Virgil Fox: Judging his musicianship
Sebastian M. Gluck wrote:
During the past half century, many who know of Virgil Fox have asked why he
needed the accoutrements, and why he had the need to shock in ways that were
completely unrelated to the music. Many still want to know if his
musicianship could stand on its own, without the "act." The answer might be
to listen objectively to the recordings, and see if they make musical and
emotional sense to us.
_______________
Sebastian poses a fair test. Listen for yourself and judge. Of the dozens
of Virgil’s recordings, the ones listed below are among my favorites and
will serve as recommendations. They span Virgil’s career from the mid
1950s at Riverside all the way until 1979, the year before his passing.
(1) The Wanamaker Organ:
The entire album is a favorite, but the most-often mentioned piece is, of
course, Come Sweet Death.
(2) Lincoln Center / Philharmonic Hall:
Passacaglia & Fugue in C-minor – I’ve never heard a recording of this piece
that I like as much.
Grande Piece Symphonique – Perhaps my favorite registration among ALL
recorded organ music.
(3) The Christmas Album (St. Paul the Apostle, NYC)
This recording is a sonic spectacular that beautifully captures the Moller
in all 7+ seconds of reverberation. The registrations just blow me away,
and the two pieces with soprano Louise Natalie are gorgeous.
(4) The Digital Fox / The Fox Touch (Garden Grove Ruffatti)
These two direct-to-disk LPs and the subsequent CD transfers feature
spectacular performances and exceptional sound quality – the best of all of
Virgil’s recordings and excellent even by today’s standards. This 1977
recording was made after the heyday of the Heavy Organ experience.
(5) Soli Deo Gloria (Virgil’s 1979 return to Riverside)
A remarkable, 2-CD recording, even if in mono. The Ad Nos stands out as a
favorite. A VHS of this concert used to be available from Marilyn Brennan
of the Virgil Fox Society. Some video clips are available on YouTube
(including the great hymn, Oh, God Our Help in Ages Past, and the Jongen
Toccata).
(6) All of the Riverside recordings -- The Art of Virgil Fox (3 CDs), Music
from France, Encores, etc.
The Riverside recordings feature dozens of organ compositions, but perhaps
my favorites are the transcriptions of “beautiful music” (as Virgil used to
call it) for organ. To me, the expressionism and emotion in the recordings
is sensational.
(7) The Entertainer (Wichita Paramount Theatre Wurlitzer)
Virgil was certainly no theatre organist, but he didn’t shy away from the
horseshoe, and this recording (now thankfully on CD) shows another side of
Virgil – his versatility and musicality. (Terry Charles has written a most
compelling account of his experience hearing Virgil play Mighty Mo at the
Fabulous Atlanta Fox Theatre.)
I’m sure many people will find performances they do not like. Perhaps the
CDs of the Heavy Organ concerts provide examples. And there are no doubt
compositions played too rapidly for many of us. But the point of
Sebastian’s challenge is not to find things one does not like, but to find
convincing examples of musicianship, emotion, and expression.
Virgil loved what he did about as much as anyone enjoys any life’s work. He
was totally into the music and loved it. He was thrilled to play for people
and move them with the music. If you saw Virgil in person, you understand.
Without a doubt there was showmanship, and he was definitely an
entertainer, but it was not an “act” in the sense of fakery or put-on (and,
yes, I saw and appreciated the quotes around the word in Sebastian’s
writing). It was most definitely Virgil’s “act,” but it was totally
sincere. Virgil was in ecstasy with every performance. Look at the joy
that radiated from his face and entire persona after he finished a
composition and popped off the bench to face thunderous applause.
The Virgil Fox Legacy website is a great place to begin an exploration.
There are many CDs for sale plus links to a number of YouTube videos.
http://www.virgilfoxlegacy.com A search on YouTube will bring up many if
not all of the same clips.
I highly recommend the Virgil Fox Master Class CD to anyone interested in
hearing Virgil the teacher. Winston Willis spent countless hours restoring
the original, reel-to-reel tapes and made these sessions available as an MP3
CD through the Virgil Fox Legacy (and due to be released this summer).
Those willing to make the donation to help maintain Virgil’s legacy will be
treated to a couple of interviews that are vintage Virgil.
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