Fancy listening to some great church organ music this summer?
If so, every Tuesday evening at 8pm, from July 29 to August 26, the Ars in Cathedrali Festival will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the great Grenzing organ of the Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula in Brussels with a dazzling programme concocted by the Festival’s artistic directors, Xavier Deprez and Bart Jacobs.
It was in the spring of 2000 that the great organ, built by Gerhard Grenzing, was hung in the nave of the Cathedral.
It comprises three organ cases: the central organ with the console and the four manuals, flanked on either side by pedal turrets. It is arranged in a swallow’s nest shape and weighs nearly 30 tons. The location is ideal from an acoustic point of view, as the organ benefits from the vault, which reflects the sound downward, as well as the wall opposite the organ cases.
This type of placement is one of the oldest in large churches and cathedrals. Other organs in France and Germany benefit from this arrangement: Metz, Chartres and Cologne.
Since 2016, Vincent Dubois has been appointed titular organist of the great organ of Notre-Dame de Paris alongside Philippe Lefèbvre and Olivier Latry. He performs throughout the world and is invited as a soloist to play with many renowned ensembles and in many international festivals.
He has given masterclasses in numerous European and American universities and conservatories and was appointed artist-professor in residence at the University of Michigan from 2014 to 2017.
In addition to his appetite for creation as a performer or improviser, he participates in the creation of original artistic shows such as “Liturgie équestre”, given with the equestrian choreographer Bartabas, also “Chœur d’étoiles” with the actor Michel Duchausso and regularly performs as an improviser in the context of film concerts.
The programme (in French) is below:
Mardi 29 July – 20h Lorenzo GHELMI – “Sur les traces de Johann-Sebastian Bach”
* Fantasia in Ut majeur BWV 573
* Jesu meine Freude BWV 753
* Jesu meine Freude BWV 1105
* O Traurigkeit, o Herzeleid BWV Anh. 200
* O Mensch, bewein’ dein Sünde gross BWV 622
* Fantasia & Fuga in Ut mineur BWV 537
* Sonata in Re mineur (Adagio°, Fuga, Siciliana°, Presto°) BWV 1001
* Toccata, Adagio e Fuga in Ut majeur BWV 564
Mardi 5 August – 20h : Xavier Deprez – “Rameau – Handel : Le Charme et l’Elégance”
J. Ph. Rameau (1683-1764)
* Ouverture en Sol mineur (Castor et Pollux)
(Gavotte – Tambourin – Air grave – Entrée des peuples – Rondeau – Chaconne)
G. F. Handel (1685-1759)
* Concerto en Sib majeur (Ouverture – Allegro – Sicilienne – Allegro)
* Suite en sol mineur (Ouverture – Andante – Allegro – Sarabande – Passacaille)
* Concerto « Le Coucou et le Rossignol » (Larghetto – Allegro – Solo – Larghetto – Allegro)
Mardi 12 August – 20h : Arnaud Van De Cauter – Récital Dietrich Buxtehude
* Präludium, Fuga und Chaconne in C BuxWV 137
* Nun lob mein Seel, den Herren BuxWV 214
* Nun lob mein Seel den Herren BuxWV 212
* Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott BuxWV 184
* Präludium in g BuxWV 148
* Choralfantasie : Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern BuxWV 223
* Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott BuxWV 207 – Vers 1, 2 et 3
* Ach Gott und Herr BuxWV 177 – Vers 1 et 2
* Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder BuxWV 178
* Passacaglia in d BuxWV 161
* Toccata in d BuxWV 155
Mardi 19 August – 20h : Bart Jacobs – “Au coeur du romantisme allemand”
Œuvres de G. Merkel, F. Mendelssohn, J. Rheinberger et A. Ritter
* Sonate 4 de August Ritter
* Sonate 8 de Josef Rheinberger
* Praeludium et fuga (transcription) de Felix Mendelssohn
* Fantasieen de Gustav Merkel
Mardi 26 August – 20h : Vincent Dubois – Organiste titulaire à la Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris
* Johann-Sebastian Bach – Passacaille et fugue en ut mineur
* Camille Saint-Saëns – Danse macabre
* Louis Vierne – Final de la 6éme symphonie
* Maurice Duruflé – Suite op.5 : Prélude, Sicilienne, Toccata,
* Maurice Ravel – Menuet et Toccata, extraits du Tombeau de Couperin – Boléro improvisé
