The performer on this CD, concert organist Lionel Rogg of Geneva, is at home in the world’s greatest concert halls. He began his worldwide career as a concert organist playing the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, whose works for organ he would subsequently record in full three different times. Since then, he has been much in demand throughout the world as both organist and harpsichordist. As professor for organ in Geneva, Rogg teaches young organists from all over the world. More than forty of his students have been awarded the Prix de virtuosité. Recently, Rogg has been devoting more time to composition.
Following the devastating fire of 1984, as a member of a committee of experts, he decisively influenced the specification of the new van den Heuvel instrument in his native city’s Victoria Hall. For Lionel Rogg it was particularly important that this concert-hall organ should be optimally configured for the specifics of its surroundings, whether as an emancipated - orchestral - counterpart or as a solo instrument.
The high tonal standard for the characteristic foundation stops (fonds) with wide mensuration and the powerful intonation of the reeds combined with the attention paid to the specification of the (low) mixtures, give the organ in Victoria Hall the desired symphonic, French character. The extensive battery of horizontal reeds and the pedal stops of 32' pitch (labial and lingual) make the four-manual instrument just as appropriate for the music of the founder of the symphonic organ music of France, César Franck, as heard on this ORGAN-CD, as it is for the effective presentation of Liszt and Bizet transcriptions, with their virtuosically pianistic, even orchestral character.
The booklet of this fifth CD of the Organ series contains liner notes in German, English, and French.

Vierne:Toccata (aus: 1ère Symphonie pour orgue
Widor: Scherzo (aus: 4e Symphonie pour orgue)
Franck: Deuxième Choral en si mineur
Bizet: Jeux d’enfants
Liszt: Funérailles (aus: Harmonies poétique)
Rogg: Hommage à Takemitsu