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| NEW! Messiaen, Mysticism & Color David Chalmers, James Jordan, and Sharon Rose Pfeiffer perform selections from the organ works of Olivier Messiaen and explore his concepts of color and mysticism. | |
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| Kevin Clarke explores the influence of Lemmens and Cavaille-Coll on the French Organ School on the Noack organ in the Church of the Incarnation, Dallas which retains much pipework from the former Whiteford Aeolian-Skinner. | |
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| Brothers George and Seibert Losh purchased in 1924 the venerable Long Island organbuilding firm of Reuben Midmer & Son (begun in 1860, the firm's last organbuilding Midmer died 1918), renamed it Midmer-Losh, and became everlastingly famous for building the largest organ in the world at Atlantic City, New Jersey. At about the same time as the contract was let for the Atlantic City organ, another was let in 1929 for the organ recorded on this CD, Opus 5519 at the Church of the Assumption in Ansonia, Connecticut. Now restored, the organ features such innovations as a Choir manual of 85-notes, a Great Diapason of large scale with double languids, and very distinctive solo voices and high-pressure reeds of large scale, replete with floating String and Melody divisions. Anthony Burke, the fine organist of the parish, demonstrates the restored organ and the large acoustics of its handsome environment at Assumption Church. Click the headline for works by Gigout, Langlais, Vierne, Marchand, Widor, Franck Tournemire, Dupont, and Mulet. | |
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| Ben Van Oosten plays the 1915/95 Casavant 5-91 at Église St-Jean-Baptiste in Montréal, where Dupré had played concerts on tour. Offertoire Il est né, le divin enfant; Six Antiennes pour le Temps de Noël, op. 48; Variations sur un Noël, op. 20; Annonciation, op. 56 in E and G; 17 chorales related to Christmas from 79 Chorales, op. 28 | |
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| 2 CDs for the Price of One Melvin Butler plays three suites from L’Orgue Mystique, interspersed between written improvisations by Tournemire. This unusual double CD features the new Cavaillé-Coll-style Fisk organ as it sounds in Finney Chapel at Oberlin College, and also as it might sound if it were in Chartres Cathedral. New recording technology makes it possible to create a mathematical model of a room’s acoustics from measurements taken in the room itself. With sufficient computing power, a program can then place any sound (in this case, the sound of the Fisk organ at Oberlin) in the modelled acoustics. Does it work? You be the judge—both versions (2 CDs) are included in this package. | |
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| Martin Jean, professor of organ at Yale University School of Music and the Institute of Sacred Music, plays all six of Louis Vierne’s symphonies for organ on the famous 1928 E. M. Skinner 4m of 166 stops at Woolsey Hall on the Yale campus in New Haven, Connecticut. Superb playing and recording quality. | |
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| Ezequiel Menendez celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, Connecticut, in a program of French music on the large Austin organ (1962) of 156 ranks. | |
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| Sketches & Improvs Wilma Jensen plays the Casavant at St. George’s Episcopal, Nashville. Works by Vierne, Tournemire, Philip James, Alexander Russell Click for repertoire and to order | |
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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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| Michael Murray plays two Aeolian-Skinner organs: At St. Philip Cathedral, Atlanta, with Atlanta Symphony, Robert Shaw, conductor: POULENC: Concerto in g for organ, strings, timpani At Symphony Hall, Boston: COUPERIN: Chacone in g DUPRÉ: Carillon, op. 27/4; Musette, op. 51 GIGOUT: Scherzo FRANCK: Pièce Héroïque; WIDOR: Toccata, Symphony 5 BACH: Sinfonia, Cantata 29 VIERNE: Final, Symphony 1 LEMMENS: Fanfare. | |
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| Timothy Tikker plays the famous 3-77 organ at the United Church of Christ in Claremont, California, built in 1998 by Manuel Rosales in collaboration with Glatter-Götz Orgelbau. DUPRÉ: Évocation, Poème Symphonique TIKKER: Variations sur un vieux Noël TOURNEMIRE: Trois Poèmes (Psalms 22, 23, 150) Great Review in the Nov-Dec 2003 issue of The American Record Guide, "He [Tikker] emerges as a top-flight performer and interpreter, heard to good advantage on this magnificent organ . . . As usual, Raven's engineering is superb." | |
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| Phenomenal organist Angela Craft Cross, a practicing eye surgeon, left the operating room to make this remarkable CD on the 1998 Austin 4-78 at St. Mary’s in Moraga, California. She plays major concert works by Vierne, Franck, Langlais, Mulet, Widor, and Dupré. Click on headline for repertoire. | |
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| At Finney Chapel of Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, an organ based on the late symphonic masterpieces of Cavaillé-Coll was built in 2001 with three manuals and about 78 ranks by the C. B. Fisk firm of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Click the headline for details on a CD on the organ: Haskell Thomson Plays Franck | |
