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Reviews for
GMCD 7215 - Masterworks for Organ and
Orchestra+
Guilmant - Boëllmann - Fétis - The Ingolstadt Philharmonie -
Franz Hauk Organ - Olaf Koch Conductor
Organists’ Review – February 2002
Franz Hauk plays the Klais organ of Ingolstadt Minster
with the Ingolstadt Philharmonie (conductor; Olaf
Koch)
Guilmant
Allegro; Marche Fantaisie sur deux chants d’église; Méditation
sur le Stabat Mater; Final alla Schumann sur un Noël Languedocien; Symphonie I;
Boëllmann Fantaisie
Dialogue; Fétis Fantaisie-Symphonique
Recorded August 1995; TT 73’44’’; Guild GMCD 7215
This is one of a series of discs delving into the surprisingly
rich repertoire for organ and orchestra. Fétis (a Belgian musicologist and
organist) wrote a very engaging Fantaisie, with traces of a
Mendelssohnian style fused with Franck, and Boëllmann's essay shows a control of
larger-scale form not encountered in his organ solo miniatures. The Guilmant
pieces are more variable, ranging from the accessible Symphonie I and the
well-wrought Stabat Mater, to some less than inspired smaller works. They
are all, however, performed with verve and style (to try to persuade you of
their merit!). In fact, the strong but supple playing of the Ingolstadt
Philharmonie is very persuasive throughout. I felt that the organ could have
been recorded a little closer (the tuttis in particular sound thin, although
the choice of a 1977 Klais does not help in this respect), but the orchestral
sound is thrilling! Warmly recommended.
Daniel Moult
Classical Music on the Web June
Alexandre GUILMANT (1837 - 1911)Alexandre GUILMANT
(1837 - 1911)
Allegro Op.81 (1894)
Marche Fantaisie Op.44 (1875)
Meditation sur le Stabat Mater Op.63 (1884)
Final alla Schumann Op.83 (1895)
Symphony No.l in D minor Op.42 (1874, rev. 1877)
Leon BOËLLMANN (1862 - 1897)
Fantaisie Dialoguee Op.63 (1896)
François-Joseph FÉTIS (1784 - 1871)
Fantasie Symphonique (1866)
Franz Hauk (organ)
The Ingolstadt Philharmonic/Olaf Koch
Recorded Ingolstadt August 1995
 GUILD MUSIC GMCD 7215 [73:44]
Alexandre GuilmantAlexandre Guilmant, who, with Vincent d'Indy, was one of the
founders of the Schola Cantorum, was also a major exponent of the French organ revival in
the mid-19th Century. As the works recorded in this intelligently planned programme show,
he was also a very distinguished composer.
The Allegro Op. 81 is a brilliant Toccata for organ and
orchestra whereas the Marche Fantaisie sur deux Chants d'Eglise Op. 44 is somewhat lighter
in mood. The expressive mood is rather restrained for the first third of the piece. Then,
a mighty crescendo leads to a powerful peroration when both themes combine to great
effect. By contrast, the beautiful Meditation sur le "Stabat Mater" Op. 63
unfolds peacefully throughout. This is a little gem. Final alla Schumann sur un Noel
languedocien is either a light-hearted homage to the German composer or an affectionate
pastiche. In any case it is a delightful short work with a good deal of humour, something
you would not readily associate with music for organ and orchestra. The Symphony No. 1 in
D minor Op. 42 is undoubtedly a major work. This, a reworking of Guilmant's Organ Sonata
Op.42, was first performed in 1878. The First Symphony is in three movements: the
Introduction et Allegro opens with a vigorous, declamatory passage leading into the
Allegro section based on two main subjects that make for much of the symphonic argument.
