César Franck: Organ Works

On this CD:

1. Chorals (3), for organ, M. 38-40
Composed by Cesar Franck
Performed by Piet Kee

2. Pieces (3), for organ, M. 35-37 No 02, Cantabile in B, M 36
Composed by Cesar Franck
Performed by Piet Kee

3. Pieces (3), for organ, M. 35-37 No 03, Pièce Héroique in B Minor, M 3
Composed by Cesar Franck
Performed by Piet Kee

4. Work(s)
Composed by Cesar Franck
Performed by Piet Kee

5. Chorals (3), for organ, M. 38-40
Composed by Cesar Franck
Performed by Piet Kee

6. Prélude, fugue, et variations, for piano & harmonium, or 2 pianos, Op. 18, M. 30a
Composed by Cesar Franck
Performed by Piet Kee

Tracks:

Toccata And Fugue In D Minor
Toccata
Toccata
The Emperor's Fanfare
Beaucoup Plus Largement
Dieu Parmi Nous
Finale
Rigaudon
Fanfare
Maestoso

Customer Reviews:

"Blasted" away.......2006-09-27

I am by no standards an expert on music, let alone organ music. I just purchased this CD because I love the sound of the organ, and wanted an album from a mix of artists before I started branching out to single composers. I would also consider myself an audiophile, only listening to high quality music with my portable headphone amplifier and Sennheiser HD-555's. Let me tell you, the quality is perfect, and the music is incredible! Such a full sound, it's *almost* as good as sitting in audience, only lacking the full body experience of organ music. I would recommend this to anybody looking to get a foot into the world of organ music.

Wow!.......2006-06-07

I happen to love organ music, even that tacky Saint-Saens
Third Symphony (with which this CD ends and just the third movement).

I grew up with E. Power Biggs, Virgil Fox, et al. and had never heard of Michael Murray (okay, it's been a while). I bought this delightful CD when it first appeared and before Amazon had been invented.

Upon hearing that most famous work with which Murray begins, I confess I was just this side of hysterical -- I was laughing with pure happiness. Murray's take on is it wonderfully over-the-top in the best possible sense. I have a son-in-law who is a musician and, indeed, does play the organ (i.e., if any of them have had pipes, I don't know, but I'm here to tell you, I don't want to hear ANY but pipe organs -- okay, I'm old).

At any rate, to hear this Toccata and Fugue played with such (carefully studied) abandon so tickled me, I called Brian (the son-in-law) and demanded that he listen while I put it on my stereo.

Now I'm going to send it to my son Bruce upon learning last night that he LOVES organ music. Who knew? He's 54 years old, for goodness' sake and never mentioned that little item before.

For those who like BIG organ works.......2005-09-04

This CD concentrates on the big, showy organ pieces that organists love to play. As an organist myself, I find that such numbers are usually more fun to play than to hear. Fortunately, this CD is very listenable, and makes the case for both playing and listening to these works. I'd buy it again; maybe more telling, I'm looking for some of the music, so I can go play it!

Pure Majestic Power!.......2003-07-20

Corey is right - this is an outstanding organ CD, one of the best I've heard. Murray plays some of the largest and most powerful organs on Earth, and uses the reed stops more than the usual organist to produce great effects and a wall of sound that are majestic in the extreme. The selections are all great virtuoso showpieces, and track #6 by Messiaen (Dieu parmi nous from La Nativite') is especially demonstrative of the great contrasts available in a large organ. The horizontal trumpets in this piece are predominant and very bright, contrasting with the snarling bass of the pedal organ.

A word of caution - this CD requires a capable stereo (think subwoofer) to sound its best. Trust me - if you listen to this CD on a good stereo and if you like organ music, you'll sit there with a big grin on your face and tears in your eyes as you listen to this CD.

Excellent Performance by Murray.......2001-11-09

This is by far one of the best organ CD's I have ever listened to. The variety is very good overall. From the state trumpets at St. John's to the mighty organ of First Congregational Church, Murray provides nice registration on all of the organs sampled. The Finale from Saint-Saens No. 3 is awesome with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy,s direction. Murray provides his own notes on the organs and the pieces in the booklet that is included. This is some fine organ music!!

