Composer: César Franck
Performer: Hans-Eberhard Ross
Number of Discs: 6
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Audite
Catalogue: AUDITE21413
Release: 2012
Size: 1.24 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
CD 01
01. Piece in E flat major
02. Piece pour grand orgue in A major
03. Andantino in G minor, Op. 25
04. Fantaisie in C major
5 Pieces for Harmonium (arr. L. Vierne)
05. I. Andante
06. II. Andantino
07. II. Andantino poco mosso
08. IV. Andante
09. V. Andantino quasi allegretto
10. Offertoire in A major
11. Fantaisie in C major (version 2)
12. Quasi marcia, Op. 22 (arr. H.E. Ross for organ)
CD 02
6 Pieces for Organ
01. No. 1. Fantaisie in C major, Op. 16, M. 28
02. No. 2. Grande piece symphonique in F sharp minor, Op. 17, M. 29
03. No. 3. Prelude, fugue et variation in B minor, Op. 18, M. 30
04. No. 4. Pastorale in E major, Op. 19, M. 31
05. No. 5. Priere in C sharp minor, Op. 20, M. 32
06. No. 6. Final in B flat major, Op. 21, M. 33
CD 03
L’organiste, M. 24, Vol. 2
01. Offertoire in F minor
02. Offertoire in C minor
03. Elevation in A major
04. Magnificat in D major
05. Grand Choeur I in D major
06. Andantino in D major
07. Quasi Marcia in D minor
08. Allegretto in D major
09. Grand Choeur II in D major
10. Amen in D major
11. Gloria Patri in D major
12. Quasi Lento in F major
13. Allegretto in C minor
14. Andantino in C major
15. Allegretto in D minor
16. Allegretto II in D major
17. Magnificat I in E flat major
18. Magnificat II in E flat major
19. Grand Choeur in E flat major
20. Moderato in E flat major
21. Andantino in E flat major
22. Allegretto in E flat major
23. Gloria Patri I in E flat major
24. Gloria Patri II in E flat major
25. Amen in E flat major
26. Gloria Patri II in E flat major
27. Prelude pour L’Ave Maris Stella in D minor
28. Prelude pour L’Ave Maris Stella in D major
29. Prelude pour L’Ave Maris Stella II in D minor
30. Benedicamus in C major
31. Lento in D minor
32. Andantino in A flat major
33. Kyrie de la Messe de Noel in C minor
34. Moderato I in C minor
35. Moderato II in C minor
36. Grand Choeur in C minor
37. Grand Choeur in C major
38. Offertoire pour la Messe de Minuit in D minor
39. Offertoire in G minor
CD 04
L’organiste, M. 24, Vol. 2
01. Sortie in D major
02. Offertoire II in F minor
03. Allegro Moderato in E flat major
04. Offertoire in B major
05. Offertoire sur un Noel Breton
06. Fantaisie in C major (version 3)
07. Entree
3 Pieces for Organ
08. No. 1. Fantaisie in A major, M. 35
09. No. 2. Cantabile in B major, M. 36
10. No. 3. Piece Heroique in B minor, M. 37
11. Petit Offertoire
Untitled Piece for Harmonium
12. I. Andante quasi lento
CD 05
L’organiste, M. 41
01. Poco allegretto
02. Andantino
03. Poco lento
04. Maestoso
05. Poco lento
06. Poco allegro
07. Amen – Moderato
08. Offertoire in C major
09. Andante
10. Andantino
11. Poco andantino
12. Poco allegro
13. Lento
14. Andantino poco mosso
15. Amen – Moderato
16. Andante
17. Quasi allegro
18. Chant de la Creuse
19. Quasi Andante
20. Vieux Noel: Andantino
21. Maestoso
22. Vieux Noel
23. Amen
24. Sortie or Offertoire in D major – Amen
25. Andantino poco allegretto
26. Quasi lento
27. Molto moderato
28. Allegretto
29. Poco allegro
30. Andantino
31. Amen
32. Offertoire in E flat major
33. Andante quasi allegretto
34. Moderato
35. Priere
36. Non troppo lento
37. Allegretto
38. Poco allegretto
39. Amen
40. Offertoire or Communion in E minor
41. Allegretto
42. Andantino
43. Lento
44. Allegretto
45. Allegretto
46. Poco lento
47. Amen
48. Sortie in F major
CD 06
L’organiste, M. 41
01. Air bearnais
02. Chant bearnais
03. Andantino
04. Poco lento
05. Poco allegro
06. Poco allegretto
07. Amen
08. Offertoire Funebre in F minor
09. Poco allegretto
10. Vieux Noel: Poco lento
11. Noel angevin: Allegretto
12. Quasi lento
13. Noel angevin: Quasi allegro
14. Allegretto vivo
15. Amen
16. Sortie in G major
17. Poco maestoso
18. Allegretto amabile
19. Andantino
20. Andantino
21. Lento
22. Andantino quasi allegretto
23. Poco maestoso
3 Chorales for Organ
24. No. 1 in E major, M. 38
25. No. 2 in B minor, M. 39
26. No. 3 in A minor, M. 40
After the successful release of César Franck’s complete organ works on 3 double SACDs audite now presents these recordings in a 6-CD boxed set. This complete edition naturally includes the 12 major well-known works of this composer. In addition to these, it contains many smaller treasures of the repertoire among them at least 40 minutes of music which were presented as first recordings in the original SACD release: The works for harmonium are available here in their entirety in their versions for organ, as are two organ works discovered during the 1970s and 1980s, also new to the recording medium. Besides these aspects of completeness, the present complete production is marked by the special sound of the Goll Organ. Its warm, soft sound, resulting from widely constructed pipes, creates an unobtrusive power and fullness; the essence of the French Cavaillé Organs has been preserved and further developed in this instrument.
Hans-Eberhard Roß, Cantor of the Deanery St. Martin in Memmingen, was decisively and authoritatively involved in the planning and disposition of this organ. Interested music lovers can call up the exact registrations of all the pieces from www.audite.de simultaneously with this issue, as well as short videos about the construction of the organ. The 64pp bilingual booklet gives detailed information about this production.
Usually, César Franck’s most famous organ pieces can fit on two CDs, but the complete works occupy six discs in this trimline box set from Audite. This thorough survey covers such familiar masterworks as the Trois Chorals, the Trois Pièces, and the Six Pièces pour Grand Orgue, but it also includes the often overlooked 59 pieces in L’Organiste, Vol. 1, which were orignally composed for harmonium, as well as the posthumous harmonium pieces of L’Organiste, Vol. 2. Offerings appearing on CD for the first time include the Pièce in E minor and three different versions of the Fantaisie in C major, published in 1973; the Pièce pour Grand Orgue, published in 1990; and the Entrée for harmonium, published in 1991. Hans-Eberhard Roß plays the Goll Organ of St. Martin, Memmingen, a modern instrument that is modeled after the Cavaillé-Coll instruments Franck knew, and the disposition of stops is rich and orchestral, evocative of French Romantic organs at their peak. The sound of the recordings is clear and vibrant, though the wide frequency range requires some volume adjustments to find a comfortable setting.