Jean-Luc Thellin – Franck: Organ Works (2022) [Official Digital Download 24bit/88,2kHz]

Jean-Luc Thellin - Franck: Organ Works (2022) [Official Digital Download 24bit/88,2kHz] Download

The Belgian organist Jean-Luc Thellin offers an “augmented” complete discography on the occasion of the composer’s bicentenary: the 12 organ works are completed by two transcriptions of symphonic works, recorded on the great organ of the Philharmonic Hall of Liège. A box set BY Classique (released on September 23rd) and an exceptional afternoon of concerts, on Sunday October 23rd at the Philharmonic Hall.

The César Franck bicentenary of the OPRL has been marked by numerous symphonic events and continues until the anniversary date, next December 10 with The Beatitudes (in Brussels and Liège). Another important project, the recording of a complete work for organ by Franck, which had to go through the great organ Pierre Schyven of the Philharmonic Hall of Liège! César Franck has indeed become the greatest French organist of the nineteenth century, the one who knew best how to endow his instrument with an extraordinary repertoire.

Jean-Luc Thellin, trained in Liège, organist in Vincennes and teacher in Chartres, embarked on the recording of this complete and chose for this the large Cavaillé-Coll organ from Bécon-Courbevoie (France). However, he had the idea of completing this complete work with the transcriptions of two symphonic works, the Symphony in D minor and the Symphonic Variations, both recorded on the great Schyven organ (1888) of the Philharmonic Hall of Liège: an instrument and acoustics perfectly adapted to this project.

“Originally, the goal of this project was to trace Franck’s journey from Liège to Paris. I also wanted to show the different types of writing that can highlight a traditional church organ and a hall organ (the one in Liège is still the only functional one in Belgium!). […] For the transcriptions of orchestral works, the organ of the Philharmonic Hall of Liège was essential because its style is located, like Franck’s works, at the crossroads of French and Germanic styles. It is a clear organ, not too “thick”, which allows a better polyphonic readability than a Cavaillé-Coll organ, more massive. In addition, there are games of great finesse (such as the Clarinet and the English Horn), which are ideally suited for these transcriptions. ” (Jean-Luc Thellin– – read the full interview + link

Tracklist:

1. Jean-Luc Thellin – No. 1. Fantaisie in A Major, CFF 102 (Andantino) (15:38)
2. Jean-Luc Thellin – No. 2. Cantabile in B Major, CFF 103 (Non troppo lento) (06:55)
3. Jean-Luc Thellin – No. 3. Pièce héroïque in B Minor, CFF 104 (Allegro maestoso) (09:23)
4. Jean-Luc Thellin – Andantino serioso – Quasi ad libitum – a tempo – Allegro non troppo e maestoso (12:22)
5. Jean-Luc Thellin – Andante – Allegro – Andante (08:40)
6. Jean-Luc Thellin – Allegro non troppo e maestoso – Beaucoup plus largement que précédemment (07:31)
7. Jean-Luc Thellin – Prière in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 20, CFF 100 (Andantino sostenuto) (14:55)
8. Jean-Luc Thellin – No. 1 in E Major, CFF 105. Moderato (17:18)
9. Jean-Luc Thellin – No. 2 in B Minor, CFF 106. Maestoso (17:55)
10. Jean-Luc Thellin – No. 3 in A Minor, CFF 107. Quasi allegro (14:49)
11. Jean-Luc Thellin – Poco lento (04:48)
12. Jean-Luc Thellin – Allegretto cantando (05:12)
13. Jean-Luc Thellin – Quasi lento (01:33)
14. Jean-Luc Thellin – Adagio (03:03)
15. Jean-Luc Thellin – Prélude (Andantino cantabile) (04:08)
16. Jean-Luc Thellin – Lento (00:48)
17. Jean-Luc Thellin – Fugue (Allegretto ma non troppo) (03:37)
18. Jean-Luc Thellin – Variation (Andantino) (04:03)
19. Jean-Luc Thellin – Pastorale in E Major, Op. 19, CFF 99 (Andantino – Quasi allegretto – Andantino) (10:10)
20. Jean-Luc Thellin – Final in B-Flat Major, Op. 21, CFF 101B (Allegro maestoso) (12:57)
21. Jean-Luc Thellin – Variations symphoniques, CFF 137 (Version for Solo Organ) (19:11)
22. Jean-Luc Thellin – I. Lento – Allegro non troppo (Version for Solo Organ) (21:05)
23. Jean-Luc Thellin – II. Allegretto (Version for Solo Organ) (12:20)
24. Jean-Luc Thellin – III. Allegro non troppo (Version for Solo Organ) (12:58)