• Welcome to the Pipe Organ Forum! This is a part of the open community Magle International Music Forums focused on pipe organs (also known as "church organs"), organists, organ music and related topics.

    This forum is intended to be a friendly place where technically advanced organists and beginners (or even non-organists) can feel comfortable having discussions and asking questions. We learn by reading and asking questions, and it is hoped that the beginners (or non-organists) will feel free to ask even the simplest questions, and that the more advanced organists will patiently answer these questions. On the other hand, we encourage complex, technical discussions of technique, music, organ-building, etc. The opinions and observations of a diverse group of people from around the world should prove to be interesting and stimulating to all of us.

    As pipe organ discussions can sometimes become lively, it should be pointed out that this is an open forum. Statements made here are the opinion of the poster, and not necessarily that of the forum itself, its administrator, or its moderators.

    In order to post a new topic - or reply to existing ones - you may join and become a member by clicking on Register New User. It's completely free and only requires a working email address (in order to confirm your registration - it will never be given away!). We strive to make this a friendly and informative forum for anyone interested in pipe organs and organ music.

    (Note: If you wish to link to and promote your own website please read this thread first.)

    Many kind regards
    smile.gif

    Frederik Magle
    Administrator

    Krummhorn
    Co-Administrator

Pierre Cochereau rocks, man...

pcnd5584

New member
Even better, buy this three-CD set:

http://www.amazon.com/Pierre-Cochereau-lorganiste-Notre-Dame/dp/B00004S68B


and hear Cochereau improvising the piece on a re-mastered CD of the original recording, in excellent quality. As good as Kalevi Kiviniemi is, the original is simply stunning - for example, the theme is far clearer at Nôtre-Dame. In addition, there are many other superb improvisations, all recoded live at Nôtre-Dame - either in concert or during services. There is a second Scherzo Symphonique (which I regard as even better than the one above).

The first disc is repertoire, but with the last two tracks being improvisations on La Marseillaise. The second features improvisations in concert and the third disc contains improvisations during services. Amongst many treasures, there is a superb Sortie (postlude), which was originally improvised in December 1968 (before Robert Boisseau added the Chamades).

In addition, there is a sixty-six page booklet, with many monochrome photographs, the stop-list of the grand organ of Nôtre-Dame (at the time of most of the recordings) and many tributes to the life of Cochereau, made by those who knew him. Several of these are quite moving - including one or two regarding his sudden death, which took place around thirty-six hours after the recording of the final track* was made. One of the main contributors is Pierre Pincemaille (himself a brilliant improvisor and titulaire of the Grandes Orgues de l'Abbatiale de S. Denis, Paris). He knew Cochereau very well and wrote eloquently of his experiences.

I recommend this box-set to anyone who has even the slightest interest in Cochereau or improvisation.



* An improvisation on the Passion Chorale, with organ and brass instruments (which played the chorale in harmony). This itself was taken from another superb CD box-set of Cochereau, improvising during evening readings of the Passion narrative, in the Lent season of his final year. Whilst the account of Christ's Passion (and the events leading up to it) was read live in the cathedral, Cochereau played musical commentaries, which were interspersed between the readings.

He put much work into this, reading each Biblical passage thoroughly first, then devising themes, prior to improvising. The result is both stunning and moving. Here, there are no whirling scherzi, nor bombastic sorties. Some of this music is quite dark - reflecting, naturally, the subject-matter of the readings. However, what one has is simply wonderful. The essence of each reading is captured perfectly. The overall effect is powerful and very moving:

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/w/...visations-sur-l'Evangile-selon-Saint-Matthieu


 
Last edited:
Top