Michael Murray At The Cathedral Of St. John The Divine: Works By Franck, Widor, Dupré, Bach and Others

Average customer rating:

Vibrant sound and Performance, some questionable interpretetations
Good, but not the best ever
Highly recommended

Michael Murray At The Cathedral Of St. John The Divine: Works By Franck, Widor, Dupré, Bach and Others

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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The Willis Organ at Salisbury Cathedral
The Wanamaker Legacy
Organ Spectacular
Great Toccatas
An Organ Blaster Sampler

ASIN: B000003CUX
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Agincourt Hymn
The Emperor's Fanfare
Psalm 19
Trumpet Tune
Finale
Prelude And Fugue In E Minor, BWV 533, 'Cathedral'
Meditation
Prelude
Chorale No. 2 In B Minor
Cortege And Litany, Op. 19, No. 2
Final

Customer Reviews:

Vibrant sound and Performance, some questionable interpretetations.......2006-05-29

This particular michael murray recording makes up for the lack of recordings of the magnificent organ in St. John Divine. It is perhaps one of the greatest and largest American organs, notably the very powerful state trumpet stop located underneath one of the rose windows (This is one of the few stops of its kind in existence). The Agincourt Hynm really shows off what this stop is capable of. There is some good variety in this recording, although sometimes I felt that the State Trumpet was used in excess (it became annoying at points, simply because it was so powerful and overused). The biggest downfall of this recording is the interpretation of the Widor Symphony VI Finale. I felt the tempo was extremely too slow, and due to this, was lacking the excitment of this wonderful piece (For a more exciting, no holds-barred recording of the Widor 6th, check out David M. Patrick's recording). Overall, this recording is very powerful and really shows off what this famous, yet, not so very often recorded organ can do.

Good, but not the best ever.......1999-11-08

This disc has on it one of America's foremost organists playing one of the largest organs ever constructed. The result is a mix of good music well played with some rather irritating bits. Firstly, the Dunstable and the Purcell (actually by Jeremiah Clarke) make use of the incredible State Trumpet stop; whilst this makes for an excellent first track, in which it appears briefly at the start and end in a sort of fanfare motif, the use of this stop in the Trumpet Tune becomes ear-splitting and tiresome. Murray also has an apparent predilection for slower speeds (though in the main there is nothing wrong with that). Perhaps the most annoying thing is the second Vierne track (the Prelude in D major)- the sleeve notes make a clear point that "any music can be played on this organ", but whether as a result of the recording equipment or the gigantic acoustic or the instrument, it is as if this track was recorded through thick cotton wool from a distant room in the Cathedral. However, even with all these points, this is an interesting programme rendered with genuine sensitivity on a challenging instrument. Worth listening to.

Highly recommended.......1999-06-27

I bought this CD several years ago, and I never get tired of listening to it. Michael Murray gives his usual brilliant rendition of some of the world's greatest organ music in a setting with vibrant accoustics as St. John the Divine is one of the largest churches in the US. This should be required listening for any organ enthusiast.

Average customer rating:

Technically Excellent, but Uninspiring
Hurford plays organ "pops" pieces
Exellent organ playing!
GREAT FOR NEW CONVERTS TO ORGAN MUSIC!
Excellent

Organ Spectacular

Manufacturer: London
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Bach: Great Organ Works
An Organ Blaster Sampler
Michael Murray At The Cathedral Of St. John The Divine: Works By Franck, Widor, Dupré, Bach and Others
Organ of the Mormon Tabernacle
Ceremonial Music for Trumpet & Symphonic Organ

ASIN: B0000041YP
Release Date: 1991-10-11

Customer Reviews:

Technically Excellent, but Uninspiring.......2006-08-22

Hurford is clearly a very capable technical organist. His nimble feet and fingers do an excellent job with fast passages. Musically, however, most of the pieces felt uninspired and I was a bit disappointed.

Hurford plays organ "pops" pieces.......2006-06-02

On this particular album, organist peter hurford shows off what the organ can do with a pair of nimble hands (and feet). The recording herein contains all of the more familiar "pops" pieces(i.e., you would expect to hear one of these pieces played on nearly every organ recital), and also a rarity or two. The reason I initially purchased this recording was because of the complete Suite Gothique (the only recording available?). Besides the famous toccata, this suite contains some wonderful momemts, such as the sirene priere to the jolly yet sometimes macabre-sounding minuet gothique. The Widor Allegro from Symphonie VI is OK (I still recommend David M. Patrick's album over all others) and the mendelssohn is a nice finishing touch (use this to show off your stereo!) All in all, another well done recording by the scholarly virtuoso Hurford, pleasingly light yet sonically thrilling.

