Guest Artist Interview with Felix Hell
1. Where did you first hear an organ? What was it about the organ that got your attention?
My first experience with the organ was at the age of 7 and I remember the day quite vividly. Having had piano lessons for about 6 months, my father asked me whether I had any interest in attending an organ recital. Clearly, he had asked the wrong question, as I answered in all honesty “No”. At that time, I associated the organ with churches, endless sermons and funerals. It turned out that I wasn't really given a choice and my father simply decided that we were to go to the recital in the evening. I remember sitting in the cold cathedral pew, convinced that I was about to experience the pinnacle of boredom.
The moment the organist began to play, I almost jumped out of my seat. I believe the opening piece was Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, and who doesn’t love that piece? I remember being spellbound for the duration of the performance, soaking in the sound of the instrument. It was the old Scherpf organ at the time, with close to 100 stops. I physically felt the sound waves crashing into and through my body, and I could not get enough of it. In addition to its power, I was taken by the beauty of soft registrations, especially flute stops. I still remember the silky sound of the flute stops, and how they gently caressed everything within its reach, tenderly fading away in this space of no less than twelve seconds of reverberation. The experience was entrancing, life changing, to say the least.
Following the performance, we were invited to look at the console, which was not visible from downstairs, as the instrument was located on the back gallery of the cathedral. Seeing the enormous cabinet of buttons, keys, leavers, pedals and five manuals was the icing on the cake. I needed to learn how to play that thing.
2. When did you decide to dedicate your life to this passion for the "King of Instruments"?
I never consciously decided to become a professional organist. It almost feels as though the instrument chose me. After initial lessons, it just gradually happened that I spent more and more time at the instrument and that music became an increasingly significant part of my life. After doing substitute work at various churches, the word spread about this eight year old kid and how he loved to play encores after his postlude on Sunday mornings. My parents were, and still are, among my strongest supporters who essentially sacrificed their lives in order for me to be able to take lessons, to get to play various instruments, and to ultimately move to the States by myself to study at Juilliard, at the age of 13.
3. You have studied with many of the world's foremost teachers. What are several of the most important things you have learned from these masters?
Above all, they nurtured my love for music itself. And by that I mean all music. At times, it appears as though we organists get so consumed with our instruments that we forget to seek out music of other genres. There is so much fantastic music out there, which must be heard, whether it is opera, chamber music, symphonic or jazz. My most profound musical experiences often come from non-organ performances.
Having spent the majority of my studies with Dr. John Weaver at the Curtis Institute and Donald Sutherland at the Peabody Institute, they have certainly had a considerable influence on who I am as a musician today. Dr. Weaver is a master in utilizing any instrument to its utmost and fullest potential. I remember him telling me to “crawl around the console”, in effect becoming one with the instrument. No effort was too great to find the perfect registration. No practice session too long in order to fuse with the instrument at hand. Donald Sutherland, for example, reminds me to keep reinventing myself as a musician. He often quotes his own teacher, Arthur Poister, saying that “if you play this piece the same way ten years from now, I have been a total failure as a teacher.” It is a quote I cherish every time I prepare for a recital, especially when sitting at an unfamiliar instrument.
4. You must have a deep passion for the organ music of Johann Sebastian Bach since you have not only learned, but have performed Bach's immense works in their entirety three times.
a. What made you want to attempt this task?
It was Bach, who inspired me to learn piano in the first place, and when I heard Bach for the first time, I had no idea what it was, but I knew it was incredibly appealing. As long as I can remember, I have always been studying a Bach work of sorts, parallel to other literature for my lessons and recitals. Upon embarking this project, I had performed the majority of his larger works. It was mostly the smaller, less popular works which still needed to be learned.
Also, when I was 19, my parents were going through the final stages of a divorce, which was hard on all of us. Bach’s music was a place for me to escape, a place of perfection that gave me an incredible sense of peace during this tumultuous time. Whenever I was not at the instrument, I felt restless and was confronted with family issues. But every time I sat down at the keyboard, it felt like Bach looked me in the eyes and said: “I’ll help you get through this.” One day, I came to my lesson and told Donald Sutherland that I needed to learn the entire works of Bach. Knowing how much Bach meant to me, he just thought for a second and said: “OK. Get to work.”
b. What in Bach's music helped you complete this amazing feat?
