New Loft Recordings Project!

This past week, our very own Roger Sherman has been in Bolbec, France (Normandy) to record the complete organ works of Jean Titelouze (1562/3 - 1633). Robert Bates is the organist, and the project inolves three CDs total — 95 tracks! There are eight settings of the Magnificat (one for each psalm tone) and a dozen hymns (3-4 versets each). Titelouze was the first French composer to publish organ works, and is thus considered to be the founder of the French school of organ music. His style, however, is quite different than the French Classical composers', such as Couperin and d'Grigny. It is modelled more closely on vocal polyphonic models.

The core of the organ in Bobec was made in the 1630's by Lesselier. A Choer organ was added in the 18th century (the case of pipes on the gallery rail), which makes the instrument quite versatile at playing both early and Classical French music. A restoration by Bertrand Gattiaux in 1997 gave the instrument its current disposition, with both a Recit and Echo organs (four manuals). it is quite possible, even likely, that Titelouze played this organ. Titelouze was organist at the nearby Rouen Cathedral from 1585 until his death.

There or no recordings of the complete works of Titelouze that we are aware of.

Pictures of the organ follow... Note the closeup of the organ pedals in the last photo....