Intégrale de l'œuvre pour orgue

Description

Born in Bordeaux in 1870, Charles Tournemire studied music in Paris with Franck, from whom he learned form and counterpoint, and then with Widor, who taught him the technique of the instrument: legato, double pedal, and the ability to use both manuals with one hand. From 1898 until his death in 1939, Tournemire was the titular organist at Sainte Clotilde in Paris while also teaching the ensemble class at the conservatory. From the console of his Cavaillé-Coll organ, he welcomed most of those who would illustrate the French organ: Lesur, Messiaen, Langlais, Litaize, and Marchal. This recording overlooks the composer's liturgical masterwork, the Orgue Mystique, which includes 51 pieces, an endeavor intended to be the counterpart to Bach's Lutheran sum. The early works reveal the influence of Franck (Pièce symphonique Op.16). It is not until the Suite de Morceaux pour Grand Orgue that one can detect registration choices and unusual turns, even if the forms remain quite traditional. The formidable Triple Choral Op.41, dedicated to the "venerated master César Franck," shows an evolution in the composer's style that wonderfully synthesizes Franck's manner with that of Widor. Two pieces are rooted in the tradition of the symphonic organ: the Symphonie-Choral Op.69, described by Tournemire as "a vast fresco, the union of Gregorian chant with symphonic form," and Op.7, Symphonie sacrée, which is inspired by the Gothic architecture of the Amiens Cathedral. Based on the text, the Sei Fioretti (1933) and the Sept Chorals poèmes d'orgue pour les sept Paroles du Christ (1935) possess a narrative and visionary strength that reflects the emancipation of the composer's style, with the registration itself being highly inventive. The evocative Suite Op.74, inspired by the masters of the eighteenth century, and the ample Fantaisie Symphonique Op. 69 remind us that Tournemire was also, and above all, a great improviser. The Dutch organist Tjeerd van der Ploeg plays on three jewels of our organ heritage: a Mutin (Douai 1922) and a Convers (Cambrai 1936), both worthy successors of Cavaillé-Coll, and the sumptuous organ of Notre Dame d'Auteuil, built in 1877, one of Cavaillé-Coll's finest achievements. A very beautiful introduction to the composer's universe. (Jérôme Angouillant)