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Frank Taylor, who studied under Melville Smith among
others, was a professor at LaSalle College in Newton, Massachusetts,
and did not have a very active career in performance or recording.
This is one of only two virtually unknown published works and as
such it is 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 your breath
away.
This recording and his other published work, a double
album featuring works of Marchand and DeGrigny, was originally released
in the early eighties on a local independent label, Elysee Editions.
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. For those of you
who are new to classical organ music - prepare for a thrill.
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