Exellent organ playing!.......2001-11-21

"Organ Spectacular" is truly spectacular. Peter Hurford has combined the finest organ pieces along with absolutely superb playing. All of the pieces are as if the composer himself is playing them. This recording is very rewarding and worth every penny.

GREAT FOR NEW CONVERTS TO ORGAN MUSIC!.......2001-01-14

This CD got me started as an organ lover years ago. Something for everyone here, this recording covers the biggest hits of the organ rather well. Frank's Chorale No. 3 will impress you with the sheer range and power of the organ, and is very moving. And be sure to listen to the Wedding March as it was meant to be played and heard! A great compilation. Enjoy!

Excellent.......1999-01-20

Hurford delivers an exciting compilation of these high-powered organ favorites. For people who love the organ for its ability to rattle the fillings in your teeth, this album is a must! If you are looking for soft, mellow, soothing music, well...you're going to have your fillings rattled. His rendition of Widor's allegro from the sixth symphony is the best piece on the album, but I found the tocotta from the fifth to be rather bland. The Boellmann suite gothique (why I bought the album) is also great. Overall, money well spent

Average customer rating:

FRANCK & ALAIN: Overwrought by ambivalence? NOT.

Franck: Complete Organ Works
Marie-Claire Alain
Manufacturer: Apex
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Louis Vierne: Complete Organ Symphonies
Franck: Complete Masterworks for Organ
Brahms: Complete Organ Works
Vierne: 24 Pieces en style libre
Widor: Complete Organ Works Vol. 1

ASIN: B0002XNLV0
Release Date: 2006-05-24

Tracks:

Fantasie In C Major, Op.16
Grande Piece Symphonique, Op.17
Prelude, Fugue Et Variation, Op.18
Priere
Fantaisie In A Major
Pastorale, Op.19
Final, Op.21
Cantabile
Piece Heroique
Choral No.1 In E Major
Choral No.2 In B Minor
Choral No.3 In A Minor

Customer Reviews:

FRANCK & ALAIN: Overwrought by ambivalence? NOT........2006-12-11

There is nothing more difficult than to write about music. Music should be listened to, but sometimes words when judiciously employed can and often help to understand what to expect from the dialogue than we assume prevails between the composer, the performer and the audience...which is, us.

In my humble opinion Marie-Claire Alain is at the present time the best organist in the world out of a very small group of no more than ten. In these performances, which are a welcome reissue of a 1977 analog recording, she had a her command a magnificent Cavaillé-Coll pipe organ built around 1880. This organ's home is the Eglisse de Saint-François de Sales, Lyon, France.

We should be aware that all these twelve organ pieces if executed just like César Franck (1822 - 1890) scored them, to be precise, all would have to be played at the Cavaillé-Coll organ of the Eglisse de Sainte-Clotilde in Paris; even the "Pièce héroique." The latter was to be played the first time at the Trocadéro's organ and then...well, it was scored for the organ of Sainte-Clotilde and still is.

Franck composed these monumental epoch making works for Sainte-Clotilde's organ; one with rather different characteristics if we compare it with most other "standard" Cavaillé-Coll organs. Sainte-Clotilde's organ is very much a Germanic type organ in the tradition of the Silbermann's.

Here Alain executes "ad libitum" in an organ which technically speaking is not exactly what Franck had in mind; however, Alain's organ has beautiful tonalities in the reed stops. In her expert hands (and feet) this organ becomes a very special instrument and she has no difficulty in obtaining all those psycho-acoustic effects Franck envisioned originally.

With these CDs Alain transports us into an emotionally charged spiritual experience with deeply moving performances. Alain's artistic conception has no equal anywhere and shows a very seldom obtained facet of Franck's compositions. To wit, that he was a keen and convinced student and follower of J.S. Bach in reference to organ composition.

Again, these performances were originally recorded in analog format in May 1976 and released in 1977 by the now defunct Erato label. The recording techniques utilized back then completely surpass today's totally digital recordings even considering the enormous technical cornucopia available to sound engineers. The sound is absolutely magnificent to the last nuance, most likely due to the "correct" placement and balance of the microphones used in the recording.

From the artistic point of view Alain goes right to the human heart, to the very soul of the listener and the spiritual self that resides in us all. She succeeds in her mission to such degree that, in this sense, this " IS " (my opinion) the reference perfomance for the ages. Her performance contains everything I am sure Franck wanted to convey in terms of expression and sensitivity that he as a human being was capable to express in musical form.

