January 11, 2021--Introduction/Chorale from the Suite Gothique by Leon Boellmann

Today's piece is the first movement of Leon Boellmann's Suite Gothique--the piece he is best known for in the organ literature today. Usually, we hear the third or fourth movement of the suite. This is one of the infrequently heard movements. I will try to get a recording of each movement in the coming weeks.

The chorale on which the the first movement is based on is an original work by Boellmann. It moves back and forth between the use of the Great manual (using Principal 8 and 4 with 16' Gemshorn in this recording which has been coupled with the swell manual) and the Swell manual (16', 8', and 4' Diapasons and Reeds) as an echo effect (the same music but at a smaller dynamic). When the Great manual is playing, the pedals are used as well (Principal 8' and 4', Bombarde 16', Trumpet 8', and coupled with the Great and Swell). I closed the swell box when I switched to the Swell Manual to create a greater contrast between the two sections.