THE COLD SONG OF VIVALDI’S “WINTER“ - XAVER VARNUS PLAYS ON ST. LADISLAUS’ CHURCH ORGAN IN BUDAPEST

•●The Official Video Site of Concert Organist Xaver Varnus●• The Varnus Organ Hall needs your help. We are asking the community’s support to restoring and operating Varnus Hall, Canada’s only private organ concert venue owned by Xaver Varnus, to provide a worthy home for organists, famous artists and young talent alike, from around the world to perform, and broadcast their concerts online. We are grateful to you if you can help our work with any donations. “Several famous music historians claim that Vivaldi used Purcell’s Cold Song as an example in the first movement of his Winter-concerto. Surprisingly, most violinists and orchestras play this dramatic and mysterious march as a meaningless fast movement. But Vivaldi gave a clear instruction at the beginning of the manuscript: Allegro non molto - not fast. At a slower tempo, we get a brand new piece that brings out the beauty of the lost harmonies.“ Xaver Varnus Filmed by Mate Vargha on the 5th of March, 2019, in the Church of St. Ladislaus in Budapest- Kőbánya. Special thanks to Mayor Robert Antal D. Kovács, Town Clerk Dr. Krisztian Szabó, Rev. Attila Balog, Mr. András Benedek, Mr. Balázs Barnkopf and Mr. Balázs Békés. Born in Budapest, Xaver Varnus’ first piano teacher was Emma Németh, one of the last pupils of Claude Debussy. Xaver Varnus has played virtually every important organ in the world, including those in Bach’s Thomaskirche in Leipzig (2014), Berliner Dom (2013), Notre-Dame (1981), Saint-Sulpice (2006) and Saint-Eustache (1996) in Paris, National Shrine in Washington, D.C. (1985), and Canterbury Cathedral (2004), as well as the largest existing instrument in the world, the Wanamaker Organ in Philadelphia (1985). His Quadruple Platinum Disc winning album From Ravel to Vangelis, released by Sony BMG in 2007, is the best-selling organ CD ever. As a Canadian citizen, Xaver Varnus resides in Berlin, Germany. “Put simply, Varnus is a monster talent, every bit as stimulating and individual as the late Glenn Gould“ (The Globe & Mail, Canada’s National Newspaper). Booking & Enquiries: xavervarnus@
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