14.4M views · Sep 29, 2010 · 8:33 · 3 HN recommenders · 3 mentions · discussed 2016–2025
Organist Hans-Andre Stamm performs Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565, on the Trost organ in Waltershausen, Germany, an instrument from 1730. The video shows the playing and footwork.
Why Hacker News points people here: Recommended as an expressive performance on a historically significant organ with good videography.
“Great videography, great organ and very expressive organist.”HN comment, 2025
“Great videography, great organ and very expressive organist.”
Expressive organist, great organ and videography including footwork
My absolute personal favourite is Toccata and Fugue played by organist Hans-André Stamm on the Trost-Organ of the Stadtkirche in Waltershausen [1]. Great videography, great organ and very expressive organist. From 3:28 on you can also see the foot work. [1] this video
“played on an organ built in 1730 (and, if I read the history right, it was actually specified by Bach)”
Bach's Toccata and Fugue on a 1730 organ, though recording loses low notes
I love organ music; but you have to listen to it live. The low notes don't come across properly on recorded media (also you don't feel your chest resonate). Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, one of the most famous pieces of organ music ever, played on an organ built in 1730 (and, if I read the history right, it was actually specified by Bach): this video You can hear the recording simply outright fail on the low notes. The organ has a 32-foot pipe, which produces 16Hz notes. The reocrding simply doesn't do it justice; if you ever get the chance, listen to it live; it's an almost transcendent experience. There are, however, apparently two organs in the world with 64-foot pipes (8Hz!) and several more which can synthesise an 8Hz subharmonic using smaller pipes, but I haven't found a recording I trust of it yet.
“Hans-Andre Stamm plays it on an appropriately large church organ with the necessary emotion”
Expressive organ performance of Bach by Hans-Andre Stamm
I agree but I also would remind you that the player plays a large role in keyed music. For example, constant velocity MIDI makes a dissonant slaughter of any harmonic music, and totally destroys the swing of rythymic music. A player with the wrong motivation or lacking passion, pretty much reduces to a souped up MIDI. Organs are especially expressive, even more so than pianos. Try listening to the "Frankenstein music" from Bach, it is pretty easy to relate to and Hans-Andre Stamm plays it on an appropriately large church organ with the necessary emotion and "godhead" existential feeling/motivation behind it. this video
