César Franck's Trois Pièces were composed in just eight days and completed two weeks before their premiere at the Palais du Trocadéro in Paris.
Recording & Production
This recording is likely one of the last made on the Saint-François-de-Sales organ before its major overhaul, as the instrument, despite being in original condition, requires urgent restoration.
Critical Reception
The premiere of Franck's Trois Pièces was met with some critical reservation, particularly for Pièce Héroïque, which is now one of his most popular organ works.
Instruments
The organ used for this recording, located in the Church of Saint-François-de-Sales in Lyon, is one of the few untouched instruments by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, a renowned organ builder.
Instruments
Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, the builder of the organ in Saint-François-de-Sales, considered it the most perfect and beautiful instrument created in his workshop to date.
Historical Context
The new Cavaillé-Coll organ in Saint-François-de-Sales was inaugurated on December 16, 1880, with a recital by Charles-Marie Widor, which included the premiere of his Symphony No. 5 in F minor.
Recording & Production
The album's main objective was to find a sound as close as possible to César Franck's intentions, with the particular challenge of choosing an appropriate reference instrument.
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