The Organ of Interpretation.

    It is a common joke amidst students of literature that in interpretation and application of theory to older texts, the result from a student of literature might be so far removed from that of the author's that they might be turning in their graves. I have no intention of giving the same tired views on The Death of the Author or whatnot. Why organ of 'interpretation' then? Well, the word organ means 'instrument' and I will let this class of instrument speak for itself, as one of the best tools/instruments for interpretation of older musical repertoire. I ask you to recall again what the composer Robert Schumann had to say about the organ's importance in study (Read my post on Schumann and Beethoven from the 7th of February if you have not yet) and now listen to varying interpretations across different styles of organ-building, all using the same music of the 'Great' Fugue from J.S. Bach's BWV542. So as not to cause any bias in listening, I have not provided any additional information here and I hope that you will listen to the music to understand and appreciate the differences in interpretation. Enjoy!

(Starting at 6:07)

(Starting at 6:11)