We should also listen to Alain's interpretations of Bach six Schlüber chorales for organ (BWV 645 - 650); we would find great parallels with these interpretations. This music is not baroque, nor romantic, nor post-romantic or conservatively formal but it has the potential to transport us into other dimensions where a marvelous encounter with a musician of the past is achieved.

What else can we say of Alain's performance? Can or should we talk about their overwhelming sobriety and serene beauty? Perhaps we should listen to these works and then go out and find a great cathedral, like Trinity Cathedral in my home town, to hear and ponder about what our own heart tells us and, if prepared, fly on the wings of our souls to that wondrous world where angels live.

For example, listen to Alain's interpretation of Franck's Choral No. 1 in E Major, written between August and September of 1890, and if in the process you don't find those angels I am afraid you never will. Incidentally, six weeks after his last revision of this work and also of Chorale 2 and 3 he died.

I think of Alain's perfomance as a gift to us all who live in this world (ca. 2006) with so many spiritual needs. This is music-making, one that asks us to abandon ourselves without reservations to the spiritual and passionate sweep of the music itself.

FINAL WORDS: In a very symbolic way I would like to say that Alain's interpretations present us with a tonal miracle, something ethereal and mystic. Indeed, I believe with these performances a new myth or legend might have been born. Myth...legend..."Das Organ mit Schatten." May we be reminded of Richard Strauss' opera with a somewhat similar name? What does it tell us?

After listening so many times to this recording I have to say this is the one and only CD I would take with me if I need to go to some island and be there forever and I would rather be alone there so not to have any distractions.

About this CD set: BUY IT. And make it two copies. Just in case, keep one in your safe.

Glorious Pipes: Organ Music Through the Ages

Average customer rating:

Glorious pipes

Glorious Pipes: Organ Music Through the Ages

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
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Midnight at Notre-Dame [Hybrid SACD]
Michael Murray At The Cathedral Of St. John The Divine: Works By Franck, Widor, Dupré, Bach and Others
In Spiritum: Olivier Latry Plays César Franck [Hybrid SACD]
Ceremonial Music for Trumpet & Symphonic Organ
Franck: Complete Masterworks for Organ

ASIN: B0002KVV7E
Release Date: 2004-08-10

Tracks:

Toccata And Fugue In D Minor, BWV 565 - Ton Koopman
Fugue In G Minor, BWV 578 'The Little' - Wolfgang Rubsam
Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme, BWV 645 'Sleepers, Awake' - Simon Preston
Prelude, Fugue And Ciacona In C Major, BuxWV 137 - Peter Hurford
Tierce En Taille - Gillian Weir
Dialogue Sur Les Grand Jeux - Gillian Weir
Schmucke Dich, O Liebe Seele, BWV 654 - Helmut Walcha
Toccata And Fugue In D Minor, BWV 538 'Dorian' - Wolfgang Rubsam
Chorale - Andante Sostenuto - Allegro Molto - Peter Hurford
Fugue - Peter Hurford
Finale - Peter Hurford

Tracks:

Prelude And Fugue On The Name B-A-C-H, S.260 - Peter Hurford
Benedictus, Op.59 No.9 - Peter Hurford
Chorale No.3 In A Minor - Marcel Dupre
Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen - Peter Planyavsky
Allegro - Thomas Trotter
Andante Sostenuto - Pierre Cochereau
Toccata (Allegro) - Simon Preston
Apparition De L'Eglise Eternelle - Olivier Latry
Dieu Parmi Nous - Olivier Latry

Customer Reviews:

Glorious pipes.......2007-04-20

New as an organ fan ? No mistake with this double Cd set. Registration is amazing and sounds like pure cristal. A simple joy.

B.A.C.H. from Liszt is great, and more great moments.

Organists play perfectly.

Average customer rating:

Phenomenal
Great Music by a Great Composer
5 Stars aren't enough!