Well, it was no other than the music itself that sustained me - simply every aspect of it. The months prior to the Bach marathons, I spent virtually all day, and sometimes all night in the practice room, fully immersing myself into the music. Like any great art, it only gets better the more you allow yourself to be absorbed. It is an endless, yet wonderful cycle. Just yesterday, I was looking at the score of Bach's Brandenburg Concert No. 2. To witness quadruple and quintuple invertible counterpoint is something one just cannot wrap one’s mind around. It is simply astonishing.
5. What organ music are you passionate about today?
I have always been most passionate about the “classical” organ literature, like Bach, Buxtehude, Reger, Franck, Duruflé, etc., and also constantly striving for unprecedented standards in those works. In the past couple of years, however, I have spent more time with music of the 20th century and contemporary music. Admittedly, I am a late-bloomer in regards to the appreciation of the more avant-garde portion of 20th century literature, but it is music that I find increasingly rewarding. Also, I have found great joy in collaborating with living composers, especially Eric R. Stewart, a tremendously gifted composer from New York. Among other exciting projects, he is currently working on a Sonata for organ, which I look forward to premiering and taking on tour starting this fall.
6. What are your aspirations for the instrument itself, and how are you planning to expand the circle of followers for the organ?
It is no secret that the organ appears to be somewhat of a sub-category within the classical music world, and it is, in part, due to the fact that some organists tend to isolate themselves from other musicians, often unconsciously. If you look at the average concert series, they will feature piano music, chamber music, and a variety of instruments. The organ, however, often has its own recital series, specifically designed for its aficionados. If you look at management companies, most will offer a myriad of musicians, while organists have their “own” managements, who essentially manage organists exclusively.
One major factor to the equation is the locality of organs themselves. While some concert halls house instruments, most organ recitals are church venues. Remembering how I felt about the organ before I was introduced to the instrument, I can only imagine how many eyes need to be opened, not only among concert goers, but also professional musicians. While the organ's history is firmly rooted in the church, it is essential for its territory to expand to other venue locations, side by side with other musicians.
With today’s advanced technology, it is finally possible to bring the organ to audiences who would otherwise not seek out organ recitals. Builders of digital organs have substantially advanced the sound of their instruments over the past decades, and we are able to offer a perfectly viable alternative in spaces that do not house pipe organs. I am well aware that some purists frown upon digital instruments, but I am convinced that the digital organ will play an important role in the expansion of our audiences. Starting this fall, I will take an excellent three-manual Rodgers Instrument on tour, which is able to easily fill a 2000 seat auditorium with a breathtaking sound, and will introduce classical organ literature in concert halls, universities, high schools, and other organ-less venues throughout the United States.
7. I understand that you have recently finished your transcription of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony for organ solo. Do you have any plans to transcribe more music in the future?
Indeed. The Beethoven project was initially a one-time experiment that proceeded to take on a life of its own. Firstly, I wanted to prove that the organ can imitate, and even rival a symphony orchestra in a way in which no other solo instrument can. Furthermore, I wanted to offer new literature on the organ, which, on one hand, is of highest quality, but, on the other, is recognizable by potential recital attendants with inclinations for classical music venues. “Beethoven’s 5th” is a hallmark composition and a title with which many people will be familiar. The first half of the “Beethoven Recitals” was dedicated to the classical organ literature, and the second half to the 5th Symphony. The experiment proved to be successful when learning that a significant part of the audience was drawn to the recital due to the programming. A number of them had not considered attending organ recitals prior to this one.
In addition, my wife, Grace, who is a remarkably gifted concert pianist, and I are currently experimenting with transcriptions of piano concertos, in which the organ will play the role of the orchestra. We hope to present this literature to our audiences in the near future.
8. What is one of your greatest joys in sharing your passion for the "King of Instruments" with audiences around the world?
That is not an easy question to answer, as just about every aspect of making music and sharing it with others is so wonderfully rewarding. You know, sometimes I ask myself: “What difference am I making in this world as an artist?” Thomas Mann, one of my favorite authors, continuously asks this question in his writings. Art itself is something so terribly impractical. Of course, it is a thrill every time I stand in front of a full house with a cheering audience. However, on one occasion, following a performance, a concert attendant reminded me what our work as artists is about, saying: “Thank you. You helped me to let myself go tonight.” That person did not refer to how well I articulated the Bach, the intricacies of my registrations for the Liszt, or even that virtuosic pedal solo, which I practiced for hours on end. No, I believe that this person felt the essentially of art itself, and the fact that our souls need nurturing in the same way that our body needs air and water. If only one person’s soul out of a thousand is touched, whether it is just for a moment or for the rest for his or her life, then all the work and sweat is worth the effort. To witness that moment is the greatest joy in my life.
