The Organ Forum

Hello,
I am a fan of big, bombastic French organs, and would like to buy an album or two featuring them, and was wondering if you guys had any recommendations?  Particulary Cavaille-Coll organs, but would be interested in any larger French organ recordings, preferably CD.

Thanks!
-Jon

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"Unit" is a four letter word!

A good place to start would be with Telarc CD-80234:  Two CD set of Franck's complete masterworks for organ with Michael Murray at the Cavaille-Coll organ at Saint Sernin Basilica, Toulouse.

(By the way, saw your listing of the Allen ADC-7000 on the Church Organ Trader. It might be a good idea to list a price.  This could save you and others many unnecessary emails.)

Good luck!

Sorry Menschenstimme, I have to disagree with you there.

St. Sernin de Toulouse is probably my favorite organ - one of the most fiery Cavaillé-Colls imaginable.

However, this recording features a dull, tepid performance from Michael Murray.  Sad, because Franck requires passion!

Furthermore the organ was in a deplorable state at the time of that recording.  There are wind leaks, pitch sags, and an overall sense of decrepitude.

The Telarc sound from the '80's is rather dated now too.  For the most 'bang for the buck' I heartily recommend getting CDs that feature 24-bit recording, such as Daniel Roth's recording of Liszt and Ritter at St-Sulpice.

Also highly recommended: my current favorite recording of the Duruflé Toccata, by Louis Robilliard at St-Sernin (post restoration).  Here is a link:

http://www.festivo.nl/nl/cd.php?id=6961942

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Soubasse32

Hey Guys,
Thanks for the recomendations!  I'll have to check them out.  As far as the Allen organ, that's not my ad!  If I was lucky enough to own an organ, I sure wouldn't sell it..lol

-Jon

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"Unit" is a four letter word!

Here is another recommendation for the Franck:  Dorian DOR-90135 with Jean Guillou at St. Eustache, organ by van den Heuval.  With a name like "Eustache" it should sound good.

Heh heh - another bit of controversy, Menschenstimme...

The French are not unanimously fond of that organ, as it is not French.  Van den Heuvel does well enough to be sure, but for a true French romantic organ it is best to stick with Cavaillé-Coll!

If you want the complete Franck, you might try Jean-Pierre Lecaudey at St-Ouen (another of the greatest Cavaillé-Coll organs).  His interpretation is worlds away from Guillou, who tends to go for bizarre effects.

It seems that Guillou - like his Van den Heuvel organ - tends to stir up controversy.

Another set I recommend is the one recorded by Jean Langlais at Ste-Clotilde.  There are caveats with this (mainly that the recording is very, very old) but the musicianship is superb.

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Soubasse32

soubasse32:

It seems that Guillou - like his Van den Heuvel organ - tends to stir up controversy.

Another set I recommend is the one recorded by Jean Langlais at Ste-Clotilde.  There are caveats with this (mainly that the recording is very, very old) but the musicianship is superb.

Hah, soubasse32, you are a man with the gift of understatement!  "Controversy" is a quaint word here, yet not the one that came to my mind.    As for Langlais, I understand where you are coming from -and the musicianship is indeed superb- but technically those recordings leave much to be desired.  Several times he seems to land on the wrong manual only to quickly correct himself.  (My memory may be faulty as I have not heard these since university days, about six years ago.)

The best account of the Franck organ works (to me) remains Jeanne Demessieux at la Madeleine.  Such magisterial conviction and profundity allied with an organ so perfectly suited and responsive to her genius.  

Yes Jason,

Mme. Demessieux's renditions of Franck are quite simply *unbeatable*. Oh how I wish that she had lived to record all of Franck and her own works on CD.

Her Etudes and Meditations sur le Saint-Esprit are real tours-de-force of writing - I hope to one day conquer them.


Cheers!

Suzanne Chaisemartin - 'Rendez-vous a St.Sulpice' - organ works of Marcel Dupre (Aeolus)
Daniel Roth - Marcel Dupre Organ Works from St.Sulpice
Jean-Pierre Leguay - Vierne and Franck at Notre-Dame
Didier Matry - Works of Eugene Gigout at St.Augustin
Carolyn Shuster-Fournier - 'Une Americaine a Paris' - Various organ works from La Madeleine

These are a few of my favourite recordings - sorry not to be able to supply record labels - I am far away from them at present - about 2000 miles to be precise...

The final recording is particularly dazzling - recorded after the 2000 restoration and addition of those chamades.

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