Album

The two organs heard on this recording, instruments by the great French builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll of the kind that inspired the efforts of the composers of the French organ school in the late nineteenth century, may be the stars of the show. But they are ably served by French organist Daniel Roth, by the engineers of the Aeolus label, and by the comparatively little heard composer of the music, Alexandre Pierre François Boëly (1785-1858). Indeed, the chance to sample his works may be the main draw for general listeners wondering how the monuments of late Romantic French organ music developed. Music for organ, even more than that for choir, tends to draw on its own past rather than on its wider musical surroundings stylistically, and the mostly short pieces of service music presented here contain a mixture of ideas covering 100 years of music. The figure of Bach looms large in all of it, but so do the harmonically clear sounds of the Classical period, even in Boëly's rather squarish fugues. The Petit offertoire, Op. 41, No. 7, appears to be based on a theme from Mozart's Symphony No. 39. Some of his music, like some of Bach's, appears to be abstract, written for an unspecified keyboard instrument. Saint-Saëns was a composer who pointed to Boëly's influence, and one can hear the link in the delicacy of the Cantiques—hymns—and in the overall conservative craftsmanship of Boëly's music. This recording may be aimed at organ players and enthusiasts (note that the booklet quotes a vicar—a vicar!—who dismissed Boëly from a job as saying that his music was "too grave, too religious, and not entertaining enough"), but it is not without interest for general listeners.

© James Manheim, Rovi

CD 1
Alexandre Pierre François Boely Composer Offertoire pour le jour pâques, for organ Work Daniel Roth Organ
1	Offertoire pour le jour pâques, for organ	4:59			$0.99
Alexandre Pierre François Boely Composer Duo for organ, Op.38, No.7 Work Daniel Roth Organ
2	Duo for organ, Op.38, No.7	2:43			$0.99
Alexandre Pierre François Boely Composer 12 Pièces, for organ, Op.18 Work Daniel Roth Organ
3	12.Allegro moderato en mi bémol majeur	7:12			$1.49
Alexandre Pierre François Boely Composer Quatuor for organ, Op.12, No.10 Work Daniel Roth Organ
4	Quatuor for organ, Op.12, No.10	3:33			$0.99
Alexandre Pierre François Boely Composer Offertoire for organ in D Work Daniel Roth Organ
5	Offertoire for organ in D	5:41			$0.99
Alexandre Pierre François Boely Composer Toccata for organ in B-, Op.43, No.13 Work Daniel Roth Organ
6	Toccata for organ in B-, Op.43, No.13	3:28			$0.99
Alexandre Pierre François Boely Composer Canone all'ottava en fa dièse mineur, for organ, Op.43, No.4 Work Daniel Roth Organ
7	Canone all'ottava en fa dièse mineur, for organ, Op.43, No.4	1:46			$0.99
Alexandre Pierre François Boely Composer Larghetto un poco sostenuto, for organ, Op.43, No.8 Work Daniel Roth Organ
8	Larghetto un poco sostenuto, for organ, Op.43, No.8	7:11			$1.49
Alexandre Pierre François Boely Composer Canon for organ en mi mineur Work Daniel Roth Organ
9	Canon for organ en mi mineur	2:20			$0.99
Alexandre Pierre François Boely Composer Fanrtasie for piano, Op.43, No.12 in G Work Daniel Roth Organ
10	Fanrtasie for piano, Op.43, No.12 in G	4:02			$0.99
Alexandre Pierre François Boely Composer Messe du jour de Noël, for organ, Op.11 Work Daniel Roth Organ
11	Offertoire	5:52			$0.99
Alexandre Pierre François Boely Composer Cantique 9 "Le Vermeil du Soleil", for organ Work Daniel Roth Organ
12	Cantique 9 "Le Vermeil du Soleil", for organ	1:24			$0.99
Alexandre Pierre François Boely Composer Cantique 8 "Sus, sus qu'on se réveille", for organ Work Daniel Roth Organ
13	Cantique 8 "Sus, sus qu'on se réveille", for organ	0:50			$0.99
Alexandre Pierre François Boely Composer Cantique 11 "Voici une première entrée", for organ Work Daniel Roth Organ
14	Cantique 11 "Voici une première entrée", for organ	2:17			$0.99
Alexandre Pierre François Boely Composer Fugue for organ in Bb Work Daniel Roth Organ
15	Fugue for organ in Bb	3:04			$0.99
Alexandre Pierre François Boely Composer Fantaisie pour le "Judex crederis", for organ, Op.38, No.4 Work Daniel Roth Organ
16	Fantaisie pour le "Judex crederis", for organ, Op.38, No.4	4:17			$0.99
Alexandre Pierre François Boely Composer Moderato en do mineur, for organ, Op44/7 Work Daniel Roth Organ
17	Moderato en do mineur, for organ, Op44/7	2:28			$0.99
Alexandre Pierre François Boely Composer Petit offertoire, for organ, Op.41, No.7 Work Daniel Roth Organ
18	Petit offertoire, for organ, Op.41, No.7	3:31			$0.99
Alexandre Pierre François Boely Composer 12 Pièces, for organ, Op.18 Work 11:07 Daniel Roth Organ
19	7.Allegro ma non troppo en fa mineur	2:36			$0.99
20	1.Andante con moto en mi bémol majeur	3:15			$0.99
21	6.Fantaisie et Fugue	5:16			$0.99