Readers familiar with
the RNZ Concert’s weekly competition
for CDs may well have heard excerpts from the disc played over
five days, as two copies were on offer as the prize earlier
this year.
I feel that
many of those who like organ music will be compelled, like
myself, to play parts of the disc over and over again. Indeed,
so rhythmic and lilting are some of the Noëls that I would
have jumped up and danced to them had I been able!
Some interesting comparisons may be drawn with other organs and
organists.
The date of the St
Rémy organ is exactly the same as that of the great Haarlem
instrument in the Netherlands, so some of the contrasts between
the French and Dutch organ building ideals of the 1730s can
be heard.
Then, to
show how tastes have changed somewhat since 1964, there is
Noel Rawsthorne at the huge Liverpool Cathedral organ playing
Noël Number 6 in a truly romantic manner with a big sound in
cavernous acoustics. It was this recording, along with that
of Gillian Weir playing the Couperin Masses, that confirmed
my love of the French baroque in all genre, when I was a great
deal younger.
So, from me, all bouquets and no brickbats.
LISTEN
to sound samples of this cd from Amazon.com
here
