KRISTIAAN SEYNHAVE
plays César Franck
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Kristiaan Seynhave
1st Prize Winner, International César Franck Competition, Haarlem 1998. on the new Van den Heuvel organ Sankt-Franciscus Kirche, München
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Listening to his all-Franck recital on the marvellous 1993 Van den Heuvel organ at the St Franziscus Kirche in Munich, it is immediately obvious that Seynhave knows his way around the organ and is mostly well-practised and yet the end result is not wholly satisfying.
Seynhave is at his best in the Grande Piece Symphonique, the most extensive work of the programme and one that is clearly close to his heart, even referring to it in his sleeve notes as the birth and baptism of the French organ symphony. Curiously the year of birth (1862) is not mentioned. In the Fantasie he gives a nearly perfect account but does not achieve enough tension in the poco animato section, mainly because the large repeated chords are smoothed out rather than stressed. Some of the phrasing is a little breathless. In the Piece Heroique, there are moments such as in the massive dotted chordal sequences where he loses drama and therefore the "Heroique" flavour, so derived from strong rhythm. In many ways the Third Choral was the most disappointing account. This almost over-indulged warhorse has both enormous drive and pathos. The most lyrical sections come across in this performance almost as being weary.
Franck, although a native of Liege in Belgium, is usually credited with dragging French music up from operetta and brash facile offerings to noble and artistic works, especially in the fields of chamber, symphonic, piano and organ music. He is especially notable for his melodic lines and rhythmic drive, even though the latter has often been criticised for frequent pauses, usually caused by manual registration changes. Kristiaan Seynhaven does not always give individual phrases a chance to breathe, and the most lyrical passages suffer as a result.
The French School have furnished several complete recordings of Cesar Franck's organ works, including Jean Langlais, Andre Marchal, Andre Isoir, Marie-Claire Alain and Jeanne Demessieux. Franck's pupil Charles Tournemire also recorded the 3rd Choral, Cantabile and two pieces from L'Organiste. In all these cases there is a unifying interpretation which embodies clarity of line, strong rhythm and melodies which really sing.
If Kristiaan Seynhave were to breathe more, he would be among them
Seynhave is at his best in the Grande Piece Symphonique, the most extensive work of the programme and one that is clearly close to his heart, even referring to it in his sleeve notes as the birth and baptism of the French organ symphony. Curiously the year of birth (1862) is not mentioned. In the Fantasie he gives a nearly perfect account but does not achieve enough tension in the poco animato section, mainly because the large repeated chords are smoothed out rather than stressed. Some of the phrasing is a little breathless. In the Piece Heroique, there are moments such as in the massive dotted chordal sequences where he loses drama and therefore the "Heroique" flavour, so derived from strong rhythm. In many ways the Third Choral was the most disappointing account. This almost over-indulged warhorse has both enormous drive and pathos. The most lyrical sections come across in this performance almost as being weary.
Franck, although a native of Liege in Belgium, is usually credited with dragging French music up from operetta and brash facile offerings to noble and artistic works, especially in the fields of chamber, symphonic, piano and organ music. He is especially notable for his melodic lines and rhythmic drive, even though the latter has often been criticised for frequent pauses, usually caused by manual registration changes. Kristiaan Seynhaven does not always give individual phrases a chance to breathe, and the most lyrical passages suffer as a result.
The French School have furnished several complete recordings of Cesar Franck's organ works, including Jean Langlais, Andre Marchal, Andre Isoir, Marie-Claire Alain and Jeanne Demessieux. Franck's pupil Charles Tournemire also recorded the 3rd Choral, Cantabile and two pieces from L'Organiste. In all these cases there is a unifying interpretation which embodies clarity of line, strong rhythm and melodies which really sing.
If Kristiaan Seynhave were to breathe more, he would be among them
Grant Vicat, August 2007