1. Where did you first hear an organ? What was it about the organ that got your attention?
My first experience with the organ was at the age of 7 and I remember the day quite vividly. Having had piano lessons for about 6 months, my father asked me whether I had any interest in attending an organ recital. Clearly, he had asked the wrong question, as I answered in all honesty “No”. At that time, I associated the organ with churches, endless sermons and funerals. It turned out that I wasn't really given a choice and my father simply decided that we were to go to the recital in the evening. I remember sitting in the cold cathedral pew, convinced that I was about to experience the pinnacle of boredom.
The moment the organist began to play, I almost jumped out of my seat. I believe the opening piece was Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, and who doesn’t love that piece? I remember being spellbound for the duration of the performance, soaking in the sound of the instrument. It was the old Scherpf organ at the time, with close to 100 stops. I physically felt the sound waves crashing into and through my body, and I could not get enough of it. In addition to its power, I was taken by the beauty of soft registrations, especially flute stops. I still remember the silky sound of the flute stops, and how they gently caressed everything within its reach, tenderly fading away in this space of no less than twelve seconds of reverberation. The experience was entrancing, life changing, to say the least.
Following the performance, we were invited to look at the console, which was not visible from downstairs, as the instrument was located on the back gallery of the cathedral. Seeing the enormous cabinet of buttons, keys, leavers, pedals and five manuals was the icing on the cake. I needed to learn how to play that thing.
2. When did you decide to dedicate your life to this passion for the "King of Instruments"?
I never consciously decided to become a professional organist. It almost feels as though the instrument chose me. After initial lessons, it just gradually happened that I spent more and more time at the instrument and that music became an increasingly significant part of my life. After doing substitute work at various churches, the word spread about this eight year old kid and how he loved to play encores after his postlude on Sunday mornings. My parents were, and still are, among my strongest supporters who essentially sacrificed their lives in order for me to be able to take lessons, to get to play various instruments, and to ultimately move to the States by myself to study at Juilliard, at the age of 13.
3. You have studied with many of the world's foremost teachers. What are several of the most important things you have learned from these masters?
Above all, they nurtured my love for music itself. And by that I mean all music. At times, it appears as though we organists get so consumed with our instruments that we forget to seek out music of other genres. There is so much fantastic music out there, which must be heard, whether it is opera, chamber music, symphonic or jazz. My most profound musical experiences often come from non-organ performances.
Having spent the majority of my studies with Dr. John Weaver at the Curtis Institute and Donald Sutherland at the Peabody Institute, they have certainly had a considerable influence on who I am as a musician today. Dr. Weaver is a master in utilizing any instrument to its utmost and fullest potential. I remember him telling me to “crawl around the console”, in effect becoming one with the instrument. No effort was too great to find the perfect registration. No practice session too long in order to fuse with the instrument at hand. Donald Sutherland, for example, reminds me to keep reinventing myself as a musician. He often quotes his own teacher, Arthur Poister, saying that “if you play this piece the same way ten years from now, I have been a total failure as a teacher.” It is a quote I cherish every time I prepare for a recital, especially when sitting at an unfamiliar instrument.
4. You must have a deep passion for the organ music of Johann Sebastian Bach since you have not only learned, but have performed Bach's immense works in their entirety three times.
a. What made you want to attempt this task?
It was Bach, who inspired me to learn piano in the first place, and when I heard Bach for the first time, I had no idea what it was, but I knew it was incredibly appealing. As long as I can remember, I have always been studying a Bach work of sorts, parallel to other literature for my lessons and recitals. Upon embarking this project, I had performed the majority of his larger works. It was mostly the smaller, less popular works which still needed to be learned.
Also, when I was 19, my parents were going through the final stages of a divorce, which was hard on all of us. Bach’s music was a place for me to escape, a place of perfection that gave me an incredible sense of peace during this tumultuous time. Whenever I was not at the instrument, I felt restless and was confronted with family issues. But every time I sat down at the keyboard, it felt like Bach looked me in the eyes and said: “I’ll help you get through this.” One day, I came to my lesson and told Donald Sutherland that I needed to learn the entire works of Bach. Knowing how much Bach meant to me, he just thought for a second and said: “OK. Get to work.”
b. What in Bach's music helped you complete this amazing feat?
