When I discovered the organ about a decade ago, it was primarily its orchestral dimension that immediately fascinated me.

It therefore seemed natural to me, a few years later, to turn towards performing transcriptions of symphonic works, eventually creating my own. I also realized that this repertoire helped introduce the organ to a wider audience. Around the same time, discovering the music of Jean-Louis Florentz marked a decisive turning point in my development. His writing for the organ, profoundly orchestral, exploits the instrument’s full range of resources and colors with rare richness, particularly those of the mutation stops. For the program of this album, the idea then naturally emerged to pair Jean-Louis Florentz’s Debout sur le Soleil with transcriptions of orchestral works by Claude Debussy, one of his major sources of inspiration: Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune and Nocturnes.

The choice of instrument fell upon the Van den Heuvel organ at Saint-Eustache, for which Debout sur le Soleil was composed, and which I have had the privilege of playing regularly in recent years as a student of Thomas Ospital. Thus, the rich timbres of this instrument, combined with the exceptional acoustics of the space, serve the music of Florentz just as admirably as that of Debussy.

Finally, the works gathered on this recording share a common universe, one of wonder and dreams. Florentz’s music is nourished by his extensive travels, while Debussy draws his inspiration from poetry for the Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune and from the visual arts for the Nocturnes.

Claude Debussy 
Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune 
(Transcription for organ by Alexis Grizard)
Nocturnes 
(Transcription for organ by Alexis Grizard)
1. Nuages 
2. Fêtes
3. Sirènes 
Jean-Louis Florentz 
Debout sur le Soleil
chant de résurrection opus 8