On April 13 1990, Naji Hakim and his wife Marie-Bernadette Dufourcet Hakim both recorded a CD on the Cavaillé-Coll 4-76 of 1898 in the Sacré Coeur, Paris, for the Priory label.
This must be unique – two organists recording a full programme each at the same organ in a single day. Such a situation speaks volumes for the preparation and musicianship of the performers, and of the skill of recording engineer, Neil Collier. There can have been few if any retakes.
Mr Hakim’s disc is in the Priory Great European Organs series, No. 22.
- Memor ……………………………………Naji Hakim 11:46
- Prière …………………………………… César Franck 13:36
- Choral No. 1 in E maj ………………...... César Franck 14:20
Hommage à Igor Stravinsky ………………..Naji Hakim
- Prélude …………………………………………...5:59
- Danse …………………………………………… 4:25
- Final ……………………………………………… 7:19
Ms Dufourcet Hakim’s programme is devoted to the music of one composer, Charles Tournemire.
L’Orgue Mystique No. 7
- 1st movement …………………………………….1:39
- 2nd “ ………………………………………………4:53
- 3rd “ ……………………………………………… 1:24
- 4th “ ……………………………………………… 4:26
- 5th “ ……………………………………………… 8:27
L’Orgue Mystique No. 51
- 1st movement ……………………………………1:41
- 2nd “ ………………………………………………4:06
- 3rd “ ………………………………………………1:28
- 4th “ ……………………………………………… 2:55
- 5th “ ……………………………………………… 6:14
Deux Fresques Symphoniques sacrées
- No. 1 ………………………………………………12:47
- No. 2 ………………………………………………12:14
Between the two discs, the listener must surely get a reasonably comprehensive idea of what this instrument is capable of. Tonally, it is probably close to how Cavaillé-Coll left it.
Yet, in my mind is a comment made by Daniel Roth to Howard Goodall at the organ loft of St Sulpice a few years back, “I have been here already 10 years, and every day I find new combinations of sounds.” There is neither too much nor too little reverberation. These recordings were made 17 years since, so the “state of the art” of digital sound recording can’t have moved on all that much.
Mr Hakim’s own compositions are thoroughly modern, and are full of energy, originality and refinement. They stand on their own merit and readily invite repeated listenings. The César Franck selections are nicely played, as they must have been scores of times from this loft, and every other in Paris, over the last century-and-a-bit.
However, the music of Tournemire is altogether different, and in my opinion, it was a bold and possibly risky move on Ms Dufourcet Hakim’s part to devote the entire disc to it. If esoteric is the right word, one would really need to grasp the Catholic liturgy for which it was written, to fully appreciate this music, and I don’t.
The organ varies from a brooding, introspective mood through several of the “movements”, then bursts into full power for a while, then back again into the withdrawn – all ultra-serious stuff, whispery and growly.
I suggest, therefore, that this disc would be best suited to the following buffs:
Naji’s disc is much more immediately accessible to the general lover of organ music.
An open comment to Mr Hakim -
“Naji, why did you have to put the Franck in your programme? It’s been done dozens of times before, and it just doesn’t belong. A great organist of your stature could have improvised some excellent music on the spot, to fill the space. That would have earned you heaps of points!”
An open comment to Priory, and one I’ve grizzled about before –
“Your puny notes in the sleeve are an insult to the magnificent organists and the work they put into the preparation of their programmes; an insult to the organ music lovers who jolly well DO want details of the organist’s registrations used throughout, and who do want an up-to-date account of the organ from the time of its installation, through its various rebuilds/ restorations. Take a hint from your competitors, Chandos and Dabringhause and Grimm. They leave you gasping.”
At the time of recording, Naji Hakim was titulaire of Sacré Coeur and Marie-Bernadette Dufourcet Hakim was (and still is) titulaire of the Cavaillé-Coll of Notre-Dame-des-Champs in Paris.
Thank you David Bridgeman-Sutton for information about the Sacré Coeur organ.
LINKS:
Naji Hakim's website
Marie-Bernadette’s website