The Best Of César Franck

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Best Of Weber
Franck: Quintet in Fm; Chausson: String quartet in Cm
César Franck: Piano Music
Franck: Symphony in Dm; Chasseur maudit
The Best of Fauré

ASIN: B00000419D
Release Date: 1994-08-16

Tracks:

Violin Sonata In A: Allegretto ben moderato
Violin Sonata In A: Allegro - Quasi lento - Tempo l. Allegro
Violin Sonata In A: Recitativo - Fantasia. Ben moderato - Largamente - Molto vivace
Violin Sonata In A: Allegretto poco mosso
Piece haroique In B Minor
Choral No. 2 In B Minor
Panis angelicus
Variations symphoniques

Tracks:

Les Eolides: Les Eolides - Symphonic Poem
Prelude, choral et fugue: Prelude
Prelude, choral et fugue: Choral
Prelude, choral et fugue: Fugue
Cantabile In B: Cantabile In B - Pierre Cochereau
Symphony In D Minor: Lento - Allegro ma non troppo - Allegro
Symphony In D Minor: Allegretto
Symphony In D Minor: Allegro non troppo

Customer Reviews:

Phenomenal.......2005-07-11

Undoubtedly one of the best contemporary classical works. The Violin and Piano Sonata is in itself worth the price of the CD. The grace of this music perfectly reflects the optimism and progress in late 19C-early 20th century Western civilization. No composer since has captured the magic of classical music as Franck has done.

Great Music by a Great Composer.......2003-08-21

Cesar Franck (1822 -- 1890)was born in Belgium but spent most of his life in France. For much of his career, he was a church organist and professor of organ at the Paris Conservatory. He wrote music from an early age. His early works consist mostly of piano music or works for the organ. But he discovered himself as a composer only in the last decade or so of his life. During this period, he wrote in many musical genres (typically only a single work) and produced a small number of lasting masterpieces. His work is heavily influenced by late Beethoven, Liszt, and Wagner. It is late musical romanticism at, I think, its best.

This 2-CD mid-priced set, "The Best of Cesar Frank" lives up to its name. It consists of many of the masterpieces of Franck's late years in a variety of forms. It is a convenient way to get much of Cesar Frank's music, well-played, in a single set. It includes a symphony, vocal music, organ music, music for piano and orchestra, and a work for solo piano by a variety of musicians. The CD will repay repeated hearings and give the listener a good exposure to Franck.

The most famous work on this CD is Franck's "Symphony in D minor"
which was first performed in 1889 and presented here by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Willem Van Otterloo. This is a fine performance of a much-beloved symphony. I found it emphasized the romantic, passionate character of the music with its frequent changes of tempo and mood.

But other selections on this CD I enjoyed substantially more than the symphony. Franck's greates work is probably his violin sonata in A which dates from 1886. It receives an outstanding performance on this CD from violinist Arthur Gumiaux and pianist Istvan Hajdu. The violin sonata is in four movements, which develop aspects of the same underlying theme ("cyclic" composition, typical of Franck). The music is glorious, elevated and lyrical throughout, in contrast to most of Franck's music which emphasizes contrasts between serenity and passion. The first and third movements are slow and reflective while the second and fourth are faster. The climax of this work, its final movement, is intense, reflective, and joyous all at once. It is based upon the same theme that Beethoven used as his main theme in the finale of the cello sonata in A opus 69.
Frank's work (and Beethoven's cello sonata as well) is one of the high watermarks of chamber music literature.

I also was much taken with the "Prelude, Choral and Fugue" for solo piano. This work dates from 1884 and it is performed here by pianist Eduardo Del Pueyo. This was my first exposure to this work, and I loved it. It consists of three movements which combine, to my ears, a romantic style, featuring long passages of broken chords and lyrical melodies, with baroque contrapuntal writing. I found this piece and the violin sonata the highlights of this fine collection.

Franck wrote extensively for the organ and this CD features his "Piece Heroique" which lives up to its name together with two other late and deeper works, the Choral in B minor and the Cantabile in B that are much more intense and reflective in character. Listeners who are unfamiliar with organ music, or with organ music beyond Bach, may enjoy exploring this music.

The CD also includes a lovely vocal piece "Panis angelicus" , Franck's "Variations Symphoniques" for piano and orchestra, and a Wagnerian tone poem "Les Etolides" all of which are well performed here and worth knowing.

Franck is an inspiring figure to me in that he persevered, stayed within himself, and produced some undoubted musical masterworks near the close of a long life. This disc is a fine way to get to know his music.

Listeners who wish to hear more of the best of Cesar Franck beyond the selections on this CD might enjoy his Piano Quintet in F Minor (1880) and his String Quartet in D Major (1890).

