Alain: Complete Works for Organ

Marie-Claire Alain's tireless advocacy for her brother's work has rescued many of his compositions from obscurity. The first of two volumes of Jehan Alain's complete organ works is of special interest not only for its luminous and authoritative performances of seldom heard works, but also for the use of one of Alain's preferred instruments. The restored organ in the Basilica of Saint-Ferjeux, employing a registration familiar to the composer, gives these works a freshness that makes them sound revitalized. The justly famous Litanies heads the track list, and Marie-Claire Alain offers an interpretation with fluidity and focused energy. Of the works that follow, the Suite, Op. 48, stands out as a major composition, a striking example of Alain's use of constantly shifting modes and his search for dynamic expression through this technique. The Danses à Agni Yavishta introduce Alain's Eastern influences, a source of inspiration he shared with Messiaen, particularly in the use of Indian additive rhythms. The Prelude et Fugue is another highlight, showing Alain's mastery of vivid organ sonorities and skill at writing chromatic counterpoint. Aside from background noises in the church and the instrument's mechanisms, the recording is fine. The organ's sound is gloriously enhanced by the building's live acoustics.