This past Friday we were afforded a particularly special treat in the form of a performance by Olivier Latry, one of three organistes-titulaires at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris (yes, THAT Notre-Dame!). 

The all-French program opened with Pr�lude de L'Enfant noir by Jean-Louis Florentz (1947-2004).  Florentz's life was sadly ended by cancer, and therefore the entire suite remains incomplete.  Dazzling registration changes abounded, and due to the complex nature of this work, this was the only piece on the program for which Latry used a score.  The rest of the program was performed from memory.

Two pieces by Jehan Alain (1911-1940) followed.  Scholars have speculated that Alain would have been one of the most innovative and prolific composers of the twentieth century, however, Alain died at the age of 29 defending his country. Latry fancifully played Alain's Fantasmagorie, which features hints at plainsong and a hauntingly relentless ostinato figure juxtaposed with long chords. Berceuse sur deux notes qui cornent followed, and I was mesmerized by the locomotive sounds, reminding me of Alain's more frequently performed work Litanies.

Latry then launched into Prelude & Fugue in G Minor by Marcel Dupr�. This is music tailored to large French hands. Like the music of Franck, Dupr�'s music often demands large stretches of the hand, and Latry's interpretation was flawless and authentic. Latry deviated from the printed registration, and later told he recalled hearing a recording of Dupr� allowing a reed to interpret the sustained tones. This registration Latry used on Good Shepherd's organ was stunning and original.

Following the Dupr�, it was time for the submitted theme for improvisation. Latry was presented with the hymn tune Hyfrydol as well as "My Old Kentucky Home." After a play through of the two melodies, he launched into the most exciting 20 minutes of grace, facility, intellect, and spontaneous creativity of the evening. Latry expertly guided us through almost every sound that our Miller and Wrigley Organ can create using two melodies that represent the sacred and the civic. It was special and electric. The art of improvisation is alive and well in this world, particularly in France. As Latry is in a sense an heir to this tradition, it is exceptional to witness this right here in Lexington.

Following a well-deserved intermission, Latry returned to the console to perform the whole of Charles-Marie Widor's Symphony No. 5. Remember, he's playing this entire program, save the first selection, from memory. Therefore, after spontaneously improvising for over 20 minutes, he had the task of recalling an entire symphony from memory. I'm still in awe at just that feat.

The Widor symphony was a wonderful journey. The outer two movements are perhaps the most famous and in some ways most challenging of all of Widor's music. The Miller and Wrigley Organ at Good Shepherd handles registration of this music, as does M. Latry, with limpid refinement. The final Toccata, unquestionably the most well known of Widor's music, has achieved fame through countless wedding processions and organ department student recitals. Latry treated this Toccata with solemn dignity (so the accents were clearly heard he later told me) and chose a tempo that the ma�tre Widor himself would endorse.

Following an immediate standing ovation from the packed house, Latry launched into his encore, which was the third movement of Sonata I by Alexandre Guilmant. Both Guilmant and Widor were students of the Belgian organist Jacques Lemmens, and Lemmens's influence is clearly heard in this brief but showy movement.