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| Trenney Improvises!Tom Trenney, winner of the AGO Improvisation Competition, improvises two suites on hymn tunes and plays repertoire on a new three-manual organ by Patrick J. Murphy & Associates at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Baltimore | |
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| Masterful improvisor Michel Chapuis explores the Tonus Peregrinus in two improvisations on the Magnificat theme as used in German Lutheran churches. The first is a French classical suite of 14 movements, and the second is in free style. He plays the organ built in 1993 by French builder Bernard Aubertin in North German baroque style with three manuals and 65 ranks for the concert hall at Shirane-Cho in Japan. | |
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| On the new 74-rank organ built in 2005 by the Eule firm of Bautzen in St. Sebastian Cathedral in Magdeburg, Germany, Matthias Mück and Otto Maria Krämer improvise three duets and six solos mostly on tunes related to the liturgical year. DUET IMPROVISATIONS: on Veni Creator, The Owl Rag, and a pastoral scene MATTHIAS MÜCK: Solo Improvisations on O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden; Maria dich lieben; Lauda sion; Nun danket OTTO MARIA KRÄMER: Solo Improvisations on Veni Emmauel; Victimae paschali | |
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| The enormously talented Wolfgang Seifen improvises in a live concert on a large 3m organ (1990 Göckel) in the splendid acoustic of the Holy Ghost Church in Mannheim, Germany. Seifen, born in 1956, is professor of improvisation and liturgical organ playing at the University of Art, Berlin. The improvisations: Suite française (French Baroque); Romantic Phantasie und Fuge on Aus tiefer Not & Salve Regina; Tryptique symphonique en style libre; Chorale Preludes on O Mensch, bewein (Baroque style) and O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden; Improvs on Te Deum & Victimae paschali | |
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| On a new organ in the parish church at Te Haag, The Netherlands, built by the Austrian firm Kögler of St. Florian, Sietze de Vries improvises on the Te Deum and also plays Buxtehude works. Versets and chorales are sung by a children's choir, Focaliber, directed by Edwin Velvis. BUXTEHUDE: Prelude in d, BuxWV 140; Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern (2 vs.), BuxWV 223; Te Deum, BuxWV 218 DE VRIES IMPROVISES: Psalm 87 (5 vs.); Laudate Dominum (Psalm 150, 6 verses & Alleluia, choir sings two verses) | |
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| On the Müller organ at the Jacobijnerkerk in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, Sietze de Vries improvises on the Genevan psalm melodies and also plays his own compositions based on them. A choir sings the melodies. Included are Psalms 43, 61, 72, 101, 118, 121, 130, 139. Styles vary, with most based on classic forms. | |
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| Sietze de Vries at Mittenwald where the Roman Catholic parish Church of St. Peter & Paul has had an organ since the Gothic era. A baroque building was completed in 1749, and the organ case was repainted in 1779. It was frequently rebuilt, including electrifications in 1905, 1947, and 1960. In 1999, Bernard Edskes built a new organ in the old case. De Vries improvises a French suite, three movements in high baroque style on Nun danket, and a 5-section suite in 19th and 20th century style inspired by the Biblical story of Jesus walking on the water and using two familiar chorale melodies for much of the thematic material, as well as a narrator in the manner of Kuhnau. | |
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| Stephanuskerk in Hasselt and Grote Kerk in Dordrecht, magnificent buildings with environments most enhancing to organ sound and exciting organ playing. Click the headline for works by Grison, Festing, Rheinberger, Dubois, Guilmant, Bach, and an improvisation by Mulder. | |
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| Peter Planyavsky improvises on the organs of the Cathedrals in Brixen and Bremen, Germany. The famous improvisation in Brixen on the was recorded in 1981; the 19-minute improvisation in Bremen on a theme from the Brahms German Requiem was recorded by Radio Bremen in 1983 and has been broadcast but not released as a recording. Playavsky, born in 1947, is Professor of Organ and Improvisation and chairman of the Church Music Department at the University for Music and Drama in Vienna. Click for descriptions of the improvs. on this CD. | |
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| The great French organbuilder Daniel Kern of Strasbourg completed a new organ for the resonant Church of Saint-Pothin in Lyon in 2004 with three manuals and about 50 ranks of pipes. The design is based on symphonic organs of the 19th-century and the organ includes two Barker levers. Loïc Mallié, organist of the church, improvises symphonic movements in demonstration of the organ's sounds. Click the headline for further description and to order. | |
