Jeanne Demessieux – The Decca Legacy

Contents

CD 1

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685–1750) Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 (Rec. 1947)

FELIX MENDELSSOHN (1809–1847) Sonata in A major, Op. 65 No. 3 – Maestoso

JEREMIAH CLARKE (1674–1707) Trumpet Tune (formally attrib. Henry Purcell / Trans. Marcel Dupré)

CHARLES-MARIE WIDOR (1844–1937) Toccata (Symphonie V, Op. 42 No. 1)

CÉSAR FRANCK (1822–1890)

Cantabile (Trois Pièces), Pastorale (Six Pièces), Fantaisie (Trois Pièces)

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685–1750)

Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV 532, Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 (Rec. 1951)

Jeanne Demessieux at the organ of St. Mark’s, North Audley Street, London

CD 2

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685–1750)

Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major, BWV 564

Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 543

Chorale Prelude: Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein, BWV 641 (from Orgelbüchlein)

Chorale Prelude: Nun komm’ der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659 (from 18 Chorale Preludes)

Chorale Prelude: Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, BWV 688 (from Clavierübung III)

Fugue in G major (à la gigue), BWV 577

Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565

Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, BWV 542

Concerto in A minor, BWV 593 (Based on Vivaldi’s Concerto in A minor, Op. 3 No. 8, RV 522)

Jeanne Demessieux at the organ of Victoria Hall, Geneva

CD 3

CÉSAR FRANCK (1822–1890) Trois Chorals

FRANZ LISZT (1811–1886) Fantasia and Fugue on ‘Ad nos, as salutarem undam’

CHARLES-MARIE WIDOR (1844–1937) Variations (Symphonie gothique, Op. 70)

Jeanne Demessieux at the organ of Victoria Hall, Geneva

CD 4

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (1685–1759)

Organ Concerto in G minor, Op. 4 No. 1, HWV 289

Organ Concerto in B flat major, Op. 4 No. 2, HWV 290

Jeanne Demessieux at the organ of Victoria Hall, Geneva

L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande – Ernest Ansermet

HEINRICH SCHÜTZ (1585–1672) Eile mich, Gott, zu erretten, SWV 282

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685–1750)

Bist du bei mir, BWV 508

Komm, süßer Tod, komm, selge Ruh’, BWV 478

Warum betrübst du dich, BWV 516

Suzanne Danco, soprano, Jeanne Demessieux at the organ of Victoria Hall, Geneva

FRANZ LISZT (1811–1886) Prelude and Fugue on B.A.C.H

CHARLES-MARIE WIDOR (1844–1937) Allegro (Symphony No. 6, Op. 42 No. 2)

ÉDOUARD MIGNAN (1884–1969) Toccata médiévale

JEAN BERVEILLER (1904–1976) Mouvement

JEANNE DEMESSIEUX (1921–1968) Te Deum, Op. 11

Jeanne Demessieux at the organ of La Madeleine, Paris

CD 5

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685–1750)

Choral Prelude: O Mensch, bewein’ dein’ Sünde groß, BWV 622 (from Orgelbüchlein)

Chorale Prelude: Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, BWV 684 (from Clavierübung III)

Fantasia in G major, BWV 572

Sinfonia from Cantata No. 29, BWV 29 (Trans: Marcel Dupré)

Chorale-Prelude: Erbarm’ dich mein, o Herre Gott, BWV 721

Toccata and Fugue in F major, BWV 540

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756–1791)

Adagio and Fugue in C minor, KV 546 / 426 (Adagio: transc. Demessieux; Fugue: transc. Dupré)

Fantasia in F minor, KV 608

Jeanne Demessieux at the organ of La Madeleine, Paris

CD 6

CÉSAR FRANCK (1822–1890) Six Pièces

Jeanne Demessieux at the organ of La Madeleine, Paris

CD 7

CÉSAR FRANCK (1822–1890) Trois Pièces, Trois Chorals

Jeanne Demessieux at the organ of La Madeleine, Paris

CD 8

OLIVIER MESSIAEN (1908–1992) Transports de joie d’une âme devant la gloire du Christ qui est la sienne (L’Ascension)

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685–1750) Choral Prelude: Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier, BWV 731

JEAN BERVEILLER (1904–1976) Mouvement

CHARLES-MARIE WIDOR (1844–1937) Toccata (Symphonie V, Op. 42 No. 1)

Jeanne Demessieux at the organ of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral

Live Recording from the BBC – Previously Unpublished

DIETERICH BUXTEHUDE (1637–1707) Fugue in C major, BuxWV 174

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685–1750) Choral Prelude: Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier, BWV 731

CHARLES-MARIE WIDOR (1844–1937) Allegro vivace (Symphonie V, Op. 42 No. 1)

JEANNE DEMESSIEUX (1921–1968) Improvisation on a theme submitted by Adrian Beaumont

Jeanne Demessieux at the organ of Colston Hall, Bristol

From her legendary debut through the succeeding years, Jeanne Demessieux brought virtuosity allied to intellect and sensitivity, and went on to become the glory of the French organ school. This 8-CD celebration of one of the instrument’s most spoken-of, yet enigmatic figures, brings together for the first time her complete Decca recordings and a previously unpublished BBC Radio broadcast, and is released to mark the centenary of her birth.

