Thanks to a very bright young friend of mine, Ryan Salame, I am now on Youtube. Ryan has been my technical advisor on all things electronic since he was about 13 and still is at the advanced age of 17. I have no idea what he does, but it always works!
I asked him if he could put a DVD that was made in 2005 on the web and here it is. It is my farewell performance as a concert organist. The reason for my coming out of retirement to do this concert was that it was the thirtieth anniversary of the installation of the magnificent tracker organ built for the First Methodist Church of Red Bank, NJ, under my supervision, by the wonderful Austrian organ builder Gerhard Hradetsky.
For twenty-one years I was the Director of Music and Fine Arts at the church. I had met Gerhard in 1970 when performing at Stefansdom in Vienna, heard some of his organs, and determined that this was the man I wanted to build the new tracker organ for the church. It was installed in 1975. It is a marvelous instrument.
I have played organ concerts throughout the United States and in Haderslev and Copenhagen, Denmark, Hamburg and Berlin, Germany, Vienna, Austria, and at the Basilique du Sacré Coeur in Paris. I have made organ tours of the British West Indies, performing in Barbados, St. Vincent, Trinidad, and Tobago. I appeared with Gertrude Neidlinger, concert comedienne in Bemuda following my Carnegie Hall début with her in 1967. I was at the piano for the performances with her. I stopped performing publicly on the organ in the late 1990's. I emerged from retirement in 2000 to play the twenty-fifth anniversary of the organ and again in 2005 for its thirtieth birthday party.
The composition I chose to play, Clérambault's Suite du Deuxième Ton, was the first composition to be heard publically on this instrument at its dedication in 1975. It opened the morning service which included a brass quartet and a chorus of one hundred singers. My own choir was joined by The Shrewsbury Chorale under Paul Grammer, for which I had served as organist for many years. It was a glorious day!
The movements of the suite are Plein Jeu, Duo, Trio, Basse de Cromorne, Flûtes, Récit de Nazard, and Sur les Grands Jeux. As in most live recordings of concerts, someone had to have a coughing fit during the softest piece: Flûtes. The choir, as you will see, at this performance, was seated all around me in the rear gallery of the church, and the culprit was evidently right in front of the mike! 'C'est la vie', as Clérambault himself might have said. I don't appear even to hear him as I played. Concentration!
If you would like to view this DVD,go to http://www.youtube.com/ to the Search line at the top of the page and type Herbert Burtis organist. If God is good, this should get you to the right place. Enjoy!
About Me
- Herbert Burtis
- Sandisfield, MA, United States
- I have given my blog the name of my first ancestor, Pietro Cesare Alberti, who came to these shores in 1635. He was the first Italian-American. I have had an international career as a pianist, organist, and harpsichordist. As a vocal teacher I have taught at Harvard University and Smith College as well as having a studio in New York City. I now have a vocal studio in Chicago.I have performed throughout the United States and in Denmark, Germany, Austria, France. Barbados, St. Vincent, Trinidad,Tobago, and Bermuda. I made my Carnegie Hall debut in 1967 and have appeared numerous times in Carnegie Recital Hall, Weill Hall, and Steinway Hall. As Director of the Ferris Burtis Music Foundation, my mission is to help young classical musicians in their education and careers. For twenty years I was the voice teacher for Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. Seven of my students have sung at the Met, I may be reached at roodhill@verizon.net. www.hburtis.com http://ferrisburtisfoundation.blogspot.com http://albertitalks.blogspot.com