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| Loïc Mallié improvises six works on themes of Debussy and in his style. The organ was built by Victor Gonzalès at Saint-Vaast in Bailleul. Improvisations: Autour de Debussy; Prélude, fugue et final; Anthologie, la Grotte, Contraste; Clins d’Œil; Jeux; Final | |
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| Organbuilder, OHS member, and superb organist, George Bozeman improvised this suite on the famous organ at Methuen during a live concert. The 11 sections of the suite are inspired by graphic artist Lee Haskell, who created a series of drawings. Click headline for repertoire | |
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| Philippe Lefèbvre improvises on the 1954 Aeolian-Skinner op. 1258, a 4m enlarged in 2003 to 81 ranks by Dan Garland of Fort Worth. Philippe Lefebvre is one of three titular organists at Notre-Dame, Paris. Click for list of improvs. & more info. | |
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| Hans Haselböck and the Choralschola der Hofburgkapell Wien use the Dominican liturgy to celebrate an evening vespers at the Dominican Church in Vienna. The organ is an 1895 Rieger (III, 36), restored by Karl Schuke (1991). | |
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| Tom Trenney plays the 2003 Schantz 3-56 at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Savannah, Georgia. Andrew Kotylo joins him for Stephen Paulus' Paean for Organ Duet Click the headline for works by Anne Wilson, Shearing, Dudley Buck, Dan Miller, Ives, Paulus, Phillips, Jennifer Conner, and improvs by Trenny. | |
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| The three great concert improvisations heard here are based on four important Easter plainchants: O filii et filiae; Haec dies; Victmae paschali; and Regina coeli. The legendary organist at Notre-Dame de Paris sometimes uses several themes within the same movement, varying the harmonic syntax and the timbres so that at no moment does the interest lessen. | |
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| Born in 1967, Frédéric Blanc, titular at Notre-Dame d’Auteuil in Paris, is among the leading young French organists, particularly known for his improvisations. The Aeolian-Skinner/Shudi/Dupont organ in Perkins Chapel at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, is the venue for these improvisations on Easter themes. Click Picture for Details | |
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| For double choir, orchestra, and great organ: The Last Gospel is performed at Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris, by Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Maîtrise Notre-Dame de Paris (the choir) directed by John Nelson; Olivier Latry, organist. Escaich composed this work on commission to “bear testimony to 2000 years of Christianity.” It is based on the Prologue of the Gospel according to St. John. Then, Escaich improvises on the cathedral organ. Click on the headline to order. | |
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| Sietz de Vries at Uithuizen Newly and spectacularly restored by Bernard Edskes, the 1701 Schnitger organ at the Jacobikirche in Uithuizen, The Netherlands, may have the most sumptuously beautiful sound of all the restored Schnitgers. Sietze de Vries, born in 1973, is the Dutch paradigm among organists, especially in his ability to improvise musically and intelligently, always with a perfect sense of structure and never frantic. Here, he plays Buxtehude and improvises in North German style and also as it was influenced by the Italian style (Concerto de segnor Vriescobaldi!) Click on the headline for more information and to order. | |
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| Five organs built or restored by Bernhardt Edskes are improvised upon by the splendid Sietze De Vries. Click on the headline for more information and to order. | |
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| Bernhardt Edskes of The Netherlands is famous for this restorations of historic organs as well as new organs. Here, the phenomenal Sietze De Vries improvises on five organs restored or built by Edskes. Click on the headline for more information and to order. | |
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| Seitze de Vries at Martini Church in Groningen, Holland, where Arp Schnitger completed and enlarged in 1690-92 an organ that had been started in 1685 by Johan Helman, who died before finishing the instrument. Arp’s son Caspar added a Rugpositief, new Great windchests, and replaced parts of the Pedal, but also died before completing the work, which was handed over to Albertus Anthoni Hinsz, his journeyman assistant. In 1740, Hinsz added seven prepared-for stops to the Rugpositief. It was to this 1747 state that Jürgen Ahrend restored the organ 1976-84 and found that it incorporates pipes dating to 1481. Organist Sietze de Vries treats us to masterful playing of repertoire as well as his famous improvisatory art. Click on the headline for more information and to order. | |
