Search - Louis Vierne, Ben van Oosten :: Louis Vierne: Complete Organ Symphonies

Zowie!!--The Vierne Organ Symphonies!!!

Sébastien Melmoth | Hôtel d'Alsace, PARIS | 01/18/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
This is the best set of the most knock-your-socks-off, scary, Decadent French organ music of the "Ralliement"--that is, the resurgence of interest in Romish mysticism at the Fin de Siecle/Belle Epoque (ca. 1885-1915). Arguably, the Ralliement began in earnest with Baudelaire, but others preceeded him also.



Anyway, Vierne is one of the most important, talented, and significant of the Ralliement composers in the Franco-Belgian school of Wagnerian chromaticism, and these Organ Symphonies are really his magnum opera--although he wrote some very excellent piano music, art-songs, and a couple of great chamber pieces.



Vierne is directly in the Decadent lineage of French art of the turn of the last century, and his ethos is very spooky and mystical; plus, he had a lot of personal pain in his life which he poured into his art.



These recordings were not available for several years after their initial issue when they won prizes in Europe for their excellence. Get them now while you can!! Highly recommended!!!"

The Highest Order

Avid Reader | Franklin, Tn | 09/09/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Vierne is part of that legendary group of French organists that for a while dominated the King of Instruments. The lineup is awesome - Ceasar Franck, Vierne, Widor, Guilmant...Of course, that would not have been possible without the fantabulous Cavaille-Coll Organs that startled the world (shocked Germany) with their symphonic nature. This album has four great points:



(1) The Organs - Cavaille-Coll in Rouen, Lyon and Toulouse

(2) The Performer - Seriously, who can rival van Oosten for verve, technicality, interpretation, sheer artistry?

(3) The Music - Lust and Deep Romantic to early modern. In this sense he traveled the path of his teacher, Widor. The works are pure genius combining inovative treatments, rhythms, beautiful melodies, tremendous inventiveness.

(4) The recordins itself could not be better. Every nuance, every "breath" of the great instruments is captured for the listener. This multi-disc work is a must for anyone serious about classical music. So too is van Oosten's majestic recording of Widor's Ten Symphonies."

Sublime playing

David J. Trainer | Sydney, Australia | 02/06/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Vierne organ symphonies are a riot of sound colour, especially when performed on the marvellous organ at the Cathedral in Rouen.



As the acoustic is so remarkably reverberant, I think (personally) it blurs the line - however, this music was written for that type of environment and Vierne is a master of tone. Ben van Oosten's playing is faultless and his choice of stops remarkable ... those booming and thunderous 32' reeds of the pedal department have to be heard to be believed. Part of the beauty of this recording is the devine choice of solo stops for the painfully exquisite slower movements ... the cascade of chormatic harmonies and shafts of light from the beautiful flue stops are, for me, perfect."