|
Frank Taylor, who studied under Melville Smith among
others, was a professor at LaSalle College in Newton, Massachusetts,
and died in 1986. He did not have a very active career in performance
or recording, and this is one of only two virtually unknown published
works and as such it is a singular relic, as magnificent as it is
obscure. The session, performed on a gorgeous Charles Fisk organ
at Old West Church, Boston, was flawlessly recorded by David Griesinger,
and it captures both the majesty of the selected works and the superior
qualities of the organ itself. Numerous recordings have been made
of these works over the last seventy five years, but most seem dry
and mechanical by comparison to Mr. Taylor's emotionally charged
approach to the material. The recording has a remarkable quality
of presence, seemingly placing the listener directly in front of
the organ's massive registers; one can almost feel the air moving.
The Grand Jeu from DuMage's Livre d'Orgue literally takes one's breath
away.
This recording and Taylor's other published work, a double
album featuring works of Marchand and DeGrigny, were originally released
in the early eighties on a local independent label, Elysee Editions, which has been defunct for some years.
The recording received no promotion or publicity, and went largely
unnoticed. This release then, is a second chance for devotees of
the genre to experience a truly remarkable treat. Whether you are new to classical organ music, or an experienced dilettante - prepare for a thrill.
|
