To call these pieces ‘French Fancies’ is in no way to undermine
them. The organist of York Minster gives us a most entertaining
and enlightening tour of some 20th Century French masterpieces
here. They are brilliantly played and recorded with beautifully
atmospheric sound, making what is probably a first choice for
the repertoire.
The booklet
notes for this Regent release deserve a special mention at the
outset. Most of the composers here are unfamiliar and Whiteley,
who both plays the organ and writes the booklet notes, gives
us admirably concise introductions to the composers with brief,
helpful analysis of their works, making this recital far more
accessible than it could otherwise have been. The notes also
contain a biographical note about Whiteley himself, a history
of the Minster organ and its full specification.
The sheer
variety on display here makes this disc a good one for anyone
interested in the huge breadth of sound an organ is capable
of producing. Alain’s Litanie has a busy feel to it,
and one can imagine it accompanying the congregation as they
leave after a service. It also makes good use of a variety of
stops throughout, most notably the trumpet. The works by Guillaume
and Dupré are much more gentle, until we are roused by the majestic
effect of pealing bells at the end of the Cortège
et Litanie.
The Pâque piece has a strange, ethereal beauty to it, with compelling
use of dissonance. Equally, the Scherzo Caprice, most
appropriately named, revels in its dual nature; gentle yet sinister,
playful yet restrained. The Ravel piece is a transcription from
his Mother Goose Suite and its gentle, undulating phrases
suit the organ transcription very well.
The Organetto is a collection of
very brief pieces which showcase the organ’s capabilities very
well, especially in its fifth movement which, in Whiteley’s
words, is “a possible demonstration of the invention of stops”,
while the final Vivace ends with all guns blazing. The
concluding Symphonie en improvisation is a transcription
of Cochereau’s recorded improvisations. It is very successful
at treading the line between the formality of the written note
and the ephemeral world of the improviser. The opening is arresting
and exciting, while the following allegro is strangely
subdued. There follows a spidery scherzo and a meditative
slow movement, while the tarantella finale feels like a scamper
after the opening chord has fired the starting pistol.
The playing
is remarkably fine throughout, with Whiteley providing a fine
example of the organist’s art. Furthermore, the Regent engineers
have done a great job at capturing the tricky Minster’s acoustic.
They provide warm, immediate sound, while the echoes at the
end of each piece fade away gently and unhurriedly. Well done
to all involved.
Simon Thompson
