Jongen: Sonata Eroïca Op. 94

The rarely-recorded historic TC Lewis organ of Southwark Cathedral.

One of the UK’s finest cathedral organs.

Played by the Cathedral’s own organist, Peter Wright.

A collection of virtuoso 20th century French and Belgian organ works, including works by his teacher, Flor Peeters, demonstrating the colours of this unique instrument.

A new recording of Jongen’s masterpiece for organ Sonata eroïca.

This disc presents a contrast of organ works that demonstrate considerable stylistic differences despite being written within a relatively short period of time. Joseph Jongen and Frank Bridge composed in a largely traditional style unlike their contemporaries at the time, namely Schönberg, Berg and Boulez, who explored more innovative music. Marcel Dupré and Giles Swayne, however, quickly abandoned the conventional musical styles of their home countries and developed new musical aesthetics which encompass innovative ideas and concepts.

The SACD sound quality makes organ sound all the more resonant.

Jane Parker-Smith is one of the world's leading concert organists, acclaimed by the critics and public alike for her musicianship, virtuosity and interpretative ability. Jane joins the Avie label with a unique programme linking European composers who were chiefly known as performers and proponents of specialist organ or keyboard repertoire. The kaleidoscopic range of the works on this recording suggest their compositional output deserves further exploration.

The mighty modern organ at St. Martin's Memmigen, Germany, provided the inspiration for Jane's selection of late 19th- and 20th-century works for this recording. Almost 400 years to the day after the dedication of the first important organ in St. Martin's a new, large and unique organ was inaugurated in Memmingen's main church on 8 November 1998. Built by Goll of Lucerne there are 62 stops on four manuals and pedal. Together with the impressive organ case and the similarly rebuilt organ loft - both planned by the late master organ builder Jakob Schmidt - it forms, at the west end of the Gothic church, an imposing contrast with the Gothic chancel with its famous choir stalls. The old and the new enter into a harmonious dialogue to fascinating effect.