(The second subject is redolent of Franck.) The beautiful Pastorale is quite simply one of
Guilmant's most ravishing inventions. No wonder that this exquisite movement was encored
at the first performance. The conclusion is another brilliant, lively Toccata. For
anecdote's sake, it may seem curious that Guilmant dedicated his First Symphony to Leopold
II, king of Belgium, whose rather unenthusiastic attitude to music ("expensive
noise") is well-known. However Guilmant's First Symphony unquestionably ranks with
the finest works ever written for organ and orchestra. A real masterpiece.
Leon Boëllmann Leon Boëllmann is generally best-known for his Suite
Gothique for organ and may also be remembered for his beautiful Variations Symphoniques
for cello and orchestra which Paul Tortelier recorded years ago. His lovingly crafted
Fantaisie Dialoguée Op.63 of 1896 is a quite likeable piece - well worth hearing. It
opens with a powerful introduction leading into a more flowing theme. The music then
develops into a playful Scherzo. A restatement of the main theme leads to a rousing
apotheosis - quite impressive in its short length.
Though he played a considerable role in the then young Belgian
musical life (he became the first head of the Brussels Conservatoire), Fétis may
not have been a great composer, though a quite competent one. His Fantaisie Symphonique of
1866 was written to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Royal Academy of Science in
Brussels and its first performance also coincided with the inauguration of the new organ
of the concert hall of the Brussels Conservatoire. Fétis was never one to shy from
writing the big celebratory piece and the orchestra at the time of the first performance
of the Fantaisie Symphonique included 90 strings! Fétis's music has been much influenced
by German composers, including Beethoven and Mendelssohn, and this particular piece is a
good example of his well-crafted, though at times eclectic music: the first movement,
adhering roughly to the symphonic allegro pattern, is followed by a song-like Andante con
Variazioni. The last movement is a grand finale with sonorous hunting horns and thunderous
organ chords.
The present release is most welcome. All this music is rarely
heard, if at all, in concerts. The Guilmant works and the piece by Boëllmann are very
fine and deserve to be better known, while Fétis's work may be more of historical than
musical interest but nevertheless well worth the occasional hearing. All of the
performances are strong: Franz Hauk is superbly supported by the Ingolstadt Philharmonic
conducted by Olaf Koch. Recording works for organ and orchestra may often be rather
tricky. However the recording team here worked wonders in coping with the reverberant nave
of Ingolstadt Munster.
Full marks to all concerned. Really well worth investigating.
Hubert
MUSIC TEACHERS UK - JUNE 2001
MASTERWORKS FOR ORGAN &
ORCHESTRA
Franz Hauk – Organ
The Philharmonic Ingolstadt
Olaf Koch – conductor
GMCD7215 -
£££
Guilmant: Allegro pour Orgue et Orchestre, Op. 81; Marche Fantaisie sur deux
chantes d'église pour Orgue, Harpes et Orchestre; Boëllmann: Fantaisie Dialoguée
pour Orgue et Orchestre, Op. 35; Guilmant: Méditation sur le Stabat Mater pour
Orgue et Orchestre, Op. 63; Fétis: Fantaisie-Symphonique pour Orgue et Orchestre;
Guilmant: Final alla Schumann sur un Noël Languedocien pour Orgue et Orchestre,
Op. 83; Symphony No. 1 pour Orgue et Orchestre, Op. 42; TPT: 73'44 |
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Looking at concert programmes throughout the world one would imagine that, due
to the numerous repetitions of the Poulenc organ concerto, solo works for organ and
orchestra are pretty thin on the ground. This is definitely not the case, and Guild's
latest release of French masterworks for organ and orchestra certainly proves this with
the seven works represented on this disc.
