Introduction et Variations sur le nom de Cavaillé-Coll

"Introduction et Variations sur le nom de Cavaillé-Coll pour orgue symphonique ou classique à 2 ou 3 claviers et pédalier"
This upload is to the honour of today’s 160th birthday of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (Feb. 4th, 1811 – Oct. 13th 1899), the „maître des maîtres“ of organ builders, as Alphonse Mailly put it. It is hard to imagine his full significance for organ building and organ music which is also reflected by the numerous sample sets of his marvellous organs playable by HW.

Jean Pierre Griveau, the titulaire organist of the splendid Cavaillé-Coll organs at the cathedral of Orléans, composer and professor at the conservatoire there, wrote this fine piece of music. To create the theme, he transposed the 12 letters of the name of CC into notes and developed several variations from it – some in a french classical style, some reminding of Jehan Alain and of symphonic toccatas. This is also the reason I chose the CC organ of the cathedral of St. Omer, combining these styles perfectly. Those CCH members who own the gorgeous DVDs by Will Fraser („The Genious of Cavaillé-Coll“) will recognise this piece which sounds right at the beginning.

Many thanks to Jean Pierre Griveau for kindly providing the sheet music. Enjoy!

0:00 Introduction [Lent, souple et serein. Molto legato]
0:57 Variation 1 [Souple et fluide. Sempre legato e cantabile]
1:42 Variation 2 [Giocoso e non legato]
2:27 Variation 3 [Écho]
4:17 Variation 4 [Toccata]
5:32 Variation 5 [Canon - Moderato. Molto expressivo]