L. Vierne: Carillon de Westminster (B. van Oosten)

Perhaps, in essence (trying to put things in a nutshell as thinking further on this matter), my argument deals with 1) whether a purebred Cavaillé-Coll can handle non-French music (just as a Schnitger can't handle stuff post-1850 - and don't get me wrong, I like the Cavaillé-Coll for what it can do while seeing its flaws too), 2) the worth of at least SOME French organ-music (notably of 4 composers I'm sadly forced to dismiss!) compared to non-French equivalents. I.e., I'd rather push myself

trying to master Reger, Messiaen, Elgar, Howells and others instead of wasting time upon these composers whom I don't see as worthy of the adulation heaped upon them (in part for the sake of playing a Cavaillé-Coll for THEIR stuff): Gigout, Guilmant, Widor, Dupré. [As said earlier, Vierne is a bit better than them, but there needs to be other stuff therein too - and instead of the previous 4-named, 1) non-French figures + 2) arrangements of French non-organ music can help encourage better

programmes relative to the standards set by pianists and chamber-musicians.]

May be repeating myself again, but one more trial: 1) organs' versatility (being able to cover a wide range of repertoire convincingly), 2) repertoire quality. These together are meant to combine for 3) musically satisfying programmes that will help draw people to the instrument more readily than what all too often happens (particularly when one otherwise has a) ecclesiastical associations of the instrument + b) unsatisfactory concert programmes, leading people to think of the organ as more

of a 'dinosaur' than it deserves!!).

I fervently hope that this will put things properly in place for a more constructive debate. Thanks in advance!