Franck: Symphonic Organ Works. Johnson

Simon Johnson (organ)

Franck: Symphony in D minor, Cantabile, Piece heroique, Symphonic Interlude from Rédemption - Symphonic Organ Works

The spectacular organ (and massive acoustic) of St Paul's Cathedral brings this collection of works by Cesar Franck to glorious life, played with requisite virtuosity by Simon Johnson, the cathedral's regular organist. He plays his own transcription of Franck's Symphony in D minor, a troublesome work which was despised by critics at its premiere. Modern advances in console control enable Franck's orchestration to be used as the outline for a detailed registration plan. The Symphonic Interlude is built on two main thematic ideas, the first a gloriously noble tune that Emmanuel Chabrier described as "the very soul of music," and the second an energetic peal from the trombones, with responses and modulations from the brass and woodwind. The two are developed and combined ingeniously.