Samuel Rousseau was the maitre de chapelle (director of music and choir director) at St-Clotilde in Paris, collaborating with Franck during the latter 15 years of Franck’s tenure as titulaire organist there. Rousseau continued some characteristics of Franck’s organ composing in his own compositions for organ, and also gained famed as a composer of operas, salon music, and other secular works as well as sacred music. Kurt Lueders provides a fine essay on this composer in the album notes. Esteban Elizondo writes an essay on the firm that built the organ Lueders plays brilliantly, Stoltz Frères of Paris. The rare and unaltered 3-46 Stoltz organ is built with quality comparable to Cavaillé-Coll, and was completed in 1889 at St. Peter’s Church in Bergara. Entrée nuptiale Verset en forme de canon Double thème varié Lamento Scherzo Echo Berceuse Mélodie et canon Offertoire Priére Verset de procession Mélodie en la Fantaisie op. 73 |