The cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris is due to reopen later in the year, painstakingly restored following the devastating fire five years ago this month. Amazingly, the celebrated Cavaillé-Coll organ survived with only minor damage.
In the French liturgical tradition, much of the music for the Mass is improvised at the organ, often using the day’s plainchant as a thematic basis. 2024 sees the centenary of the birth of Pierre Cochereau, Organiste Titulaire of that great church in the second half of the 20th century. Cochereau was the doyen of the art, possessing a rare ability to combine colourful creativity with coherent, often complex musical structures.
