1683 Delauney; 1750 Isnard; 1783 Micot; 1854 Junck; 1880 Puget; 1982 Grenzing organ at the Eglise Saint-Pierre-des-Chartreux, Toulouse, France

The pipe organ’s participation in religious worship has been an important facet of its tradition. This week, we’ll explore one of those traditions, the organ’s role in the sacred liturgy of the French Mass. From the colorful registrations used by Nicolas DeGrigny in his 17th century versets to the provocative images of Olivier Messiaen, the voice of the pipe organ adds immeasurably to the enhancement and the elevation of spiritual consciousness.

…between Marseille and Toulouse, we audition some of the instruments to be visited during our spring tour in the south of France.

…the old boys in northern Europe showed the way, and others later followed with extravagant compositions that explore the stylus phantasticus manner.

…a spring quarterly survey of recent recordings.