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| Peter Ewers contemplates the universe in 17 improvisations at the Pierre Schyven/Salomon van Bever (1874/1912) organ at the Royal Church of Notre-Dame de Laeken, Brussels. Click the picture for more information and to order. | |
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| Symphonic Improvisation largely in French style is realized by Jörg Abbing on a 1995 Kuhn 3-61 in Saarbrücken. The organ was built in French style in collaboration with the School of Music and Theatre of the German state of Saarland for use by students for lessons and practice. Abbing is a graduate of the school, studied other places, and is now on its faculty and is the organist of the church wherein the organ is located. Symphonie on Gregorian Themes (4 mvt.) Five Mediations Poème Symphonique to the memory of Messiaen | |
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| Stefan Schmidt improvises on the great symphonic 3-59 Göckel organ in St. Peter’s, Düsseldorf on Gregorian Chant tunes for Advent and Christmas as sung by the Schola Ars Cantandi directed by Peter Petermann. | |
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| Pierre Pincemaille, titulaire of St-Denis in Paris, improvises on the 1996 Kuhn 3-83 at the cathedral in Minden, Germany. | |
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| François Lombard has painstakingly transcribed three of Pierre Cocherau's famous improvisations for this recording: 15 Versets on Ave maris stella; Introduction, Choral & Variations on O Filli et Filiae; Sortie sur Adeste Fidelis. Lombard plays the 1870 Cavaillé-Coll at the Church of St. Peter in Calais, France. Sheet music of these transcriptions is listed under Cochereau in the Sheet Music department on this website. | |
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| The gallery organ of 29 stops in the late-gothic hall of the Schloßkirche of Meisenheim/Glon was built in 1767 by the brothers Stumm. Torsten Laux, organist, is professor of organ at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf. He improvises on three chorales and plays works by Pachelbel, Buxtehude, Clérambault, and DeGrigny. Click picture for repertoire | |
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| André Fleury (1903-1995), whose 24 pieces begun in 1930 are recorded here for the first time, studied with Gigout, Dupré, and Vierne, was assistant organist to Tournemire at Ste. Clotilde in Paris, then titulaire at St. Augustin and professor at the Ecole Normale de Musique. The greatly gifted Frédéric Blanc plays the very interesting 1885 Cavaillé-Coll, enlarged in 1937, at Notre-Dame d’Auteil in Paris. Also included is Blanc's improvised Diptyque en hommage à André Fleury | |
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| These improvisations on diverse themes were “hatched” on an almost daily basis during Cochereau’s tour of beach resorts and spas during the summer of 1969. Mounted on rollers, his 11-stop positif organ allowed its happy owner to appear in churches that lacked instruments, as well as in the most diverse venues (including theatres, village halls, youth hostels) and to popularize an instrument overly associated with worship services. | |
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| This premier improviser explores the tonal resources of the landmark 1845 Cavaillé-Coll at the Cathedral of Saint-Denis, Paris, the first of the great symphonic organs. Improvs: Six Chansons de France; Prologue, Theme, and 12 Variations; Prelude & Fugue on A-R-I-S-T-I-D-E | |
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| Pierre Pincemaille, titular organist at St. Denis, improvises a Mass of seven movements, Ten Versets for Vespers, and a Prelude, Ricercar and Noël Variations, wonderfully demonstrating the sounds of the seminal 87-rank Cavaillé-Coll. | |
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| Frédéric Blanc is especially known as the primary disciple of Marie Madeleine Duruflé-Chervalier and is the custodian of many of the Duruflé’s papers, manuscripts, and now lives in their former home. He has won several international improvisation competitions. He is heard here on four organs: Chartres Cathedral, Angoulême Cathédral, St-Sernin, Toulouse, and the Bonn (Germany) Münsterbasilika. Click on the headline for more information on the improvs and the organs. | |
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| Blanc Improvises 18 Versets on August 14 and 15, 1992, at St-Sernin, a fine CD released following his great hit of Genesis. The versets are short and are intended to demonstrate the panopoly of colors and effects available from the organ, resulting in the very last sound document of the beloved Cavaille-Coll before its disassembly for restoration. | |
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| Back In Print! On the famous Cavaillé-Coll in the vast acoustics at the Abbey of St-Ouen at Rouen, improvisations inspired by Gregorian chant are realized by the acclaimed Otto M. Krämers. He improvises a Mass for Pentecost in 12 movements and 14 Antiphones to the Magnificat. | |
