(First part in the Lamento)
Yes, 35 years ago it was NOT DONE to play French romantic music in Holland: Bach and Buxtehude, Distler and Micheelsen were on the menu of professionals!
French composers were off limits, with exceptions like Dupre, Durufle, Langlais, Messiaen etc. But no Widor and certainly no Guilmant et confreres.
There is a story about Helmut Walcha sending a pupil off his class for daring to play Reger! I don't know if this is true, but it represents how silly we were in those days.
When I played the St. Eucaire, I recognized the organ in The Hague at once.
Of course they are not exactly similar in sound, nor are the acoustics, but they have a common characteristic of outstanding quality.
So I picked out four little pieces of two of those formerly undervalued composers and played them on this lovely instrument represented in an excellent sampleset.
For those interested in recordings of the real thing:
The organist of St. Eucaire is Frederic Mayeur, an outstanding professional.
Look in YouTube for: eukkarius.
He plays Widor's 4th Symphony among other things and it is a joy to hear and see him.
There is more to be heard on his website:
http://mayeur.frederic.free.fr/
He must be in love with his organ too.
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