Review

Reviewed Work(s): Messe de mariage by

Jean Françaix
; Improvisations sur 'Alouette, gentille alouette' by Pierre Cochereau and David
Briggs; Variations on Two Themes by Naji Hakim; Organum VII (With Soprano Ad Lib.) by
Xavier Darasse
Review by: Andrew Thomson
Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 133, No. 1798 (Dec., 1992), p. 670
Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd.
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1002544
Accessed: 07-02-2019 11:10 UTC

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide
range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and
facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at
https://about.jstor.org/terms

Musical Times Publications Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend
access to The Musical Times

This content downloaded from 185.219.184.2 on Thu, 07 Feb 2019 11:10:03 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 0 andan
. Church and Organ

JEAN FRAN(AIX a paradoxical combination of pedantry

Messe de mariage and flair. In contrast, Hakim's Variations
Schott, ?9.90 on two themes have at least the merit of

being concise and economical, as well as

PIERRE COCHEREAU making reasonable demands on the play-
Improvisations sur 'Alouette, gen- er. Their character is playful, even rather
tille alouette' (transcribed by David As it happens, his Messe de mariage skittish, though I would have preferred a
Briggs) turned out to be a well contrasted set of more dignified and austere treatment of
UMP, ?12.50 liturgical movements in conservative style
the 'Old hundredth' and 'Donne secours'.
with distinct echoes of Franck! On a dif- On the other hand, the totally uncom-
NAJI HAKIM ferent plane, the late Pierre Cochereau haspromising modernism of Darasse's
Variations on two themes already acquired an almost legendary sta- Organum VII puts it firmly outside the
UMP, ?7.50 tus; Briggs's transcription of his recorded pale of tradition. It is hard, moreover, to
extemporised variations Improvisations accept this unidiomatic discourse of rapid
XAVIER DARASSE sur 'Alouette, gentille alouette' is a tri- grupetti, ejaculatory clusters, opaque tex-
Organum VII (with soprano ad lib.) umph of aural perception skills but a mis- tures and tremolandi as an adequate'
Salabert/UMP, ?10.60 placed act of piety. Alas, this music, response to the sublimity of Dante's
which derives so much from the ambience Purgatorio, lines of which are set in the
Wading through this depressing pile of of Notre Dame, is cruelly revealed in its optional soprano part. It is, in short, high-
present-day French organ music - the fag- nudity on paper. The innocent little folk ly pretentious and decidedly vieuxjeu.
end of a once glorious tradition - I was tune hardly survives the barrage of formu- ANDREW THOMSON

surprised to find the witty neo-classical larised techniques and procedures handled
veteran Jean Frangaix dans cette galere. with staggering complexity and virtuosity,

THE ORATORIO SERIES

a new presentation from

viscou nt?
The ORATORIO series (three models) has been designed to
meet the preference for the sound of the traditional English pipe
organ (the old rumblers!), and also, to offer the desirable
brightness and sparkle from sampled voices of continental
baroque organs; ALL for a profoundly LOW PRICE, if
compared with choices from other digital organ manufacturers
and pipe organ builders.
The ORATORIOS are 'expensive', BUT, only by
VISCOUNT standards! We offer a comprehensive choice of
TWENTY models priced from ?550 (a classical keyboard) to
?10,995 for a three manual drawstop organ. The ORATORIO
ORATORIO II - ?7,995 inc. VAT series aims to present a new Viscount organ of superior quality,
whilst maintaining our tradition of competitive pricing and
(Oratorio I [Tab] ?6,895) value for money.
(Oratorio III [drawstop] ?10,995)
We have an 'in company' installation service, and would be
pleased to present a plan for the revitalisation of your church
music to illustrate the most cost effective options to achieve a
sound of quality in your church (or home). We have a showroom
VISCOUNT ORGANS LTD. in Watford where all models are on display. You would be most
welcome to visit us and to stay for hours! Please write or
5 Caxton Way, Watford WD 1 8UA.
telephone for complete information; if possible, giving your
Tel: (0923) 247437
particular specification requirements, and an indication of your
Answerphone 071-370 3431 budget.

670 The Musical Times December 1992

This content downloaded from 185.219.184.2 on Thu, 07 Feb 2019 11:10:03 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms