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The Genius of Cavaillé-Coll


Cavaille The Genius of Cavaillé-Coll celebrates the life and work of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (1811–1899), the great French organ builder whose work inspired the magnificent compositions of the French Romantic Organ School – Franck, Widor, and Guilmant. The centrepiece of this lavish boxed-set is a three-part, 156-minute documentary about Cavaillé-Coll’s life and work. Two further DVDs include demonstrations of fifteen organs and more than three hours of music (all recorded in full surround sound). Two CDs feature a survey of French organ music from 1830 to 1900. An 80-page booklet contains specifications and colour photos of all the organs, track details and an introductory essay.
Artists and experts: Daniel Roth, Pierre Pincemaille, Olivier Latry, Michel Bouvard, Gerard Brooks, Jean-Pierre Griveau, Kurt Lueders, Carolyn Shuster Fournier, Thomas Monnet, Ronald Ebrecht and David Noël-Hudson.

3 DVDs (Duration: 500 minutes), German, English and French subtitles;
2 CDs (Duration: 143 minutes);
1 full-colour booklet containing organ specifications and photos (80 p.)

Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik 2014

BBC Music Magazine Awards: Best DVD Documentary 2014

The Project:
To mark the 200th anniversary of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll’s birth, and the 150th anniversary of his organ at St Sulpice, Paris, in 2012, Fugue State Films planed to produce a DVD / CD boxed set containing the first ever full-length documentary about his life and work.
Aristide Cavaillé-Coll was the greatest organ builder of the 19th century and also probably the most famous of all organ builders. Creator of such instruments as those in St Sulpice, Paris, St Ouen, Rouen, he devised a new way of building organs that led directly to the development of the French Romantic school of organ composition. Franck, Widor, Vierne and all their contemporaries and followers were directly inspired by the sounds and possibilities of Cavaillé-Coll’s organs. They composed pieces that pushed the boundaries of composition for the instrument and are now at the very heart of the organ repertoire. This music is indivisible from the organs of Cavaillé-Coll. Each is made for the other.
The documentary is accompanied by a plethora of recordings and filmed performances of magnificent works by Franck, Saint-Saëns, Guilmant, Boëllmann, Widor and Vierne on a superb selection of Cavaillé-Coll’s best organs – expect to see St Sulpice, St Ouen, St Sernin, and more. The performances are given by the very best players – expect to see famous French titulaires as well as leading English organist Gerard Brooks. As well, a fully illustrated booklet will include photos, details and specifications of all the organs and essays about the composers and music.

CD 1:
• Basilique-Cathédrale de Saint-Denis (1840), Gerard Brooks:
Alexandre-Pierre François Boëly (1785–1858), Fantaisie et Fugue in B
• Saint-Louis, Bédarieux (1843), Gerard Brooks:
François Benoist (1794–1878), Andantino in c / Élévation in D (4. Suite)
Charles-Alexandre Fessy (1804–1856), Offertoire in F
• Cathédrale Sainte-Croix d'Orléans, orgue de chœur (1846), Jean-Pierre Griveau:
César Franck (1822–1890), From "L'organiste", Quasi Andante in D / Lento in cis / Poco Allegro in fis
Henri Victor Tournaillon (1832–1887), Introduction and March in D
• Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Saint-Omer (1855), David Noël-Hudson:
César Franck (1822–1890), Fantaisie in C
• Saint-Louis d'Antin, Paris (1858), David Noël-Hudson:
César Franck (1822–1890), Prière
• Saint-Sulpice, Paris (1862), Daniel Roth:
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921), Praeludium and Fugue in B
• Saint-Maurice de Bécon, Courbevoie (1865), Thomas Monnet:
Louis-James-Alfred Lefébure-Wely (1817–1869), Sortie in Es

CD 2:
• Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris (1868), Olivier Latry:
Louis Vierne (1870–1937), Carillon de Westminster
• Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Long-sur-Somme (1877), Kurt Lueders:
Alexandre Guilmant (1837–1911), Fugue alla Handel
•Cathédrale Sainte-Croix d'Orléans (1880), Gerard Brooks:
Charles-Marie Widor (1844–1937), Intermezzo from the 6th symphony
•Saint-Etienne, Elbeuf, orgue de chœur (1882), Kurt Lueders:
Léon Boëllmann (1862–1897), from Vingt-six Versets Posthumes: Allegro in C / Moderato in c / Lento in a / Andantino in Des
• Basilique Saint-Sernin, Toulouse (1889), Michel Bouvard:
Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens (1823–1881), Prélude à 5 parties
Alexandre Guilmant (1837–1911), Finale from the 3rd Sonata
Louis Vierne (1870-1937), Stèle pour un Enfant Défunt
• Saint-Ouen, Rouen (1890), Gerard Brooks:
Charles-Marie Widor (1844–1937), Theme and Variations from the 5th symphony
• Saint-Rémy, Selongey (1893), Carolyn Shuster Fournier:
Charles-Alexis Chauvet (–1871), Prélude / Andantino
Théodore Salomé (1834–1896), Pièce en forme de canon
• Saint-Antoine des Quinze-Vingts, Paris (1894), David Noël-Hudson:
César Franck (1822–1890), Fantaisie in A

