To mark the centenary of Pierre Cochereau, the legendary organist of Notre-Dame de Paris (1924–2024), British-American organist David Briggs—currently the Artist in Residence at St. John the Divine in New York City—has collaborated with Jake Purches of Base2 Music to produce David Briggs Plays Pierre Cochereau.
The album features a selection of Briggs’ transcriptions of Cochereau’s renowned improvisations. Briggs meticulously researched and transcribed these works from available recordings. The resulting performance took place on the Walker organ at Exeter College, Oxford, in September 2024.
David Briggs, Organ
Tracklist
Total time: 59:25
1.
Deux improvisations sur la Marseillaise
07:32
2.
Berceuse a lBerceuse à la mémoire de Louis Viernea memoire de Louis Vierne
07:02
3.
Suite Français - kyrie
01:29
4.
Suite Français - Flûtes
02:52
5.
Suite Français - Basse de Trompette
00:44
6.
Suite Français - Tierce en tie
03:29
7.
Suite Français - Offertoire
04:59
8.
Scherzo Symphonique
06:58
9.
Toccata - Marche des Rois
04:14
10.
Triptique Symphonique - Introduction et Scherzo
05:21
11.
Triptique Symphonique - Fugue
08:37
12.
Triptique Symphonique - Final
06:08
Additional Information
Label
Base 2 Music
SKU
Base2013_SACD
Qualities
SACD
Channels
2ch Stereo
Artists
David Briggs
Composers
Cochereau
Genres
Classical
Original Recording Format
DXD 352.8 kHz 32 bit
Instruments
Organ
Release Date
December 02, 2024
Reviews
HR Audio
Adrian Quanjer
This release is indeed a perfect sampler of what an amazing organist-improviser can do on an equally amazing organ and recorded by a master engineering specialist in this field: Jacob (Jake) Purches, assisted by Christoph Martin Frommen for the mastering of the physical end product.
Whether or not JW Walker sounds like a “French organ with an English accent” (dixit Olivier Latry, titular de Notre-Dame de Paris) or the other way around, as I see it: An English organ with a distinct majestic French sound, the inevitable bond between the two countries it represents remains the same, and those listeners who are not nationals of any of these two will surely enjoy it as much as I for what it is: A memorable concert by one of the world’s great organists.
To mark the centenary of Pierre Cochereau, the legendary organist of Notre-Dame de Paris (1924–2024), British-American organist David Briggs—currently the Artist in Residence at St. John the Divine in New York City—has collaborated with Jake Purches of Base2 Music to produce David Briggs Plays Pierre Cochereau.
The album features a selection of Briggs’ transcriptions of Cochereau’s renowned improvisations. Briggs meticulously researched and transcribed these works from available recordings. The resulting performance took place on the Walker organ at Exeter College, Oxford, in September 2024.
David Briggs, Organ