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| Easter Themes at Notre Dame, Paris"> NEW! 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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|  NEW! Born in 1967, Fr�d�ric 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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| Improvisation in Vienna"> NEW! Hans Haselb�ck 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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| For double choir, orchestra, and great organ: NEW! The Last Gospel is performed at Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris, by Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Ma�trise 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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| NEW! 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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| NEW! Four 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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| NEW! 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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| NEW! 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 J�rgen 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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| NEW! 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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| NEW! Symphonic Improvisation largely in French style is realized by J�rg Abbing on a 1995 Kuhn 3-61 in Saarbr�cken. 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 Po�me Symphonique to the memory of Messiaen | |
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| Stefan Schmidt improvises on the great symphonic 3-59 G�ckel organ in St. Peter�s, D�sseldorf on Gregorian Chant tunes for Advent and Christmas as sung by the Schola Ars Cantandi directed by Peter Petermann. | |
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| NEW! 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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| Fran�ois 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 Cavaill�-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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 | | NEW! The gallery organ of 29 stops in the late-gothic hall of the Schlo�kirche of Meisenheim/Glon was built in 1767 by the brothers Stumm. Torsten Laux, organist, is professor of organ at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in D�sseldorf. He improvises on three chorales and plays works by Pachelbel, Buxtehude, Cl�rambault, and DeGrigny. Click picture for repertoire |
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| Andr� Fleury (1903-1995), whose 24 pieces begun in 1930 are recorded here for the first time, studied with Gigout, Dupr�, 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 Fr�d�ric Blanc plays the very interesting 1885 Cavaill�-Coll, enlarged in 1937, at Notre-Dame d�Auteil in Paris. Also included is Blanc's improvised Diptyque en hommage � Andr� 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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| NEW! This premier improviser explores the tonal resources of the landmark 1845 Cavaill�-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 No�l Variations, wonderfully demonstrating the sounds of the seminal 87-rank Cavaill�-Coll. | |
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| Fr�d�ric Blanc is especially known as the primary disciple of Marie Madeleine Durufl�-Chervalier and is the custodian of many of the Durufl�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, Angoul�me Cath�dral, St-Sernin, Toulouse, and the Bonn (Germany) M�nsterbasilika. 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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| Fr�d�ric Blanc Improvises on the 1889 Cavaill�-Coll 3-78 at the Basilica of St-Sernin, Toulouse. With an extraordinary gift, he improvises Seven Symphonic Meditations on the Book of Genesis (one for each day of the Creation) and a Mass. Four of the five Mass movements are colorful, imaginative, and gentle, on Ave maris stella, Tatum ergo, Placare Christe servulis, and Ubi Caritas. After the calm, the Sortie becomes a brilliantly energetic improvisation on Christus vincit. A wonderful CD! | |
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| Otto Kr�mers Improvises"> Back In Print! On the famous Cavaill�-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. Kr�mers. 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 Cavaill�-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 Sacr�-Coeur, the giant basilica in Paris which contains a 4m Cavaill�-Coll. Roth improvises: Fanfares, Chaconne on a theme of Brahms, R�cit de Cornet, and pieces based on chants Pange lingua, Victimae paschali, Ubi caritas, and several more. | |
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| Dupr� Improvises in Cologne 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 Improv. 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. DUPR�: Prelude & Fugue in F-minor MESSIAEN: Apparation de l��glise �ternelle 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 � la Francaise 1970) Variations sur Venez Divin Messie (24 Dec 1968) Triptique Symphonique sur Deux Th�mes (1974) Berceuse � la m�moire 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 No�l; Prelude & Var. on Venez divin messie; Sortie on Adeste fideles Prelude, Choral & Var. on Marche des Rois; Christmas Communion; Variations on a No�l: hommage � Marcel Dupr� | |
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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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