Search - Bousseau, Vivier, Ligeti :: Pierre Bousseau plays modern organ works on the Grand Organ of Notre Dame du Havre - Ligeti: Ricercare / Claude Vivier: Les Communiantes / Cavanna: Jodl / Scelsi: In nomine Lucis / Part: Pari Interval

Excellent interpretation of rarely performed music.

08/23/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The performer Bousseau has a good reputation for interpretation of modern organ music. On this recording, he fully lived up to my expectations. The pieces on the CD range from a very formal polyphonic masterpiece by Ligeti (the Ricercar) to Jodl by Cavanna, where conventional musical melodic structures have been dissolved completely to give way to rapid vertical jumps in tonal pitch. Except for the last piece by Part, the pieces are all complex and difficult to perform, and pose an intellectual challenge to listen to and analyze. The concluding Pari Intervallo by Part is very calm, introspective and contemplative, as can be expected from this established composer of religious music. Ligeti's ricercar has a special position in that it was originally written for piano, and only adapted to organ at a later time. Personally, I think that the ricercar benefits from being performed on the organ, which after all is the instrument of choice for counterpoint music."