All of the pieces date from the nineteenth-century French symphonic period of
organ music. Inspired by the instruments of Cavaillé-Coll and the exemplary playing and
compositions of Franck and Widor, a world-renowned school of organ playing was created
with pupils such as Vierne, Guilmant, Dubois, Dupré and many others. Cavaillé-Coll's
instruments made use of an extended pedal range, orchestrally voiced stops, overblown
flutes, string voices and heavy pressure reeds. They are famed for their rich warm and
generally enormous sound, all of which qualities appear to be lacking in the organ of
Ingolstadt Münster, which is a very large neo-Baroque instrument built in 1977 by the
German firm of Klais. Ingolstadt, therefore, does not have the gravitas, warmth, or, when
required, the sheer violence of a Cavaillé-Coll, a rather serious flaw when undertaking a
recording of French organ works, especially if they are to compete with orchestra. The
Ingolstadt edifice must be a recording engineer's worst nightmare, the acoustic of several
seconds and the fact that the organ is several stories higher than the orchestra means
that both parties have been recorded very closely – something which is never very
flattering. This only serves to create a rather false and thin orchestral sound and to
highlight the inconsistencies in the violins. The organ too sounds extremely feeble:
nowhere on the whole disc is the warm sea of sound we expect from a Cavaillé-Coll, and
the pedal has a real lack of power, which is sorely missed at the tutti pedal solo of
Guilmant's Symphony. The bright Baroque mixtures are completely out of place in
this repertoire and are obviously used in a vain attempt at making the organ sound
powerful. The orchestra is lost in such a vast space because these works were originally
intended for the concert hall.
Recordings of this repertoire are few, but in recent years Chandos has also
released a recording of Guilmant's Symphony No.1 with the BBC Philharmonic and Ian Tracey
at Liverpool Cathedral. This recording also suffers due to the vast building: however it
has the advantage of having an instrument that is more than capable of competing with a
Cavaillé-Coll.
The actual performances are generally very adequate apart from some unsettling
violin intonation, which really lowers the standard of this release considerably. On the
plus side however, the pieces are extremely enjoyable; they aren't all masterworks but
will appeal to any lover of music by nineteenth-century French organ composers. But be
warned – if you are used to the fiery reeds and breathy flutes of Saint-Sulpice then
this proves to be something of a disappointment.
Jonathan Scottonathan Scott
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Classical Music on the web Wednesday May 16 2001
Masterworks for organ and orchestra
Alexandre GUILMANT (1837-1911)
Allegro pour Orgue et Orchestre, Op81
Marche Fantaisie sur deux chantes d'eglise pour Orgue, harpes et Orchestre
Méditation sur le Stabat Mater pour Orgue et Orchestre, Op63
Final alla Schumann sur un Noël Languedocieu, Op83
Symphony No.1 pour Orgue et Orchestre, Op42
Léon BOELLMANN (1862-97)
Fantaisie Dialoguée pour Orgue et Orchestre, Op35
François-Joseph FÉTIS (1784-71)
Fantaisie-Symphonique pour Orgue et Orchestre
 Franz Hauk organ Ingolstadt
Philharmonic/Olaf Koch
GUILD GMCD7215 [73.44]
GUILMANT is one of the important classicists in French
organ music. He was a versatile composer who kept close ties with other composers of his
generation. It comes as no surprise that there are similarities between Guilmant and
Saint-Saëns in style of composition. As a church organist most of his works started as
organ sonatas which were later developed and arranged for orchestra. As the very first
French concert organist he toured America, Russia, Spain, Italy and England. He often used
Gregorian melodies and choral motifs as thematic material. Although he wrote eight organ
symphonies of some worth these have sunk unfairly into obscurity; only the name of Widor
in this connection has been carried through the 20th Century.
The Allegro, Op81 (1894) begins in stately fugato style
which develops into a busily, bright and well-crafted concerto movement. The closing
passage carries similarities of the Saint-Saëns 'Organ' Symphony written eight years
earlier.
The Marche Fantaisie (1875) is based on two lightly
contrasting subjects on a pleasant Baroque-style theme which weaves graciously throughout.
Both subjects are initially introduced separately and in great detail and later confront
each other in dialogue form. A final fugato builds to a crescendo of orchestra and two
rippling harps - sadly the orchestration (or engineering) does not allow a worthwhile
contribution by the harps until the closing bars.