It includes Demessieux’s legendary Franck recordings; her recordings from St. Mark’s, North Audley Street, London, many released for the first time since the original 78s; little-known recordings of sacred songs with Demessieux accompanying the Belgian soprano, Suzanne Danco; and an improvisation on a submitted theme from the only extant BBC radio broadcast with Demessieux, which also includes Bach, Buxtehude, Widor and Messiaen.

All recordings have been carefully remastered by Mark Obert-Thorn and Chris Bernauer.

The accompanying booklet includes details of Demessieux’s unpublished recordings, rare photos and facsimiles of some of her programs, extensive notes, including details of some of the recording sessions; and notes on the instruments and full specifications for each of the five organs.

ON JEANNE DEMESSIEUX (1921–1968)

“Jeanne Demessieux is the greatest organist of all generations” – MARCEL DUPRÉ

Demessieux’s relationship with Decca began in May 1947, just a year after her legendary Paris debut, and this collection of all her commercial recordings spans the whole of her public career. She was one of the first women to achieve stardom in the world of the organ – a dimly-lit, often cloistered demi-monde dominated by men throughout its history. Now, a hundred years after her birth, she remains one of the instrument’s most spoken-of, yet enigmatic, figures. Few organists have ever achieved such fame. In the middle of the twentieth century she was one of the world’s most famous instrumentalists, the undisputed doyenne of organists.

Jeanne Marie-Madeleine Demessieux was born in the provincial city of Montpellier on 13 February 1921 and in her all too brief life rose to become the glory of the French organ school. Virtuoso organist-composer-improviser hors de pair in the great French virtuoso tradition, after studies with Lazare Lévy, Léila Gousseau, Magda Tagliaferro and Noël Gallon, Demessieux became heir to the great French organ tradition imbibed from her ‘maître’ Marcel Dupré. As a performer, she was without equal; as an artist, she breathed life into the repertoire, and transfigured every piece she played, revealing works anew through her intellect, ingenuity and sensitivity. As a composer, she enlarged the technical possibilities and expanded the expressive dimensions of the organ literature. And as a teacher, her pupils included the remarkable names of Marie-Madeleine Duruflé, Louis Thiry and Pierre Labric. Poulenc, Messiaen and Langlais were among her most fervent admirers.

Demessieux’s life was one of both struggle and glory. Having fought – and for the most part, overcome – intransigent modes of thinking about gender, imbroglios in the highly-politicized organ world, and fragile health, Demessieux left us almost as suddenly as her radiance was revealed – her premature death seizing from us witness to any more of her transcendental visions. Yet wherever she played, ‘in all her most glorious triumphs Jeanne Demessieux never departed from the natural simplicity which gave her so much charm. The glory gave her an aura without affecting her. The international press, much more than in France, admired her without any reserve and discovered in her an exceptional person, who was already a legend in her own lifetime”, wrote her pupil Pierre Labric.

‘In the world of the arts, a fairy tale evokes either annoyance or delight. But one must believe it, when the unique and prodigious character happens to be a young lady, 25 years of age, who from the very first moment of her public appearance manifested herself as the irresistible absolute perfection.’ – LE FIGARO

‘You have before you a very great artist, a magnificent mind, a star of the organ, capable of succeeding me. She will be – I’m sure of this – one of the greatest glories of France.’ – MARCEL DUPRÉ

‘Next to Jeanne Demessieux we all play the pedals like elephants!’ – MAURICE DURUFLÉ

Reviews

“This young French player has an amazing technique and uses a considerable variety of touch” Gramophone, October 1947 (Bach, BWV 565 – 1947 recording)

“This really is that very rare thing, organ playing with imagination … Without pretending to authority, I feel that I had stepped into Westminster Abbey in Purcell’s time I might have heard organ playing which sounded like this” Gramophone, September 1948 (Clarke, attr. Purcell)

“… a deep dream of peace to soothe a tortured world … Miss Demessieux gives a most restrained and finely-phrased performance” Gramophone, August 1950 (Franck: Cantabile – 1949 recording)

“a wonderful piece of engineering, as faithful a reproduction of organ sound as I have ever heard” Gramophone, June 1954 (Bach: LW 5095)

“Jeanne Demessieux gives a nobly authoritative performance [of Messiaen’s Transports de joie]. Then, in complete contrast, comes an exquisite treatment of the Bach chorale prelude, Liebster Jesu, wir sind her on some luscious soft stops.” Gramophone, January 1968 (Organ of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral)

“Demessieux’s performance of these Franck works is as authoritative as anything we are likely to hear” Gramophone, September 1969 (Franck Organ works – 1959 recordings)