Elgar At Sulpice
~ Philip Bailey listens to Joseph Nolan on the St Sulpice Cavaillé-Coll ~
THE ORGAN OF SAINT SULPICE, PARIS
Joseph Nolan, organist
Suite Gothique – Léon Boëllmann
Sonata No 2 (Severn Suite) – Edward Elgar
Peoma and Toccata Beorma – George Thalben Ball
Fantasie und fuge über den chorale “Ad nos, ad salutarem undam” – Ferenc Liszt
Signum Classics SIGCD167
THE ORGAN OF SAINT SULPICE, PARIS
Joseph Nolan, organist
Suite Gothique – Léon Boëllmann
Sonata No 2 (Severn Suite) – Edward Elgar
Peoma and Toccata Beorma – George Thalben Ball
Fantasie und fuge über den chorale “Ad nos, ad salutarem undam” – Ferenc Liszt
Signum Classics SIGCD167
This is an interesting choice of repertoire for such an organ. The Boëllmann is of course wonderfully suited and so is the Thalben Ball, not perhaps such a surprise as it might be. But the Elgar has a distinctly unusual “garlic-flavour” somewhat at odds with its extremely British brass-band roots. And, to be honest, I have no idea why the Liszt was chosen to be played on this organ. It is, of course, played completely accurately, but the registration system of French organs (ventils rather than frei combination) has restricted the number of different sounds conjured up on this 5-manual, 101-stop Cavaillé-Coll. To some extent, this also applies to the Elgar.
When I was in France, I was told that Liszt and Reger just don’t sell, which makes the choice of works recorded even more puzzling. If it is a missionary effort, I think that Nicolas Kynaston’s Carlton Classics version (30366 00032, can’t find if it’s still available) is better able to persuade.
The recording is atmospheric and captures the acoustic well, but there is a noticeable lack of bass from the flues which had me wondering at one point if any were drawn. This occurred on both speakers and headphones. For the 32’-hungry like me, this was the only disappointment.
When I was in France, I was told that Liszt and Reger just don’t sell, which makes the choice of works recorded even more puzzling. If it is a missionary effort, I think that Nicolas Kynaston’s Carlton Classics version (30366 00032, can’t find if it’s still available) is better able to persuade.
The recording is atmospheric and captures the acoustic well, but there is a noticeable lack of bass from the flues which had me wondering at one point if any were drawn. This occurred on both speakers and headphones. For the 32’-hungry like me, this was the only disappointment.
Philip Bailey - May 2010 –
