Koechlin : Œuvres pour orgue. Schmitt.

   in Choir & Organ (Mar, 2012)
Charles Koechlin (1867-1950) was a Parisian student of, and assistant to, Gabriel Faure. Stylistically his music is difficult to pinpoint, the extraordinary variety of influences being crystal- lised in the Deux vocalises, the first of which pervades a Ravel-like modal melancholy, while the second flirts with a chilly serialism. In general the music is characterised by a certain impersonal introversion in which rhythm and melody play second fiddle to a sometimes exceptional (as in the Fugue op.133) contrapuntal rigour. Despite moments of remarkable originality (such as the conclusion of the aforementioned fugue), I can’t help but suspect that the music is more interesting to play than to listen to. However, Christian …