Composer: César Franck
Performer: Carsten Wiebusch
Number of Discs: 4
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: CPO
Catalogue: 555477-2
Release: 2022
Size: 2.4 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
CD 01
01. Grande pièce symphonique, Op. 17, FWV 29
L’organiste, FWV 41
02. No. 43, Air Béarnais. Andantino
03. No. 44, Chant Béarnais. Poco allegretto
04. No. 45, Andantino
05. No. 46, Poco lento
06. No. 47, Poco allegro
07. No. 48, Poco allegretto – Amen. Moderato
08. No. 49, Offertoire funébre. Poco lento
6 Pièces pour grand orgue
09. No. 1, Fantaisie, Op. 16, FWV 28
L’organiste, FWV 41
10. No. 1, Poco allegretto
11. No. 2, Andantino
12. No. 3, Poco lento
13. No. 4, Maestoso
14. No. 5, Poco lento
15. No. 6, Poco allegro – Amen. Moderato
16. No. 7, Offertoire. Andantino
6 Pièces pour grand orgue
17. No. 6, Final, Op. 21, FWV 33
CD 02
01. No. 3, Prélude. Fugue et Variation, Op. 18, FWV 30
L’organiste, FWV 41
02. No. 57, Poco maestoso
03. No. 58, Allegretto amabile
04. No. 59, Andantino
L’Organiste, FWV 42
05. No. 1, Andantino
06. No. 2, Lento
07. No. 3, Andantino
08. No. 4, Offertoire. Poco maestoso
6 Pièces pour grand orgue
09. No. 4, Pastorale, Op. 19, FWV 31
L’organiste, FWV 41
10. No. 8, Andante
11. No. 9, Andantino
12. No. 10, Poco andantino
13. No. 11, Poco allegro
14. No. 12, Lento
15. No. 13 Andantino poco mosso
16. No. 14, Andante
6 Pièces pour grand orgue
17. No. 5, Prière, Op. 20, FWV 32
L’organiste, FWV 41
18. No. 50, Poco allegretto
19. No. 51, Vieux Noël. Poco lento
20. No. 52, Noël Angevin. Allegretto
21. No. 53, Quasi lento
22. No. 54, Noël Angevin. Quasi allegro
23. No. 55, Allegretto vivo – Amen
24. No. 56, Sortie. Allegro
CD 03
01. No. 15, Quasi allegro
02. No. 16, Chant de La Creuse. Très lent
03. No. 17, Quasi andante
04. No. 18, Vieux Noël. Andantino
05. No. 19, Maestoso
06. No. 20, Vieux Noël. Maestoso
07. No. 21, Sortie ou Offertoire. Allegro
3 Pièces pour grande orgue
08. No. 1, Fantasie in A Major, FWV 35
09. No. 2. Cantabile in B Major, FWV 36
10. No. 3, Pièce héroïque, FWV 37
CD 04
01. Organ Choral No. 1 in E Major, FWV 38
L’organiste, FWV 41
02. No. 29, Andantino quasi allegretto
03. No. 30, Moderato
04. No. 31, Prière. Quasi lento
05. No. 32, Non troppo lento
06. No. 33, Allegretto
07. No. 34, Poco allegretto – Amen. Moderato
08. No. 35, Offertoire ou Communion. Poco lento
09. Organ Choral No. 2 in B Minor, FWV 39
L’organiste, FWV 41
10. No. 22, Andantino poco allegretto
11. No. 23, Quasi lento
12. No. 24, Molto moderato
13. No. 25, Allegretto
14. No. 26, Poco allegro
15. No. 27, Andantino – Amen. Moderato
16. No. 28, Offertoire. Andantino poco allegretto
17. No. 36, Allegretto
18. No. 37, Andantino
19. No. 38, Lento
20. No. 39, Allegretto
21. No. 40, Allegretto
22. No. 41, Poco lento – Amen. Moderato
23. No. 42, Sortie. Molto moderato
24. Organ Choral No. 3 in A Minor, FWV 40
At the center of the perception of César Franck as an organ composer are the twelve large-scale works, which are counted among the most radiant contributions to the organ literature. However, it should not be forgotten that with the collection “L’Organiste” he wrote 63 shorter, but compositionally very elaborate pieces, which due to their vignette-like, compact facture do not reach the complexity of his “large” organ works, but are nevertheless very remarkable: Each one of the pieces has a signature all its own, and is in no way inferior to Franck’s extensive organ works in terms of harmonic complexity and focus of expression. It is thanks to our interpreter, i.e. Carsten Wiebusch’s knowledgeable and tasteful arrangement of this collection originally composed by Franck for harmonium, that these miniatures can fully unfold their coloristic potential on the organ. And last but not least, there was the fascinating task of selecting the appropriate instruments for a Franck complete recording. What today appears so clearly arranged on 4 CDs with three organs is the result of a thought process lasting several years, during which many instruments were considered, tested and discarded again in order to impressively reproduce the versatility of Franck’s music.