The organ registrations for this recording were chosen to be contemporary with organ builder Jean de Joyeuse and André Raison, drawing from the composer's preface and indicated stops.
Instruments
The organ used for this recording is the Jean de Joyeuse organ from 1694, located in the Cathédrale Sainte-Marie d'Auch, which was restored by Jean-François Muno in 1998.
Recording & Production
The recording intentionally includes natural ambient sounds from the Cathédrale Sainte-Marie d'Auch and the organ's operation, such as keyboards, bellows, and stop changes, to replicate the live listening experience.
Compositional Technique
The Second Organ Book is structured as a diptych, presenting two mystical beliefs: political (the King's incarnation) and religious (Jesus Christ's incarnation).
Composer's Artistic Vision
Raison's Second Organ Book uses the concept of the 'two bodies of the King' (mortal and political) to highlight the monarch's role as a commander of peace, linking it to the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
Composer Biography
André Raison, a French organist and composer, was organist at the grand couvent et collège des Jacobins and later at the 'Royal' abbey of Sainte Geneviève du Mont.
Composition History
André Raison's Second Organ Book, published in 1714, is considered an extremely accomplished and original work, both musically and spiritually.
