Noëls pour l'orgue: I. Ritournelle sur le noël bourguignon «Je me suis levé par un matinet»

First in a series of fantasies for pipe organ on French Christmas carols. The set opens with a "ritornello" on the Burgundian Christmas carol «Je me suis levé par un matinet». The work's expressive palette ranges from intense ecstasy to melancholic inwardness. Here, in conformity with the title "Ritournelle", richly rhapsodic passages alternate with episodes in which the Burgundian melody predominates. (Note the ubiquity of the drone-like "pedal points" [sustained notes] in the lowest register [played by the feet on the pedalboard], undergirding the entire work.) The coda gradually gains momentum, giving way to a virtuosic blaze of light, yet concluding serenely. The painting in the video is "St. Michael" by Fra Angelico. If you enjoyed this, please consider becoming a patron at / philipdaniel or https://www.subscribestar.com/philip-...