Late romantic organ music in the mirror of Richard Wagner: in Maurice Clement's album "Confluences" on the new Thomas organ (2016) , Wagner, Bruckner, Liszt, Franck and Rousseau merge perfectly ...

When the new organ of the Deanery Church of Diekirch in Luxembourg was inaugurated in May 2016, the audience was highly impressed by this instrument made by "Manufacture d'Orgues Thomas" from Stavelot (Ardennes, Belgium), known for their excellent instruments in Flemish Baroque style and their exemplary restorations of predominantly baroque organs. For the first time they had built a purely symphonic instrument that impresses with its majestic reed sound, its dynamic swell and its poetic solo stops. Incidentally, for the construction of this organ it was possible to reuse about 20 ranks of historic pipework from a Dalstein & Haerpfer organ from 1870. The concept of this instrument goes back to its titular organist Maurice Clement, who now presents the first recording of the organ for Aeolus.

His album "Confluences" represents 'a process of merger' in which works by Wagner, Bruckner, Liszt, Franck and Rousseau are contrasted with one another under the influence of Richard Wagner. Taking a transcription of the Prelude from Tristan (in a concert version arranged by the composer) as point of departure, the pieces illustrate the influence of Wagner on German and French composers from the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth. This musical concept also goes to justify the particular choice of instrument, since the organ used for the recording is well suited to both the 'Germanic' world and the more hedonistic French spirit. The instrument of the "Manufacture d'Orgues Thomas" represents a successful synthesis of the two sound worlds. It is therefore able to do equal justice to both Liszt and Franck, and to create a coherent and captivating symphonic context for the chosen transcriptions!