5 Stars aren't enough!.......1998-11-14

The Sonata for Piano and Violin is the most beautiful piece of music I have EVER heard. especially movements 1 & 4. The Symphony (Disc 2) is merely outstanding. Either of the pieces is well worth the entire price for the collection.

Average customer rating:

one piece is chronically missing
I Agree.
Marvellous
Freshly played Franck

César Franck: Piano Music

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Caprices | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
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ASIN: B000002ZYU
Release Date: 1997-03-10

Tracks:

Prelude, choral et fugue: Moderato
Prelude, choral et fugue: Poco piu lento
Prelude, choral et fugue: Tempo I
Prelude, choral et fugue: Allegro moderato e maestoso
Prelude, aria et final: Lento
Prelude, aria et final: Allegro molto ed agitato
Troisieme Choral
Danse Lente
Grand Caprice
Les Plaintes d'une poupee

Customer Reviews:

one piece is chronically missing.......2006-09-02

When I discovered music of Cesar Franck not that long ago, I got mesmerized by it immediately, not only as a listener, but even more as a piano player. It touched me thoroughly. Who can get bored by those endless spiral-like modulations? I think this CD is a great collection particularly for those who seek new horizons in music. Even though this music is written in 19th century, it's not Liszt, Beethoven, or Tchaikovsky. It's cosmic if you wish. It's sad though the CD lacks a piece that's hard to find anyway: piano version of Prelude, Fugue and Variations in b-mol. Originally written for organ and not demanding technically at all, it's like a cute baby of Franck's - tender and unique.
I could talk more...

I Agree........2002-06-22

I concur with the above reviewers. This is a superb disc on one of the best of the "micro-brewed" classical labels, the British label Hyperion. Hough's performances are excellent, the recording quite good. The piano music of Franck of course is stunning--the first piano music out of Belgium/France to rival Beethoven's. If you want a less pricey disc, I heartily recomment Ashley Wass' permormance on Naxos for about half the price.

Marvellous.......1999-01-31

The pianism of Stephen Hough is stunning. So said a music magazine - I agree. The music is superb, the playing is superb. Hough's transcription of the 3rd chorale left me speechless - the loud, meaty chords at the beginning have more notes in them than I thought it was possible to play all at once! This is a brilliant recording.

Freshly played Franck.......1998-12-02

It's always difficult to play Franck's two masterpieces, "Prelude, Choral et Fugue" and "Prelude, Aria et Finale", since it is not intended to show off a pianist's virtuosity even though technical demands on him/her are still very heavy. Mr. Hough plays these pieces very nicely. His technique is exceptional (For example, listen to his "Finale". Martellato playing is astonishing.). Also I heard his deep affection to these pieces. However, the best is "Troisieme Chorale" by his own transcription. Even though there are many transcriptions for this Franck's swan song, Mr. Hough's transcription seems to be the most well-written. He utilizes a wide range of keyboards in order it to sound like organ, yet plays this really pianistically. In my personal opinion, this can be sitting next to Bach-Busoni's Chacconne in the history of transcriptions for piano, if Mr. Hough allows to publish this.

Average customer rating:

Good Franck Offering
Wonderful music, great organ, performance fine
No fault of his own...
Very good, but it needs passion

Franck: Complete Masterworks for Organ

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Dupré, Franck, Widor: Organ Works
Louis Vierne: Complete Organ Symphonies
Franck: Complete Organ Works
The Ruffatti Organ in Davies Symphony Hall
Vierne: 24 Pieces en style libre

ASIN: B000003CWK
Release Date: 1990-02-23

Tracks:

Fantasy In A
Cantabile
Piece Heroique
Fantasy In C Major, Op.16
Prelude, Fugue And Variation, Op.18
Priere,Op. 20
Final In B-flat Major, Op. 21

Tracks:

Pastorale, Op. 19
Grande Piece Symphonique, Op. 17
Chorale 1 In E Major
Chorale 2 In B Minor
Chorale 3 In A Minor

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Michael Murray's teacher was Marcel Dupré, whose own teacher was Alexandre Guilmant, who was a friend and colleague of Franck. When it comes to organ music, these things matter. The French organ school is the greatest contemporary representation of organ performance and composition. Names like Franck, Widor, Vierne, Tournemire, Dupré and Messiaen read like a "who's who" of great composers for the instrument. Franck's organ music got the ball rolling, and Murray plays these wonderful pieces on an authentic 19th-century French organ constructed by the master himself, Aristide Cavaille-Coll. Add Telarc's state-of-the-art sound to this pedigree, and the result is a first-class recommendation. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Good Franck Offering.......2005-12-03