The Méditation, Op63 (1884) is a ponderous piece with
meandering strings which link elements of Gregorian Chorale to the classicistic tonal
language. The introductory recitative oboe passages are reminiscent of opera influences in
that the style has perhaps a Verdian leaning.
The Final alla Schumann sur un Noël Languedocieu, Op83
(1895) is a lively rhapsody based on two French carols. The piece is powerful and
appealing.
His Symphony No.1 pour Orgue et Orchestre, Op42 (1878) is
better known since recordings have been available in Britain since 1988 and in 1993 the
BBCPO included the symphony in a new CD. The work started life as one of Guilmant's organ
sonatas. It is likely that the orchestral version was expressly written for the Paris
World Exhibition of 1878. Written in three movements (Allegro, Pastorale, and Allegro
assai) in the tradition of Beethoven and Berlioz it contains stretching lyrical parts
which form an effective contrast to the main emotional idea of the first movement. The
highly appealing second movement (encored at its première) carries a light and calm
melody in which a few choral motifs flow. The third movement is shaped by a quick toccata
motion, again contrasted by a chorale-like subject. The powerful closing section is
something worthy of Mahler, perhaps.
Guilmant's compositions are traditionally scored with lyrical
melodies which are melodiously light and refreshingly delicate. He is a composer with a
good command of orchestral scoring and dynamics, particularly in the strings sections yet
in these tracks under-uses his woodwind.
BOËLLMANN was born only 25 years after Guilmant yet we
can tell from the composition on this CD that he has a more modern approach to his
writing. Like Guilmant, Boëllmann occupied a position as organist of another Paris
church. He finished his studies with a number of first prizes for his skills in
composition. He was held in high esteem by Parisians as a pianist and organist and
described as a neo-classicist by his contemporaries who favourably received his forty or
so compositions.
His Fantaisie Dialoguée pour Orgue et Orchestre, Op35
(1896) is a powerful piece and has a ring of Wagner about it. It opens with a clear well
rhythmed subject which is developed and then turns into a kind of delicate scherzo. This
work also contains lyrical melodies and an influence from the opera and ballet. Contrasts
are provided which gradually intensify to lead to a finale climax.
FÉTIS is the earliest of our composers and studied
at the Paris Conservatoire before becoming organist at Douai in 1813. Fétis is more
widely known for the set of music textbooks he published rather than his achievements as a
first-class composer. This is a pity because he deserves to be more widely heard and maybe
the series of Guild CDs will provide it. His musical works are frothy, catchy and
imaginatively written: to me they prove that Fétis is a virtuoso master of composition.
Stylistically, Fétis expands on the forms used by Mozart and Beethoven, coupled with the
romanticism of Mendelssohn.
The Fantaisie-Symphonique pour Orgue et Orchestre (1866)
is recorded as being among his masterpieces; and a masterpiece it is, too. His aim was a
kind of symphony in which two sounding bodies were supposed to fight a battle between two
large orchestras. In the brilliant opening movement, organ and orchestra are dramatically
juxtaposed. A frothy song-like andante with variations rising to brilliant figures follows
an intonation in the wind section. A middle recitative-style passage leads to a virtuoso
finale with hunting motifs provided by horns and lovely dialogues provided between
woodwind and organ. The finale is reminiscent of opera tradition.
This disc of lesser known French and Belgium composers is very
appealing and highly recommended. Despite the background of these composers they never
score the organ for solo passages. The instrument is always skilfully scored to add
another dimension of colour and is never obtrusive. The Ingolstadt Philharmonic
orchestra plays confidently and under Olaf Koch's direction the forces of organ and
orchestra are pleasantly blended. The Notes make interesting reading and give ample
historical detail. Full specifications for both organ and engineering are provided.
The Guild CD should be nominated for Gramophone's Technical
Award for its clarity of recording. The orchestral sections are well focused and the
location is ideally sonorous. The reverberation time on the final chords is truly amazing
and enhances orchestral timbre superbly.
Raymond Walker
Page revised 06.03.02
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