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| Spectacular Improvisations in the French tradition are masterfully crafted by Ansgar Wallenhorst (b. 1967) who studied improvisation with French masters Olivier Latry and Thierry Escaich. The interesting 38-page booklet contains the themes for improvisation as well as specifications for the four organs which represent 107 years of evolving tonal design. | |
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| The famous organ at Notre-Dame in Paris, tonally restored in 1992 to its Cavaillé-Coll roots but retaining some later additions, is demonstrated in ensembles and in some individual stops by Jean-Pierre Leguay, one of the three titular organists of the church, on 20 tracks of this fascinating CD. On four more tracks we hear improvisations played at three Masses and at the inaugural concert of December 11, 1992, replayed from the memory of the famous, now infamous, computer which later silenced the organ through malfunctions. | |
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| Daniel Roth improvises at Sacré-Coeur, the giant basilica in Paris which contains a 4m Cavaillé-Coll. Roth improvises: Fanfares, Chaconne on a theme of Brahms, Récit de Cornet, and pieces based on chants Pange lingua, Victimae paschali, Ubi caritas, and several more. | |
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| in 1961 at the largest cathedral in Europe. Hear a four-movement Symphony in D-minor; a Passacaglia and Fugue in F-Minor; and an Improvisation on Veni Creator. This excellent mono CD captures the huge 1956 Klais 4-135. | |
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| This live performance of Cochereau at his best was recorded in excellent stereo sound at a concert in the magnificent cathedral at Cologne, Germany, on May 30, 1972, by the West German Radio. DUPRÉ: Prelude & Fugue in F-minor MESSIAEN: Apparation de l’église éternelle COCHEREAU: Improvised Symphony on Veni Creator | |
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| David Briggs transcribed these works from recordings, then recorded his transcriptions on the 1887 Willis 3-49 and 1880-87 Brewer & Son 2-15 at Truro Cathedral. Cantem toto la Gloria (Collioure 1969) Air Trimazo (Suite à la Francaise 1970) Variations sur Venez Divin Messie (24 Dec 1968) Triptique Symphonique sur Deux Thèmes (1974) Berceuse à la mémoire de Louis Vierne (1973) | |
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| These festive improvisations were recorded at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris at Christmas services 1968-1973 and at one private concert held there in 1971 with famed titular organist Pierre Cochereau at the console. Variations on a Romanian Noël; Prelude & Var. on Venez divin messie; Sortie on Adeste fideles Prelude, Choral & Var. on Marche des Rois; Christmas Communion; Variations on a Noël: hommage à Marcel Dupré | |
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| Two Grand Improvisations: a Suite of Dances and a Prelude, Adagio, and Chorale Variations, were recorded at live recitals in 1970 and 1974. Spectacular! | |
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| The famous improvisations realized by Cochereau at recordings sessions in 1977 at Notre Dame (and which have been transcribed to sheet music) are now available on CD! | |
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| This 2-CD set documents 25 improvisations on the Gospel according to St. Matthew as realized by Cochereau at Notre-Dame in Paris on five consecutive Sundays ending March 4, 1984, the day before Cochereau’s death. | |
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| The brilliant British organist Wayne Marshall improvises on great American tunes by George Gershwin, Vincent Youmans, Billy Strayhorn, Leonard Bernstein, and Jules Styne. He plays the 84-rank, 4-manual Fisk organ at the Meyerson in Dallas. | |
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| Famed organist Michel Chapuis improvises in French classical style on the organs built by Robert and François-Henri Clicquot in 1710 at the Chapelle Royale at Versailles and in 1783 at Souvigny to exemplify his commentary on improvisation, French classical style, notes inégals, ornamentation, expression, registration, etc. The superb sound on the DVD includes a soundtrack of the commentary which may be heard in the original French or with English overdubbing. Note: This DVD will not play on American or Japanese television sets or DVD players (NTSC). However, it will play on a computer which is equipped with a DVD drive and also on European TV (PAL). | |
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| In this second DVD, Michel Chapuis recreates the atmosphere of the inauguration of the 1859 Cavaillé-Coll at Poligny by Lefébure-Wély through improvisation in 19th-century style. He also improvises on the exquisite 1890 Cavaillé-Coll at St-Ouen in Rouen and discusses both organs and improvisation techniques. The improvisations include demonstrations of various effects and registrations. About 80 minutes. Includes a 24-page booklet. Click for more information, subjects of the improvs, and to order. Michel Chapuis, Personal Notes Vol. 1: The French Baroque Organ | |
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