Franck, C: Pièce héroïque, M37 - download (MP3 & FLAC)

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!

Recorded on the Great Marcussen Pipe Organ in Wiedermann Hall, Wichita State University, Kansas.

After the successful release of César Franck’s complete organ works on 3 double SACDs audite now presents these recordings in a 6-CD boxed set. This complete edition naturally includes the 12 major well-known works of this composer. In addition to these, it contains many smaller treasures of the repertoire among them at least 40 minutes of music which were presented as first recordings in the original SACD release: The works for harmonium are available here in their entirety in their versions for organ, as are two organ works discovered during the 1970s and 1980s, also new to the recording medium. Besides these aspects of completeness, the present complete production is marked by the special sound of the Goll Organ. Its warm, soft sound, resulting from widely constructed pipes, creates an unobtrusive power and fullness; the essence of the French Cavaillé Organs has been preserved and further developed in this instrument.

Hans-Eberhard Roß, Cantor of the Deanery St. Martin in Memmingen, was decisively and authoritatively involved in the planning and disposition of this organ. Interested music lovers can call up the exact registrations of all the pieces from www.audite.de simultaneously with this issue, as well as short videos about the construction of the organ. The 64pp bilingual booklet gives detailed information about this production.