Pierre Cochereau (1924-1984) is a well-known, albeit somewhat controversial, figure among organists. Cochereau studied with Dupré in Paris and was appointed organist of the Nôtre Dame in Paris in 1955, the most prestigious organist position in France. Little was doubted about Cochereau's musical talents; his understanding of the Cavaillé-Coll organ, which he could call his own, all the more. From
… 1960 onwards, Cochereau had the instrument changed repeatedly and especially expanded with registers that did not fit the original concept at all. To top it all off, the original action was electrified at the instigation of Cochereau; something that was considered modern at the time, but which soon turned out to be the beginning of a long agony of disruptions. The nice thing about this double CD with recordings by Cochereau is that it concerns performances from 1955, when the organ was still in almost original condition. Cochereau plays the "Fantasy and fugue 'Ad nos'" by Franz Liszt (1811-1886), the "Symphony No. 2 op.20" by Louis Vierne (1870-1937) and the "Symphonie-Passion op.23" by Marcel Dupré (1886-1971). The most remarkable thing about these performances is that they are still free of all the extraneousities with which Cochereau intersected his playing in later years; the first two pieces in particular are performed almost modestly. As an extra, a "Symphony" is included, which Cochereau improvised in 1956 in the Symphony Hall in Boston. The same applies for this as for the aforementioned versions. Where in later years Cochereau sometimes improvised with a little too much imagination, which made the result seem rather adrift, here an incredibly controlled whole is heard, in which an almost conservative sense of form dominates. Thus this CD gives a good impression of Cochereau's early days. The recordings have been restored as best as possible, but not of a quality that will be acceptable to everyone. (JvG) _more