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| The Seattle Rosales! Joseph Adam Plays and all-French program on the Rosales in the magnificent acoustic of St. James Cathedral in Seattle, which riveted the attention of all who attended the AGO National. Adam, organist of the cathedral, won the 1991 St. Albans International Organ Competition. Click on photo for works by Vierne, Saint-Saëns, Duruflé, Franck, Hakim | |
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| Alan Morrison at St. Philip’s Cathedral, Atlanta, plays the 1962 Aeolian-Skinner 4-98. The Atlanta native won the 1991 Mader and Poister Competitions. Works by Duruflé (Suite, op. 5), Franck (Chorale No. 3), Dupré (Var. sur un Noël), Demessieux (Te Deum), and Langlais (Chant de Paix). Click ikon for repertoire | |
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| Charles Callahan plays the best chestnusts of Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911) on the rebuilt (under Dr. Callahan's direction) Aeolian-Skinner at Church of the Epiphany, Washington, D. C. Click ikon for repertoire | |
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| Symphonies 5, 6, Gothique, & Romane are now on CD! Charles Krigbaum’s recordings of Widor symphonies on the 1928 E. M. Skinner organ of 166 stops at Woolsey Hall, Yale University, now number four volumes on CD. | |
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| The legendary Crozier plays Franck (Pièce Héroïque; Three Chorals; Prelude, Fugue et Variation) on the beautiful, large, 1986 Marcussen 4-86 organ at Wichita State University, built for a concert hall that was designed for the organ. | |
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| Jeremy Filsell's superb Dupré series is NOW COMPLETE, with Volume 12 (the complete 79 Chorales, op. 28, on one CD) now available. (click for details). | |
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| Cleveland plays the famous Rosales organ of 87 ranks at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Portland, Oregon. VIERNE: Symphony 2; DUPRÉ: Deux Esquisses; FRANCK: Prière | |
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| David Heller plays the 1998 Casavant of 58 ranks in the Church of St. Louis, King of France, St. Paul, Minnesota, exploring the evolution of responses to Gregorian themes. Click picture for list of works | |
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| St. Louis Cathedral Kilgen Organists James Kosnik, Robert Gallagher, Alison J. Luedecke, Lynn Trapp, and Mary Beth Bennett perform chant-based works by Langlais, Alain, Bennett, Trapp, Hytrek, Peeters, Proulx, Cochereau, and Massey on the 147-stop organ in the resonant cathedral. | |
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| Margaret Ryan recites Paul Claudel's poems in English. 1926 Casavant | |
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| Organists Kim Kasling, William Peterson, Kathrine Handford, and Jesse Eschbach play selections from the monumental L’Orgue Mystique by Charles Tournemire, the Frenchman who composed in 1927-32 fifty-one suites of liturgical organ music to accompany the Mass for Sundays, the major Feast Days, and several minor Feasts. Typically, a suite includes a Prelude, Offertoire, Elevation, Communion, and closing virtuosic work. In the grand acoustics of St. Mary Basilica in Minneapolis they play a large 1949 Wicks scaled and finished by Henry Vincent Willis. Christmas 3; Trinity 26; All Saints 48; 5th Sunday after Pentecost 30 | |
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| Cochereau’s earliest recordings at Notre Dame in Paris and his 4-mvt Symphony improvised at Symphony Hall, Boston, for the Aeolian-Skinner King of Instruments series are combined in a 2-CD set. The Notre Dame sessions from 1955, preserve the sound of the Cavaillé-Coll unaltered since Vierne left it 18 years earlier. | |
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| Rebuilt and enlarged by by Paul Fritts, the 1965 Flentrop at Seattle's St. Mark's (Episcopal) Cathedral remains a favorite venue for great liturgy and organ recitals, as demonstrated at the AGO National Convention, July, 2000. Here, cathedral organist J. Melvin Butler presents a recital of French works in grand acoustics. | |
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| BUXTEHUDE: Fuga in C, BuxWV 174, Op. 18 BACH: Herr Gott, nun schleuss den Himmel auf HANDEL: Organ Concerto in A, Op. 7, No. 2 SCHUMANN: Canon in B-minor, Op. 56, No. 5 TOURNEMIRE: Choral Improvisation sur Victimae Paschali DURUFLÉ: Prelude et Fugue sur le nom d’Alain The Duruflés at the National Shrine This famous recording of Maurice Duruflé and Marie-Madeleine Duruflé-Chevalier was recorded in 1967 at the largest Roman Catholic church in the U. S. and the eighth largest in the world, the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D. C. The recording, released originally on the Westminster label, features the dual organs built by the M. P. Möller Co. of Hagerstown, Maryland, completed in 1965 and containing more than 9,000 pipes. They play both organs in the Handel; Maurice plays Buxtehude, Bach, and Schumann; Marie-Madeleine plays the Tournemire and Duruflé works. | |
