Search - Brooks :: Eugene Gigout: Complete Organ Works, Vol. 1

A Joy for the Lover of Organ Music

David | Houston, Texas, USA | 03/03/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I discovered the organ music of Eugene Gigout by accident; his delightful Scherzo from the Dix Pieces happened to be included on a Telarc SACD (SACD 60634) which featured Saint-Saens Symphony No 3 and included a section called "Encores a la francaise". I was totally charmed by the Scherzo; and decided to try and find some more of Gigout's organ music. It turned out to be a greater challenge than I had anticipated.



The complete organ works of Gigout are available on five Priory Records CDs, but it seems as if no one vendor had them all. I was able to purchase this Volume 1 from Amazon and eventually got the other four from various sources. (In all fairness I see that Amazon now has Volumnes 3 and 5 as well.) I was not familiar with Priory Records; but have become impressed with their efforts to provide recorded organ music to the public.



All of the volumes are intended to satisfy the true lover of organs and organ music. By that I mean that not only is the music discussed by the organist, Gerard Brooks, but also the history of the organs and the organ's specifications, and pictures of the pipes and console are included with each CD; this is more than what I had come to expect from most labels. It was of interest to me to note that Volumes 1 and 5 were recorded on the organ at Perpignan Cathedral, Volume 2 at St. Ouen, Rouen; Volume 3 at St. Etienne, Caen; and Volume 4 at the Laon Cahtedral.

Pictures, histories and specifications are included on all of these organs.



The Scherzo that started it all for me appears in Volume 3. I have enjoyed the music, and the interpretations of Mr. Brooks who is the organist on all five CD's.



Of all of the CD's Volume 2 was the most difficult to obtain; but they were all worth the trouble it took. I can recommend them highly.



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