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Started by David Pinnegar, February 12, 2011, 11:49:14 PM

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David Pinnegar

Hi!

I wonder if anyone might assist in compiling stories of eccentricity at the organ?

One of the most eccentric organists must be the late and great Giorgio Questa. Sadly he died last year and was very reclusive, seeking utter perfection, and rejected the technology of the 20th century so little is known about him except in northern Italy.

Great he undoubtably was and if anyone can track down any surviving recordings of him playing, I'd be very very curious to hear.

Apparently he built a special portable organ for use in recitals and concerts which was his own, unique and very clever design. In his perfectionist manner, he built every part and every pipe himself.

Apocryphally he took his organ to a redundant church in the middle of a wood by a lake to do a recording session. He was as obsessively perfectionist about everything and he took great care in everything, the quality of the equipment, the microphones etc . . .

The recording session had a problem: the lake adjacent was home to frogs. They croaked and croaked loudly. Of course this not only annoyed him but ruined the recording. Apparently they croak particularly in spring to attract mates. Accordingly, Giorgio went to the local chemist and ordered a particularly large quantity of Potassium Bromide. Reputedly he put it in the lake . . . and the frogs stopped croaking.

The recording went well after that. Very well apparently . . . until the very last note. Working late into the silence of the night he had not banked on the final hazard - an owl hooted. Sadly on account of this he destroyed the whole recording.

On another occasion, there is a monastery near Genova where concerts are held in the summer, but it's only accessible by boat . . . Giorgio was booked to play there and the audience turned up . . . but there was a problem. Realising that his precious organ would have to go on the boat, and that there was no other way, he refused to allow the organ to be loaded onto the boat . . . in case the boat was sunk by sharks.

A musician of great talent, vision and imagination. I'd love to hear any his music recorded that survived . . .

I wonder where the instrument is now? I'd love to see it and hear it . . .

Best wishes,

David P

KB7DQH

After watching the Michigan University presentation of Cameron Carpenter's pontification "Killing me Loudly- The Abdication of the King" (link to Youtube video elsewhere on this forum)  I would have to add him to the list :o ;)

Eric
KB7DQH
The objective is to reach human immortality—that is, to create things which are necessary to mankind, necessary to the purpose of the existence of mankind, and which have become the fruit that drives the creation of a higher state of mankind than ever existed before."

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Quote from: David Pinnegar on February 12, 2011, 11:49:14 PM
One of the most eccentric organists must be the late and great Giorgio Questa. Sadly he died last year and was very reclusive, seeking utter perfection, and rejected the technology of the 20th century so little is known about him except in northern Italy.


With the publication of 4 CDs of recordings of Giorgio Questa and his organ, it has become appropriate to extend further information about him on his own thread http://www.organmatters.com/index.php/topic,820.0.html


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