Symphony No.1 op.14 in d Symphony No.2 op.20 in e SACD hybrid CD - booklet in English, French and German From Chris Frommen of AEOLUS: Louis Vierne was the last of the great romantic organist-composers which flourished in France in the late 19th/ early 20th Century. In 1894 and Widor named him as his assistant at the church of Saint-Sulpice. On 21st May 1900, Vierne won the competition for organist of Notre-Dame in Paris in front of an eminent jury. He held the post until his death some thirty seven years later. The organ symphony can be traced back to both Franck and Widor who themselves, as well as Vierne, were inspired by the infinite possibilities afforded by the symphonic instruments that Aristide Cavaillé-Coll had built in the second half of the 19th Century in the Trocadéro Hall and the great churches of Paris. Vierne s six symphonies all possess a great deal of architecture reflecting the places where they were conceived although they are entirely secular in inspiration. No composer since Vierne has developed this form of composition for the organ further. The fact that Maître Daniel Roth is absolutely in his element with this repertoire, performed on "his organ", will not seriously surprise anybody. It corresponded in particular to his own wish to record in the E minor symphony op.20. We have taken this as an occasion to start a complete recordings of Vierne's symphonies. In addition, nothing seems to make more sense than finally recording the first symphony op.14 in d minor for the first time in its history on the instrument for which the composer has written it: in 1898/99 was Vierne assistant of Charles-Marie Widor in Saint-Sulpice... Aeolus is proud to continue the successful collaboration with Maître Daniel Roth. Our previous releases |