CHAN 9785 Front.Qxd 26/7/07 4:03 Pm Page 1
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
CHAN 9785 front.qxd 26/7/07 4:03 pm Page 1 CHAN 9785 CHANDOS GUILMANT SYMPHONY NO. 2 for Organ and Orchestra WIDOR SYMPHONY NO. 3 for Organ and Orchestra FRANCK CHORAL NO. 2 for Organ Ian Tracey ORGAN Yan Pascal Tortelier Yan Pascal Tortelier at Liverpool Cathedral CHAN 9785 BOOK.qxd 26/7/07 4:04 pm Page 2 Félix Alexandre Guilmant (1837–1911) Symphony No. 2 for Organ and Orchestra, Op. 91* 28:45 in A major . A-Dur . la majeur 1 I Introduction et Allegro risoluto 9:20 2 II Adagio con affetto 5:58 3 III Scherzo: Allegro vivace 6:02 AKG 4 IV Andante sostenuto – 2:22 5 V Intermède et Allegro con brio 4:57 Charles-Marie Widor (1844 –1937) Symphony No. 3 for Organ and Orchestra, Op. 69* 29:32 6 I Adagio – Andante – Allegro 16:01 7 II Vivace – Tranquillamente – Allegro – Largo 13:28 César Franck (1822 –1890) 8 Félix Alexandre Guilmant Choral No. 2 in B minor 13:08 in h-Moll . si mineur TT 71:37 Ian Tracey organ BBC Philharmonic* Yan Pascal Tortelier* 3 CHAN 9785 BOOK.qxd 26/7/07 4:04 pm Page 4 While Franck had famously declared, suites. They consisted of contrasting Guilmant/Widor/Franck: Organ Works ‘Mon orgue est un orchestre!’ Widor, ever the movements to display the technical scholar and noted writer on music, was more possibilities of the new instruments rather fulsome: ‘A new instrument needs a new than setting out to be homogenous schemes What exactly is the French organ symphony? instance, Guilmant and Widor both studied language’, he decreed. ‘The organ, still in grand sonata form, as characterises the For the true answer, we must examine the with the legendary Belgian organist Jacques clothed in its original majesty, speaks like a more usual orchestral understanding of a cross-over influences of place, purpose and Nicolas Lemmens (composer of the famous philosopher. It alone (among instruments) symphony (the first French example of which personality. organ ‘Storm’) in Brussels; in 1890, Widor can maintain even volume of tone to suggest was produced by Bizet). These French organ A first-time visitor to Paris, fashionably succeeded Franck as organ professor, and the religious idea of the infinite.’ The race suites, it should also be noted, were standing in front of the great basilica of when he was promoted to professor of was now on to create a new sound for a new neo-classical in style rather than Romantic. Sacré-Cœur on the hilltop of Montmartre, composition in 1897 he was succeeded in the age. César Franck, who had been choirmaster Thus equipped, Widor had published no can look down on a relatively small coterie of conservatoire’s organ faculty by Guilmant at Sainte-Clotilde (to Lefébure-Wély) before fewer than ten solo organ symphonies by churches which were the places where this art who had been organ professor at the Schola ascending to the organ loft in 1858, was the 1900. But, as represented on this disc, he form was conceived and reached its ultimate Cantorum, Paris. Even more significantly, first to imply symphonic treatment, although also wrote orchestral symphonies with organ distinction. The principal purpose was to Franck, Widor and Guilmant all knew he eventually evolved his own personal and solo parts – the other major example being extol the virtues of the nineteenth-century personally the revolutionary new organ cyclic approach to composition. His Grande the later Sinfonia Sacra of 1908. His instruments being developed in France, with builder of their age – Aristide Cavaillé-Coll – pièce symphonique of 1862 preceeded Widor’s Symphony No. 3 for Organ and Orchestra, high-powered reed choruses, fiery mixtures, who, in 1841, had built an astounding First Organ Symphony by a full decade. By Op. 69 was commissioned by Sir Daniel warm mutations, and exquisite solo stops instrument in the Basilica de Saint-Denis, 1874 Guilmant had also produced his First Barton, the English consul general in reminiscent of orchestral tone colours Paris, using a pneumatic lever action Organ Symphony which became the first of Geneva, for the organ in the newly built (clarinet, oboe, flutes etc.), all of which, with (actually developed by an Englishman called a conjoined set of eight ‘sonatas’ but was later Victoria Hall in that city. It was premiered the new technology of the day, could be Barker). Franck and Widor became close transcribed, agrandised and dedicated to on 28 November 1894 by the Harmonie coupled together or contrasted in various friends of Cavaillé-Coll, and in 1859 César King Leopold II of the Belgians. Nautique Orchestra of which Sir Daniel was combinations played from separate manuals. Franck inaugurated the master-builder’s latest We must now define the French organ president. The work is in two main sections. As for the personalities, they were more grand instrument at Sainte-Clotilde. symphony in a compositional sense. As The organ at first moves like a great numerous, and even more varied. But Similarly eleven years later Widor succeeded further developed by Guilmant, who became leviathan beneath the waves and spray of virtually all of them, including the three Louis Lefébure-Wély as organist at Saint- organist of the Trinité, Paris for thirty years orchestral accompaniment. Then, after a organist-composers represented on this disc, Sulpice and retained the post for an from 1871, and by Louis Vierne, organist of curiously Brucknerian episode it breaks the were personally known to each other and incredible sixty-four years, again presiding at Notre Dame until his death at the console in surface to sound forth in full majesty. From their lives were directly interconnected. For a huge Cavaillé-Coll creation. 