This generously-filled disc presents yet another representative
sample of the French organ repertoire. Most of the pieces have been
recorded many times before – only the splendid Duruflé item might
be unfamiliar. If you like the sound of a typical French organ (here,
one built in 1933 and recently restored to its original specification)
then I can warmly recommend the disc. But if, like myself, you have
some reservations about that sound then you might want to steer clear
of it.
That would be a pity, for you would miss two outstanding
performances – those of the Duruflé and the pieces by César
Franck. Franck’s Prélude, Fugue et Variation is characterised
by playing of great poise and refinement, mainly through oboe and flute
stops of remarkable beauty. To the Duruflé von Blohn brings a
deft lightness of touch and delivers its rippling passage-work with
admirable evenness and clarity.
As might be expected, the Lefébure-Wély
piece adds a moment of comic relief: irredeemably banal – but irresistible!
For me, the trouble comes in the big pieces. The organ
boasts a mighty bombarde department (with pedal reeds to match), and
when it is unleashed it makes the sort of noise which has led some to
assert that the organ is an inherently unmusical instrument. This is
particularly notable in the closing bars of the Vierne Carillon
and Alain’s Litanies: a tidal wave of muddy, bloated sound, obliterating
every musical detail in its path.
Von Brohn is a fine player, though I do
have some quibbles. Both his Boëllmann
and Vierne are somewhat ponderous, and at the other extreme, his Alain
is a shade too fast (as often happens in this piece, detail is sacrificed
on the altar of mere brilliance).
Adrian Smith
Von Brohn is a fine player, though I do
have some quibbles. Both his Boëllmann
and Vierne are somewhat ponderous, and at the other extreme, his Alain
is a shade too fast. … see Full Review
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Christian von Blohn (organ)