Michael Murray gives a nice performance of Franck based on his instruction from Dupre. The registration schemes often come from the Dupre tradition, while other performances have just as vital connections with different registration schemes. I personally like the use of the flue choruses where others might include those wonderful but sometimes monotonous reed sounds more often. Demesseiux's fabled Franck cycle resembles Murray's in registration. One reviewer may be correct...little passion, certainly when compared to the superb Alain recording at Caen. However, listen to Dupre and one won't find passion there, either. The music is served quite nicely, anyway. I find Murray's performance engaging and accessible (I am NOT an organist.) I think the organ was miked awfully close and for my taste, Murray's more recent recording of Franck, Widor and Dupre at Ste. Sulpice, while also miked very closely, gives an inviting, clearer sound, particularly since Murray uses the mixtures to unusually nice effect for that instrument. The Franck cycles I've heard over the past 30 years each has its own merits, and Michael Murray's is an equally fine offering.

Wonderful music, great organ, performance fine.......2005-05-24

The other reviewers for this offering have found fault with Michael Murray's performance and the organ tuning. I may be tone deaf or something, but I have no complaint with either of these issues.

The Cavaille-Coll instrument at St. Sernin comes out in this recording really magnificent with great miking by Renner and his recording team. I can listen to this recording at very high levels and it is clear and well defined, as compared with the Telarc-Murray recording at St. Sulpice, which is muddy and somewhat ill-defined. I listen to these two discs frequently and enjoy them each time.

Sometimes I can not believe all of us reviewers are discussing the same performance, but this is how folks can get a viewpoint on recordings before spending their money on them.

No fault of his own..........2004-09-09

I thoroughly enjoy Michael Murray's style of playing and his interpretations of the great organ works he has committed to recording. It pains me, then, to see a recording such as this released on an INSTRUMENT that, while lauded as one of the greats, sounds painful at times through the duration of the recording. The tuning is at times, horrendous and blatantly displayed. I cite specifically track 3 on CD #1, The Piece Heroique (8:00 minutes) as a prime example of either this organ's apparent neglect or its simple lack of tuning. In short, my hesitation in buying the album would stem only from the aforementioned problems and not from the interpretation or performance. Why another organ could not have been used or why these problems could not have been rectified before the recording is beyond me.

Very good, but it needs passion.......1998-10-28

This should have been better. Telarc has one of the best recording teams, Michael Murray is an excellent organist, Cesar Franck is one of the best composers for the organ, and the organ at Saint Sernin is one of the best for this music. So, why am I not thrilled? I think it's a lack of passion, or je ne sais quoi. It just doesn't move me like Virgil Fox's or Fred Swann's performances.

Kiri Te Kanawa - Songs of Inspiration / Julius Rudel, Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Average customer rating:

The golden voice of song
One of Her Best
Why forcing?
One of My Favorite Kiri Recordings

Kiri Te Kanawa - Songs of Inspiration / Julius Rudel, Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Giuseppe Verdi , Ludwig van Beethoven , Charles Gounod , Felix Mendelssohn , Johann Strauss II , Pietro Mascagni , Cesar Franck , Anonymous , Richard Rodgers , Sir Henry Rowley Bishop , Julius Rudel , Kiri Te Kanawa , Utah Symphony Orchestra , and Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000041VM
Release Date: 1989-10-23

Tracks:

Casanova: Nonnenchor (Nuns' Chorus)
Redemption: O Divine Redeemer
Nabucco: Va, pensiero (Chorus of the Hebrew slaves)
Responsorium et Hymnus: Hear My Prayer
Christ On The Mount Of Olives: Hallelujah
Ave Maria
Cavalleria Rusticana: Regina coeli (Easter Hymn)
Psalm 150
Auf Flugeln des Gesanges (On Wings of Song)
Come, Come, Ye Saints
Carousel: You'll Never Walk Alone
Home Sweet Home (Sung in Maori)
The Sound Of Music: Climb Every Mountain

Customer Reviews:

The golden voice of song.......2007-01-09

A wonderful recording which I purchased years ago in cassette form, and wore out! So happy to be able to buy in CD form, and well worth listening to. Kiri Te Kanawa has a glorious soprano voice, full of warmth and colour, and her interpretation of song is in my opinion second to none."Songs of inspiration"
really does inspire and feed the soul. As a music lover, and singer myself I love all of the pieces on this album with a passion.