1937, these symphonies were more like this moment on, the soloist and the orchestra 4 5 CHAN 9785 BOOK.qxd 26/7/07 4:04 pm Page 6 are in dialogue, ending, as the composer popularise the organ symphony. His sense of the Choristers two years later. He has committed performances over an immensely intended, in a great hymn of praise to all showmanship, combined with the ‘new performed extensively in the UK, Europe wide range of repertoire. Vassily Sinaisky is creation. scholarship’, made way for yet another and the USA, and this year was invited to the Orchestra’s Principal Guest Conductor Guilmant’s Symphony No. 2 for Organ generation of organist-composers – Jehan give a recital tour in Australia. He is a and Sir Edward Downes (who was Principal and Orchestra, Op. 91 (transcribed from Alain, Marcel Dupré, Maurice Duruflé, frequent broadcaster with the BBC and Conductor from 1980 to 1991) is Sonata No. 8 for organ) was composed in Pierre Cochereau, and, not least, Jean soloist at the Proms, and holds Fellowships Conductor Emeritus. 1906. It is an eclectic exercise, showing Langlais and André Isoir, with whom Ian from many of the major musical institutions. Guilmant’s life-long dedication to older styles Tracey himself studied in Paris. He also regularly conducts concerts with the Hailed as one of the most exciting conductors of composition (most notably Handel), but Thus, the apostolic succession continues: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and to emerge from France in recent years, Yan ultimately expressing the power and an ever-evolving refinement of musical taste, Choir. Pascal Tortelier has been Principal Conductor ingenuity of the fugue, which is the organ technique and commitment that has now of the BBC Philharmonic since July 1992. repertoire’s most celebrated form. spread around the world, and has maintained The BBC Philharmonic has been established Son of the late Paul Tortelier, he studied piano The organ solo work, Choral No. 2, comes the organ’s place as what Mozart rightly on the international stage for over sixty years. and violin at the Paris Conservatoire. from a set of Trois Chorals by César Franck, called ‘The King of Instruments’. The Orchestra is based in Manchester where Following general musical studies with Nadia written during the last year of his life. These it performs regularly in the magnificent Boulanger, Tortelier studied conducting with are not embellishments of existing chorales, as © 2000 Joe Riley Bridgewater Hall as well as making many Franco Ferrara in Siena. He now appears with was the practice of Bach and his of its programmes for Radio 3 in the BBC’s leading orchestras throughout Europe, the contemporaries, but developmental, ‘cyclic’ Professor Ian Tracey has had a lifelong Studio 7 Concert Hall. Under its Principal USA, Japan and Australia and also in Britain variations on completely new melodies. The association with Liverpool Cathedral and its Conductor, the charismatic Frenchman Yan where he has worked with all the major B minor Choral takes the form of a huge music, and continues the tradition of an Pascal Tortelier, it has built a formidable symphony orchestras. He now records passacaglia, growing in stature, volume and almost apostolic succession. He studied reputation for outstanding quality and exclusively for Chandos. passion to a monumental paean before the organ with his immediate precursor Noel beautifully hushed final bars in the major key. Rawsthorne, and then at Trinity College, Despite academic opposition – mainly culminating in Fellowship. Scholarship from a Paris Conservatoire obsessed with the grants enabled him to continue his studies in style and politics of nineteenth-century opera Paris with both André Isoir and Jean – Franck and Widor did manage to forge Langlais, and in 1980 he became the new ideas in composition, especially for their youngest cathedral organist in the country. organ students. Guilmant, meanwhile, was He was subsequently appointed to his the first acclaimed international recitalist to present position of Organist and Master of 6 7 CHAN 9785 BOOK.qxd 26/7/07 4:04 pm Page 8 enge Freunde Cavaillé-Colls, und 1859 von 1862 entstand ein volles Jahrzehnt vor Guilmant/Widor/Franck: Orgelwerke weihte César Franck das jüngste große Widors Erster Orgelsinfonie.