La Marseillaise Improvisation (Sortie) by Cochereau

Most improvisations are, by their nature, ephemeral. They are conceived & performed & then disappear into the ozone. We're fortunate that one of the greatest improvisers the world has ever known, Pierre Cochereau, had most of his work recorded by his friend, Francois Carbou. This work was conceived by Cochereau, the organist of Notre Dame de Paris from 1955 until his death in 1984, for a Mass on November 11, 1977. It was the Sortie (or Recessional), played as the congregation exited the cathedral post-Mass.

Given the date, the subject matter of the improvisation, and the fact that the French President attended the Mass, I expect this was some special observance of Armistice/Veterans Day.

Jeremy Filsell, Artist in Residence at Washington National Cathedral, painstakingly transcribed several of the recordings, and recorded his efforts on the IV/88 JW Walker instrument installed in Liverpool's Roman Catholic cathedral in 1967. The recording was made in March of 2000.

Thanks to Martin Doering of Die Orgelseite for many of the spectacular pictures.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Marseillaise
• Cochereau
• Cathedral
• Notre
• Dame
• de
• Paris
• Filsell
• Liverpool
• orgue
• pipe
• organ
• orgel
• organo
• classical

[bombarde1701a]

Any way you can send me these pictures? I am not a member of his site anymore...

[a55b47]

@bombarde1701a Bombarde, I think you have to pay Martin for access to the pix. At least I do.

[a55b47]

@hippone2011 As I pointed out in paragraph 2 of my Remarks (sorry, I can't figure out how to say that in French).

[hippone2011]

@muslador21

Mais c'était aussi un 11 novembre ! En mémoire de tous les soldats morts pour la France.

[FromHolbergsTime]

a remarkable majesty,

with splendid sonorities!

**********

Glenn