The organ may get a bum rap for for its dusty and archaic image,
but assistant visiting professor and organ loyalist Christoph Bull
has plenty to say about its vitality. And although the organ will
probably never be bigger than electronic dance beats or the
Beatles, it’s perfectly able to appropriate such populist
forms.
“Organica,” tonight at 8 p.m. in Royce Hall, will
mix classical and contemporary music in a way Bull hopes will prove
to modern listeners that the organ is still an accessible and
engaging instrument.
In addition to several pieces by the Beatles and well-known
works by Johann Sebastian Bach and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the
program will include a rendition of “Oompa-Loompa
Doompadee-Doo” from the film “Willy Wonka and the
Chocolate Factory,” which will feature a 40-person
children’s choir.
“A lot of young people like the organ when they get to
hear it, but they often don’t get that exposure, or they hear
it but it’s not played particularly well. It skews their
perception,” Bull said.
“(That can be changed) by not just playing pieces that are
appreciated by experts.”
Bull’s eclectic programs often surprise audiences with the
organ’s versatility. His shows can convert even the most
stubborn purists to his unique sounds and arrangements.
“There are different sides to an organ. Sometimes people
only know the loud, gothic, Halloween type sounds. But the organ
can be ethereal and quiet, percussive and rhythmic, and also very
lyrical and melancholy,” Bull said.
The field of classical music has often tried to appropriate more
contemporary pieces and adopt a less exclusive attitude to reach
more people. An organ performance has a similar potential for
versatility, Bull believes.
To make the organ more accessible, Bull regularly attempts to
engage with audiences, talking about the pieces themselves so
listeners can better understand the their meaning.
“I’m bringing in a rock music approach to classical
music ““ it’s OK to have passion and not be
strict,” he said.
“I don’t like to have a wall between audience and
performer. It’s more like rock shows, where there’s
more interaction. I make it as though I’m inviting people
into my living room. “¦ I want people to be
comfortable,” he said.
Bull believes that interest in the organ is growing, in part
because of conferences put on by the American Guild of Organists
and the growing number of quality organs being built and already in
existence in Los Angeles. Built in 1930 by E. M. Skinner, the
Skinner Organ at Royce is an example of one such superior
instrument.
The German-born Bull began playing the organ in his church
services and concerts at age 12. Although its multiple keyboards
and foot pedals caused Bull to fall in love with the power of the
organ at such a young age, it was in Los Angeles that he
rediscovered his interest in the instrument and decided to go back
to school.
Pushing the envelope with his music and experimenting with new
sounds and special effects has long been a part of Bull’s
program. The practice first began with a church concert that
included dancers, but the performance didn’t sit well with
all of the listeners.
One of Bull’s current projects includes his new CD,
“Organica,” which will largely feature electronic
beats, creating an ambience vastly different from classical organ
albums.
Bull also recently did a recording with Bootsy Collins, the bass
player for P-Funk known for mixing genres and styles in original
ways.
“(Collins) is a master of a totally different style than
me, but he was digging what I was doing,” Bull said. “I
like it when that happens ““ when two different worlds
meet.”
Organica with Christoph Bull starts at 8 p.m. tonight at
Royce Hall. Admission is $18, $25 or $30. Visit www.uclalive.org
for more information.