Review of Jehan Alain: Complete Organ Works, Vol. 1

I had the privilege of interviewing the performer on this CD, Marie-Claire Alain, brother of the composer Jehan Alain, in November 1999 while she was presenting workshops at the University of Kansas, just a month after she had recorded this CD.She explained to us that, while she had already recorded the (then known) complete Alain works in the 1970s, she had decided to record them again, not only because of previously-unknown works which have come to light since that recording was made, but because she wanted to document the sound of this music on the organs for which they were originally conceived.
Volume 1 of this series features the organ of the Basilica of St-Ferjeux in Besançon, built with two manuals by J. B. Ghys in 1899, and expanded to three manuals by Bossier in 1930, under the guidance of Jehan Alain.Alain not only played the inaugural concert on the rebuilt organ, but spent many long hours on it afterwards, composing, and performing his works for friends.After the organ's scrupulous restoration by Cicchero in 1988, Marie-Claire Alain found that indeed, many registrations in the manuscripts of his works made perfect sense and ultimately came fully alive on this organ, which enjoys a particularly fine acoustical setting.Thus she was eager to share these discoveries with listeners.
The sound engineering captures the organ and its acoustic quite well.Marie-Claire's playing reflects the latest research on this music, supplemented by her personal acquaintance with the composer and her memories of his own playing.It also has a certain "off-the-cuff" quality, sometimes with inexplicably fast tempi and occasionally questionable note-accuracy... and yet, this album is of such documentary importance that all lovers of Alain's music, and indeed, of all 20th-century French organ music, will want this disc.

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Review of Jehan Alain: The Complete Works for Organ

Jehan Alain was a French organist and composer who was tragically killed while fighting the Germans near Saumur in 1940.At the time of his death, he was only 29 years old.Despite his youth, he left behind a significant body of organ music that could be mistaken for no other composer.This two CD set, running almost two and a half hours, includes all his published works, including some that have only recently come to light.Unlike many French composers who wrote for the organ on the vastest of canvases, many of Alain's works run five minutes or less.
One thing is for certain: Kevin Bowyer has technique to burn.He also gets wonderful sounds from the Marcussen organ at Tonbridge School.In fact, the recorded sound is excellent and atmospheric throughout.With one caveat, this is a wonderful introduction to the music of Alain.There is much here that is readily accessible to lovers of organ music including, but certainly not limited to, the two Chorals, Dorien and Phrygien; the two sets of variations, on Lucis Creator and on a theme by Clement Jannequin (although that attribution is in doubt); and the mystical pieces, Le Jardin Suspendu and the Postlude pour l'Office de Complies.There are also works that do not make their wonders readily apparent, but are well worth coming to know.Then, of course, there is Alain's most famous work, Litanies.
And it is Bowyer's performance of that piece about which I have reservations.He plays it breathtakingly fast--again, no question about technique--but the tempo is so rapid in places that, to me at least, the music sounds hectic.Repeated notes at the beginnings of phrases blur together, so that unless you knew that the notes were repeated, you'd hardly be able to tell.When he gives the music room to breathe, the performance is fine; if only he had done so throughout the piece!This performance, although perfectly acceptable, does not rise to the same level as the rest of this recording.And if you like your toccatas astonishingly fast, this performance will not disappoint.
So, if you only want Litanies and have no interest in Alain's other organ works, you'd be better off to purchase one of the many collections that include that piece.However, if you want a survey of the organ works of this original master, there is no need to hesitate.

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