Franck, C: Prière, Op. 20

The grand swell and floating poetry of César Franck’s works for organ have long given rise to descriptions such as musical incense, which focus on their numinous spiritual address, perhaps at the expense of their ingenious construction, which may owe much to a Wagnerian, leitmotivically inspired process of continuous development but also to older models of the French organ school – and which in turn became influential for the next two generations of French organ composers such as Dupré and Duruflé.

The Three Chorals and the Pièce héroïque are relatively well known now, at least in recital (their technical difficulties place them beyond the reach of many church organists, and a few church organs, come to that), but beyond those late and deeply intimate explorations are some spectacular transformations of Bachian counterpoint into 19th-century showpieces such as the Final in B flat. Adriano Falcioni (b.1975) recently won golden opinions for his recital at the organ of Sheffield Cathedral, and has performed on the instruments of many great European churches and cathedrals.

This particular recording was made in the Basilica of S.Maria degli Angeli in Assisi: a beautiful church in its own right, made only more so by acting as an ecclesiastical shell for the chapel of the Porziuncola, which is known as the birthplace of the Franciscan order: St Francis himself died but a few metres from the door of the chapel, well within the grounds of what is now a spectacular basilica.

A 2CD set release that will please all organ lovers, a collection of ‘romantic’ organ works from the French composer Franck. These recordings date from 1958 and have been re-mastered and released on CD for the first time. It showcases the extraordinary talents of André Marchal, who remained a true exponent of the organ music of Franck.

Severin is an organist and composer and he has written a work on the registration of European organ music. Severin performs these works on the organ of St. Martin, Dudelange, Luxembourg. The recital includes Three Chorales and Grande Pièce Symphonique.

The Twelve Pieces for Organ of César Franck is a definitive collection of the composer’s works for organ, performed by the Montreal-based organist and composer Pierre Grandmaison, himself a protégé of Maurice Duruflé. Franck’s extraordinary compositions revolutionized the organ repertoire and laid the foundations for future composers, including Widor, Vierne, Tournemire and Dupré. These works were recorded in Montréal’s Notre-Dame Basilica on the magnificent Casavant organ, which has been played by all the great 20th-century French organists. The Notre-Dame instrument was the first 4-manual (81 stops) Casavant organ, and the largest in the country at the time of its installation in 1891. A must-have recording for all organ music enthusiasts!