple both manuals, so both pressure points are summed. The Grand Jeu I was playing includes 16th notes and was annotated to be played “Gayement” – which translates to something like “agile”. Tough stuff!

Additional to those great learnings, those four hours were some of the greatest since I play musical instruments. More of it :) !

Here’s what I’m currently playing:

• Michel Corrette (1707 – 1795) – Premier Livre d’Orgue, Suite du IIe Ton (1737) – Concert de Flûtes
• Abraham van den Kerckhoven (1618 – 1702) – Fantasia en do
• Jean Babtiste Lully (1632 – 1687) – Ritournelle (Récit de Cornet)
• Jean Babtiste Lully (1632 – 1687) – Rondeau (Dialogue sur les Flûtes)
• Louis-Nicolas Clérambault (1676 – 1749) – Premier Livre d’Orgue, Suite du IIe Ton (1710) – Plein Jeu
• Louis-Nicolas Clérambault (1676 – 1749) – Premier Livre d’Orgue, Suite du IIe Ton (1710) – Basse de Cromorne
• Louis-Nicolas Clérambault (1676 – 1749) – Premier Livre d’Orgue, Suite du IIe Ton (1710) – Caprice sur les Grands Jeux