César Franck - PRÉLUDE, FUGUE et VARIATION [Hauptwerk // Caen]

In this video you can hear my rendition of César Franck’s “Prelude, Fugue et Variation” played on my Hauptwerk organ. I have chosen to use the sample set of Caen - St. Etienne, created by Sonus Paradisi. César Franck’s Prélude, fugue et variation has become a popular work among organists and is familiar to music lovers even though they may not know its title or composer. Written in 1862, it is a part of the larger Six Pièces pour le Grand Orgue. After having worked as organist at the parish of Saint-Jean-Saint-François for seven years, Franck obtained the same appointment at Sainte-Clotilde, where he had been choirmaster for some time. It was at the latter church that he received his inspiration for Prélude. At his new post, he met with a monumental artistic challenge when the inventor-builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll finished construction on a three-manual grand organ for the church in 1859. For the dedication of this instrument on December 19 of the same year,