Well, it was no other than the music itself that sustained me - simply every aspect of it. The months prior to the Bach marathons, I spent virtually all day, and sometimes all night in the practice room, fully immersing myself into the music. Like any great art, it only gets better the more you allow yourself to be absorbed. It is an endless, yet wonderful cycle. Just yesterday, I was looking at the score of Bach's Brandenburg Concert No. 2. To witness quadruple and quintuple invertible counterpoint is something one just cannot wrap one’s mind around. It is simply astonishing.
5. What organ music are you passionate about today?
I have always been most passionate about the “classical” organ literature, like Bach, Buxtehude, Reger, Franck, Duruflé, etc., and also constantly striving for unprecedented standards in those works. In the past couple of years, however, I have spent more time with music of the 20th century and contemporary music. Admittedly, I am a late-bloomer in regards to the appreciation of the more avant-garde portion of 20th century literature, but it is music that I find increasingly rewarding. Also, I have found great joy in collaborating with living composers, especially Eric R. Stewart, a tremendously gifted composer from New York. Among other exciting projects, he is currently working on a Sonata for organ, which I look forward to premiering and taking on tour starting this fall.
6. What are your aspirations for the instrument itself, and how are you planning to expand the circle of followers for the organ?
It is no secret that the organ appears to be somewhat of a sub-category within the classical music world, and it is, in part, due to the fact that some organists tend to isolate themselves from other musicians, often unconsciously. If you look at the average concert series, they will feature piano music, chamber music, and a variety of instruments. The organ, however, often has its own recital series, specifically designed for its aficionados. If you look at management companies, most will offer a myriad of musicians, while organists have their “own” managements, who essentially manage organists exclusively.
One major factor to the equation is the locality of organs themselves. While some concert halls house instruments, most organ recitals are church venues. Remembering how I felt about the organ before I was introduced to the instrument, I can only imagine how many eyes need to be opened, not only among concert goers, but also professional musicians. While the organ's history is firmly rooted in the church, it is essential for its territory to expand to other venue locations, side by side with other musicians.
With today’s advanced technology, it is finally possible to bring the organ to audiences who would otherwise not seek out organ recitals. Builders of digital organs have substantially advanced the sound of their instruments over the past decades, and we are able to offer a perfectly viable alternative in spaces that do not house pipe organs. I am well aware that some purists frown upon digital instruments, but I am convinced that the digital organ will play an important role in the expansion of our audiences. Starting this fall, I will take an excellent three-manual Rodgers Instrument on tour, which is able to easily fill a 2000 seat auditorium with a breathtaking sound, and will introduce classical organ literature in concert halls, universities, high schools, and other organ-less venues throughout the United States.
7. I understand that you have recently finished your transcription of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony for organ solo. Do you have any plans to transcribe more music in the future?
Indeed. The Beethoven project was initially a one-time experiment that proceeded to take on a life of its own. Firstly, I wanted to prove that the organ can imitate, and even rival a symphony orchestra in a way in which no other solo instrument can. Furthermore, I wanted to offer new literature on the organ, which, on one hand, is of highest quality, but, on the other, is recognizable by potential recital attendants with inclinations for classical music venues. “Beethoven’s 5th” is a hallmark composition and a title with which many people will be familiar. The first half of the “Beethoven Recitals” was dedicated to the classical organ literature, and the second half to the 5th Symphony. The experiment proved to be successful when learning that a significant part of the audience was drawn to the recital due to the programming. A number of them had not considered attending organ recitals prior to this one.
In addition, my wife, Grace, who is a remarkably gifted concert pianist, and I are currently experimenting with transcriptions of piano concertos, in which the organ will play the role of the orchestra. We hope to present this literature to our audiences in the near future.
8. What is one of your greatest joys in sharing your passion for the "King of Instruments" with audiences around the world?
That is not an easy question to answer, as just about every aspect of making music and sharing it with others is so wonderfully rewarding. You know, sometimes I ask myself: “What difference am I making in this world as an artist?” Thomas Mann, one of my favorite authors, continuously asks this question in his writings. Art itself is something so terribly impractical. Of course, it is a thrill every time I stand in front of a full house with a cheering audience. However, on one occasion, following a performance, a concert attendant reminded me what our work as artists is about, saying: “Thank you. You helped me to let myself go tonight.” That person did not refer to how well I articulated the Bach, the intricacies of my registrations for the Liszt, or even that virtuosic pedal solo, which I practiced for hours on end. No, I believe that this person felt the essentially of art itself, and the fact that our souls need nurturing in the same way that our body needs air and water. If only one person’s soul out of a thousand is touched, whether it is just for a moment or for the rest for his or her life, then all the work and sweat is worth the effort. To witness that moment is the greatest joy in my life.