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DVD 1: The Genius of Cavaillé-Coll

Part 1: 1811–1840
Chapter 1 Grandson of a Classical Organ Builder
Chapter 2 Saint-Denis
Chapter 3 The Resistance of Air
Chapter 4 Cavaillé-Coll the Man

Part 2: 1840–1862
Chapter 1 Danjou Attacks
Chapter 2 Napoleon III and a New Vision of France
Chapter 3 Cavaillé-Coll and the Salon Organ
Chapter 4 Lefébure-Wely and Lemmens
Chapter 5 Franck und the Orchestral Organ
Chapter 6 The 100 Stop-Organ

Part 3: 1862–1899
Chapter 1 Widor
Chapter 2 Grandeur at Notre Dame: Grand Ideas for the Vatican
Chapter 3 Industrialisation and Riches; German Influence and German War
Chapter 4 The Symphonic Organ and a Project for Rome
Chapter 5 Bankrupts and Oligarchs
Chapter 6 Eternity

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DVD 2: The Organs of Cavaillé-Coll
• Basilique-Cathédrale de Saint-Denis (1840), Gerard Brooks:
Alexandre-Pierre François Boëly (1785–1858), Fantasia on the Verset Judex Crederis from the Te Deum
• Saint-Louis, Bédarieux (1843):
Demonstration of organ by Gerard Brooks,
François Benoist (1794–1878), Grand Chœur in C / Allegretto in B
• Cathédrale Sainte-Croix d'Orléans, orgue de chœur (1846):
Demonstration of organ by Jean-Pierre Griveau,
César Franck (1822–1890), from L'organiste: Poco Andantino in Des / Andantino in fis / Quasi Allegro in D
• Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Saint-Omer (1855):
Demonstration of organ by David Noël-Hudson,
César Franck (1822–1890), Final
• Saint-Louis d'Antin, Paris (1858):
Demonstration of organ by David Noël-Hudson,
César Franck (1822–1890), Prélude, Fugue et Variation
• Saint-Sulpice, Paris (1862), Daniel Roth:
Charles-Marie Widor (1844–1937), Marcia from Symphony no. 3
• Saint-Maurice de Bécon, Courbevoie (1865):
Demonstration of organ by Thomas Monnet,
Franz Liszt (1811–1886), Fantasia and Fuge on "Ad nos, ad salutarem Undam"
• Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris (1868), Olivier Latry:
Louis Vierne (1870–1937), Impromptu
• Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Long-sur-Somme (1877):
Demonstration of organ by Kurt Lueders,
Alexandre Guilmant (1837–1911), Fugue alla Handel
Cathédrale Sainte-Croix d'Orléans (1880):
Demonstration of organ by Jean-Pierre Griveau, Kurt Lueders und Gerard Brooks,
Charles-Marie Widor (1844–1937), Cantabile from Symphony no. 6
• Saint-Etienne, Elbeuf, orgue de chœur (1882):
Demonstration of organ by Kurt Lueders,
Léon Boëllmann (1862–1897), Andantino in C / Allegro ben Marcato in d
• Basilique Saint-Sernin, Toulouse (1889), Michel Bouvard:
Demonstration of organ including a presentation of Widor's Toccata from Symphony no. 5
Louis Vierne (1870–1837), Adagio from Symphony no. 3
• Saint-Ouen, Rouen (1890):
Demonstration of organ by Gerard Brooks,
Charles-Marie Widor (1844–1937): Toccata from Symphony no. 5
• Saint-Rémy, Selongey (1893) (Salon Organ of Charles-Marie Widor, built von Gabriel Cavaillé-Coll):
Demonstration of organ by Carolyn Shuster Fournier:
Charles-Marie Widor (1844–1937), Andante Sostenuto from Symphony no. 9
• Saint-Antoine des Quinze-Vingts, Paris (1894) (Salon Organ of the Baron Albert de l'Espée): Demonstration of organ by Eric Lebrun,
David Noël-Hudson: César Franck (1822–1890), Cantabile

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DVD 3: Après Cavaillé-Coll
• Cathédrale Sainte-Croix d'Orléans (1880):
Jean-Pierre Griveau (*1968), Quatre Variations sur le nom de Cavaillé-Coll
Maurice Duruflé (1902–1986), Veni Creator Variations
• Basilique Saint-Sernin, Toulouse (1889), Michel Bouvard:
Jean Bouvard (1905–1996), Variations sur un Vieux Noël Français / Variations sur un Noël; Jaon Handiak: Variations sur un Noël Provençal
• Basilique-Cathédrale de Saint-Denis (1840):
Demonstration of organ including improvisations by Pierre Pincemaille
• Saint-Sulpice, Paris (1862):
Demonstration of organ including improvisations by Daniel Roth
• Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris (1868):
Demonstration of organ including improvisations by Olivier Latry

„I can unreservedly commend this magnificent production which so eloquently celebrates Cavaillé-Coll, and which lays before us such a glorious banquet of ravishing sounds and images.“ [The Organist's Review]

„The Genius of Cavaillé-Coll is a triumph – a fascinating and captivating film of huge scope and ambition. Lovers of organ music will be very grateful indeed.“ [BBC Music Magazine]

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