Hommage à Frescobaldi, IV. Communion

Jean Langlais (1907–1991) – Hommage à Frescobaldi, IV. Communion

The Communion marks the final inward-looking movement of Langlais’s cycle before the music begins its ascent into brighter tempos and fuller sonorities. True to the liturgical arc of the Hommage à Frescobaldi, Langlais again anchors the piece in a specific chant: Sacris solemniis, a Eucharistic hymn long associated with the mystery and intimacy of the sacrament.

The movement unfolds with exquisite restraint, the chant isolated as a solo voice between harmonic interludes, creating a quiet dialogue. Langlais assigns the melody to the traditional voix humaine (with tremolo and bourdon 8’)—a quintessential French Romantic registration combo beloved by Franck and his successors. Here it is used not theatrically but devotionally: a soft, pleading timbre of gently floating harmonies, as though the chant were breathed rather than played.

Around this vocal line, the harmonies remain luminous yet understated, suspended in soft-edged modal shades. The contemplative spell never breaks; the pacing grows ever calmer as the movement unfolds. A solo 8′ flute on the G.O. later carries the chant above a colorful ostinato on the Récit (4′ flute with nazard), adding yet additional dimension to this intimate meditation.

As in the earlier movements, the homage to Frescobaldi lies not in imitating 17th-century counterpoint but in honoring the liturgical function and ancient melodies that shaped the Mass. Langlais’s voice becomes both modern and timeless—a moment of stillness that completes the meditative heart of the cycle before it begins to open outward.

Recorded here on the coming-soon Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Rieger (close to release version) as sampled by Evensong. This is the fourth installment of the cycle, which I plan to perform in its entirety. Note, the YouTube version is still the prior Beta version, so you can compare if you wish.

(ChatGPT assisted with this introductory material.)