This series on MDG
has been hugely impressive using appropriate
and varied instruments, so far including
La Madelaine, St Patrick’s Cathedral
in Dublin and now a large early 20th
century Casavant in Montreal. Ben van
Oosten’s sixth volume comprises music
for Christmas including the famous Variations
sur un Noël, the Offertoire ‘Il
est né’ and several of the 79
Chorales from opus 28. Also of interest
are the Six Antiennes pour le Temps
de Noel, opus 48.
Ben van Oosten’s studies
included a period in Paris with André
Isoir, one-time organist of St Germain-des-Prés.
Van Oosten is also Professor of Organ
at the Rotterdam Conservatorium, organist
of the Grote Kerk in Den Haag (where
he plays a fine Metzler) and enjoys
a world-wide recital career. His recording
of 19th and 20th century French and
Belgian music (including cycles of Lemmens,
Vierne, Widor, Guilmant) have received
widespread acclaim.
Dupré travelled
extensively as a recitalist and was
organist of St Sulpice in Paris for
many years as well as Professor of Organ
at the CNSM in Paris. His skill as an
improviser was legendary and his influence
on a generation of organists was considerable.
The disc opens with
the Offertoire ‘Il est né, le
divin enfant.’ These are in the form
of a set of variations of character
and colour, and one could imagine their
origin in a concert improvisation. The
disc closes with Dupré’s most
famous variations, those on a French
Carol tune, dating from 1922. These
were inspired by the organs in twelve
American and European cities: London,
Liverpool, Edinburgh, New York, Philadelphia,
Montreal, Chicago, St Paul, Vancouver,
San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.
Van Oosten makes light work of the piece’s
considerable technical demands- the
parallel thirds on the Cromorne sound
positively easy! The registrations and
tempi are well chosen, and I cannot
think of a finer interpretation. The
Casavant organ has a musical personality,
aided by some reverberation time in
the building.
The 79 Chorals were
written for didactic purposes, and Van
Oosten includes all those for the Christmas
season, which number seventeen in all.
Many deploy variation techniques: cantus
firmus in soprano with chromatic underlay;
melody in the tenor voice; triplets;
fonds 16/8/4; tutti and so on. The full
organ is very impressive, complete with
Bombarde reeds and 32 foot reed. Each
piece is less than 3 minutes in length
and some would be suitable as voluntaries
or as sets in recital programmes. The
playing is uniformly refined, musical
and enjoyable.
But perhaps the main
interest lies with the Six Antiennes
pour le Temps de Noël, opus 48.
These are based on the antiphon plainsong
themes for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany,
and are musically more developed and
extended than opus 28. The first ‘Ecce
Dominus veniet’ features some enchanting
foundation tone and a chromatic harmonic
language, whilst the second ‘Omnipotens
sermo tuus’ has a gentle, singing quality.
The third ‘Tecum principium’ uses string
tone and each of the quieter movements
has a pleasing suppleness. The fourth
‘Germinavit radix Jesse’ begins on a
plein jeu registration with plainsong
in long note values in the pedal. The
fifth ‘Stella iste’ makes use of softer
combinations and the last of the set
‘Lumen ad revelationem’ is a brilliant
toccata ending with an impressive tutti.
The two movements of
Annociation (opus 56) are more modern
in harmonic idiom. I found these more
difficult to grasp but they provide
some stylistic variety on the disc.
The CD booklet is first-rate
as one would expect from MDG. There
are several historical photos of Dupré,
lengthy programme notes in three languages
and a full history of the organ and
specification.
Recommended without
reserve. Player, music and instrument
are perfectly matched.
Graham Mark Scott
Ben van Oosten, organ 