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| The great organist and teacher plays stunning renditions of mostly French works, mostly recorded on an organ he built in 1966. Click on picture for repertoire and to read an enlightening review of the CD and of a book of essays by Noehren. | |
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| Renowned organist, teacher, and sometime organbuilder Robert Noehren plays the Robert Turner organ of three manuals and 89 ranks at First Presbyterian Church, Trenton, New Jersey. Carillon, Fileuse, Preludes and Fugues in B, F Minor, and G Minor, In Dulci Jubilo, Cortège et Litanie | |
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| Organ Concerti at Girard College On the thrilling 1933 Skinner, Diane Meredith Belcher plays Jongen’s Symphonie Concertante and Bruce Shultz plays Poulenc’s Concerto in G Minor with Phila. Youth Orch. | |
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| On a 3-82 Casavant in French eclectic / Cavaillé-Coll style at the Cathedral of St. Peter, Erie, Pennsylvania, Michael Farris plays a blockbuster program. WIDOR: Allegro, Sym. 6 FRANCK: Fantaisie in A ALAIN: Fantaisie 2 VIERNE: Final, Sym. 6 DURUFLÉ: Scherzo; Prelude & Fugue on Alain DUPRÉ: Variations on a Noël, Op. 20 | |
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| John Longhurst plays works of Dupré, Widor, Alain, Franck, Boëllmann, and Vierne. Click picture for repertoire | |
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| This master plays Aeolian-Skinner opus 909 of 1933 in All Saints, Worcester, Mass. | |
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| OHS member Thomas Brown records a fine and impressive Quimby organ at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Litchfield, Connecticut. Works of Alain, Franck, Duruflé, Vierne, Widor. Click picture for repertoire | |
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| Thomas Murray plays the 1987 Schoenstein & Co. organ in S. S. Peter and Paul Church, San Francisco. | |
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| Historic recordings, digitally re-mastered, of live performances played by Watters. Organs: 1932 Aeolian-Skinner at Trinity College, Hartford, Conn., the 1972 Austin that replaced it, and the 1928 Skinner organ at Woolsey Hall. | |
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| Susan Armstrong-Ouellette plays the 1897 Hutchings 3-75 electropneumatic organ at The Mission Church, Boston. | |
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| This CD is one of two selected by The Absolute Sound magazine of December 1999/January 2000 to receive its prestigious "Golden Ear Award" for Best Organ Recording of 1999. Works by Messiaen, Tournemire, Widor, Langlais, Duruflé, Dupré. Click picture for repertoire | |
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| Mark Laubach’s program of French music explores a wide range of sonorities and tone color on the 1987 Berghaus organ of 80 ranks at Grace Lutheran Church, River Forest, Illinois. Works by Dupré, Franck, Duruflé, Alain, and Vierne. Click picture for details | |
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| A Song Before Sunrise, Winter Night (‘’Sleigh Ride’’), Two Aquarelles, Irmelin Prelude, Fennimore & Gerda Intermezzo, On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, La Calinda, Serenade from Hassan, Carol from Four Extemporizations, The Walk to the Paradise Garden from A Village Romeo & Juliet Frederick Delius wrote in a unique and often lush and exotic musical voice during the early years of the 20th century, his compositions often requiring an extravagantly large orchestra. Having migrated from his native England to Florida in 1884 as an orange planter, he abandoned the farm after a year to teach music and play the organ. He settled permanently in France by 1888 and enjoyed great popularity in England. The mostly orchestral works on this CD have been transcribed by Dom Gregory Murray, Robert Hebble, Eric Fenby, Percy Whitlock, Ernest White and by Michael Stairs, the organist who plays these works on the extravagantly large organ at Longwood Gardens. | |
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| This CD is temporarily unavailable from its manufacturer, Delos, and will be available again at a date unknown and unstated by Delos. Todd Wilson’s Duruflé, complete, is a favored and exemplary recording of this repertoire. Grand, 52-rank Schudi at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Dallas. Prelude, Adagio and Chorale Variations on Veni Creator Scherzo, Op. 2 Prelude to the Introit of Epiphany Fugue on the Theme of the Carillon of Soissons Cathedral Suite, Op. 5 Prelude & Fugue on the Name of Alain, Op. 7 | |
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| David Britton plays the 1938 W. W. Kimball organ of St. John's Cathedral in Denver, Colorado. Sowerby, Simonds, Bennett, James, Bingham, Crandell. Click on headline above for repertoire. | |
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| Carol Williams plays the recent 4m Austin at St. Mary’s College, Moraga, California. The organ incorporates pipes by Henry Erben and Murray M. Harris behind the redecorated facade of the Erben case which was built for Calvary Presbyterian, San Francisco, in 1857 | |
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