One of Her Best.......2002-05-06

This is one of the best performances of an operatic artist with the Morman Tabernacle choir in existance. Kiri's poise, music selections, and execution are flawless. The ending of "You'll Never Walk Alone" which would be forced for other artists is effortless for Kiri.

For anyone who enjoys choir music with guest artists, this recording is a "must buy".

Why forcing?.......2002-03-21

I bought the cassette (not the CD), and found one of my favorite songs there: You'll Never Walk Alone. This song was one that once encouraged me to walk with 'my head up high' during the (most) difficult time of my life.

What I don't understand from Dame Tekanawa is that at the end of the song, she forced a "show-off" ending with the unnecessary high note. I don't know what that had given impact to when doing it in front of an audience, but in the recording, it sure was not beautiful.

Other numbers were marvellous. I've always liked Dame Tekanawa.

One of My Favorite Kiri Recordings.......2000-02-27

I brought this after watching (And taping) her 1989 Mormon Tabernacle Temple concert on PBS in 1992, and I have to said, this is one of my favorite Kiri recordings ever. It's still is!

There's some great selections on there that Kiri fans will enjoy, such as the Cavalleria Easter Hymn, Auf Flugeln Des Gesanges, Home Sweet Home sung in her native Maori (Dame Kiri herself is half-Maori), as well as some that doesn't appear on PBS (Such as the rarely-heard Nuns' Chorus, the Nabucco Va Pensiero, and Hear My Prayer sung in English).

Althrough the CD is recorded live, as the booklet notes stated, portions are topped and tailed in a separated studio session, to give the CD a studio-like recording.

Tracks:

Kyrie, Gott Heiliger Geist, BWV 671
Prelude And Fugue In C, BWV 545
In Dir Ist Freude, BWV 615
Von Gott Will Ich nicht Lassen, BWV 658
Gelobet Seist Du, Jesu Christ, BWV 604
Ich Ruf Zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 639
Der Tag, Der Ist So Freudenreich, BWV 605
Wir Glauben All An Einen Gott, BWV 680
Dieu Parmi Nous
Prelude And Fugue In G Minor, Op. 7, No. 3
Adagio
Final In B-Flat, Op. 21

Customer Reviews:

Audiophile delight.......2005-02-27

This is a CD that will tell you the truth about your sound system. Track 11, Widor's Adagio, Symphony No. 6. is a truly difficult piece to reproduce even for a top notch system. Abysmal, melodious bass well isolated against crystal clear highs. It will tell you every resonance in your listening room. Don't have an equalizer? You may want one after listening to this.

A True Speaker Blower.......2003-07-28

This CD is perhaps the most listened to in my whole organ collection. From the most quiet and serene pieces to the abrasive, this CD has it all and Michael Murray masterfully knows how to exploit every little nuance. The shining jewel on this CD would have to be Dupre's Op. 7, No. 3. I don't know how one person can play this piece, but Murray manages in a way only a master organist can. His stop usage on the Ruffatti brings out the amazing range of this instrument as well as its tonal characteristics that make it one of the great organs of the western U.S.

The Music is Served.......2003-05-24

I grew up in the 70's listening to Virgil Fox and thinking he was the "most". In the 80's it was Carlo Curly. As my music tastes changed and refined, I realized that they were the "Liberace's" of the organ: style over substance. Now I truly appreciate the playing of Michael Murray, and I feel that this CD truly showcases his gift. It is a wonderful eclectic mix of Bach and some of the 20th Century organ masters. What is so wonderful about this CD is that in spite of a large instrument at his disposal (which Fox or Curley would utilize to it's fullest) Murray selects registration for the Bach that allows the music to shine through, yet allows the contemporary Ruffatti voicing to enhance the Bach vision of God. It is the perfect balance between the garishnous of Fox and the conservative playing of E. Power Biggs. The Bach is played with great articulation and expressiveness, serving the music well. Then the fire starts with Messian's "Du Parmi Nou". It continues with Dupre (Murray's teacher), some gentle Widor, and finishes with a brilliant interpretation Cesar Frank's "Final in Bb". The Telarc engineers truly picked up the dynamics of the Davies Symphony Hall installation (this recording was made before the wonderful acoustical renovation in the early '90's). This is an excellent CD to own for the instrument, the music and the performance.

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