In the realm of classical music written specifically for the pipe organ, the list of illustrious French composers that have become synonymous with the instrument is quite exhaustive. From the Baroque period to the present day the more celebrated names include: Jacques Boyvin, Gaspard and Michel Corrette, Louis-Claude Daquin, Claude-Bénigne Balbastre, Léon Boëllmann, César Franck (Belgian born), Alexandre Guilmant, Henri Mulet, Charles-Marie Widor, Marcel Dupré, Jean Langlais, Gaston Litaize, Olivier Messiaen, Louis Vierne, etc ... and that's only scratching the surface. And yet the mention of Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986) rarely comes to the surface during conversations on the subject. And barring a few exceptions, most recordings of his organ music are piecemeal offerings. This new recording on the Harrison & Harrison organ in the chapel of King's College Cambridge featuring organist Thomas Trotter should help rekindle interest in this composer's punctilious and finely crafted organ music.

In its heyday, the yearly Penguin Guide editions of old, would always allot more ink to the coverage of recordings of Maurice Duruflé's impressive Requiem, and quite rightly so since its monumental Sanctus could well demonstrate a choir's power of execution. But it's through his organ works that the essence of this composer is revealed. Similar to Olivier Messiaen but from a completely divergent perspective, his organ music is fuelled by a profound religiosity, and respect for Catholicism's centuries old contributions to music. His writing is based on a solid, traditional foundation, but graced by a highly personal, complex and volatile harmonic structure all his own. Duruflé was considered a virtuoso organist, and his free improvisatory style is challenging on the player as well as the listener, but never strictly for showmanship. Actually far from it since most of his pieces are rather dynamically subdued and restrained. The only piece that could shake the rafters and induce terror in anyone sitting at the back of the church with its highly dissonant and dazzling ending, is the Toccata from his Suite, Op. 5, dedicated to his teacher Paul Dukas. His compositional output is limited simply by the fact that he was a painstakingly meticulous reviser of his own music and wouldn't consider something complete until totally convinced and satisfied.

Organist Thomas Trotter began his career as an Organ Scholar at King's College, went on to study with Marie-Claire Alain, and has released many well-received recordings including a Grand Prix du Disque for his recording of music by Franz Liszt. His fluid technique and unaffected delivery suit the impulsive nature of this music quite well. And his intimate knowledge of this instrument, which has recently been fully overhauled, is made apparent by his intuitive use of registration. The Scherzo, Op. 2 for example benefits from a brilliant use of quicksilvered stops in this recording. An audio recording that not only captures this organ's many subtleties, but the scope of the building it occupies as well. If you were looking to discover French organ music with a distinctive sound, Maurice Duruflé is sure to satisfy.