Léonce de St Martin improvises at Notre Dame (2)

Léonce de Saint-Martin improvising during mass, this time on a noel. Another short piece demonstrating the softer side of the famous organ, probably recorded in the early 1950s. The quality of the recording is not the best, but hope you can enjoy it nonetheless.

Sadly there is only one more improvisation from this performer to come, but its on a CD thats currently in storage, I shall try to post it next month. But its worth the wait, as the last recording is a stirring carillon using full organ! There is also a magnificent Liszt transciption on the same CD that I will also post.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Notre
• Dame
• Paris
• Pipe
• Organ
• Leonce
• St
• Martin
• Improvisation
• Noel

[codeman2008]

When are you going to upload the other improv and Lizst? I've been anxiously waiting!

[JFSnail]

I shall try and get them uploaded soon. me and my BIG mouth! :-)

[chamade16]

Hmm. An improvisation which which in every way lives down to St Martin's reputation.

[JFSnail]

I dont know much about St Martin or his reputation, only what I have found on the web. Please tell me more :-)

[reidar1999]

He got the job without any competion running first, like in Vierne;s case. But as far as I know, he had been deputizing a bit for Vierne, which counted in his favour.

[reidar1999]

I wish there were cd;s available with St.Martin. This piece is so uplifting, one forgets when and where.

[lipsbach]

strange, sounds somewhat like the wanamaker organ!

[GJmusique]

This is a neat impro. At least something tonal.

@Pedalpoint1

Foundation stops 16, 8, 4 and Quinte or Plein Jeu in the Récit Expressif (Swell Division) (Box closed), Flûte Harmonique 8 on the Grand Orgue (Great Organ).

[bigt082]

Great! Really atmospheric and very touching...

[codeman2008]

Haha It's interesting, something about the quality of the recording makes it all the more appealing... I'd love to hear the other tracks!

[Jacobre156]

It just amazes me at how powerful this organ is even when the registrations being use are soft and ethereal, like in this video. I can only imagine what this sounded like in person.

[ds1868]

Yes, at his funeral not one person was going to turn up. The entire organ elite in Paris shunned him. So it was that Marcel Dupre and Pierre Cochereau (his successor) were the only ones to attend the funeral and pay their respects. An utterly disgraceful performance by the Parisien elite, and more of a sad reflection on them, than the undoubted gifts of this organist. I have a theory that jealousy paid it's part: jealousy that he got the NDdeP job, and jealousy of his aristocratic blood!