Organist: Jean Guillou
Readers: Marisa Fabbri, Enzo Tarascio and Sergio Nicolai
CARRARA CDEC-139
63' 15"

In a live recording from a performance given in 2000 in Bergamo Cathedral in Northern Italy comes Jean Guillou's apt organ essay upon the apocalyptic account of John. Guillou's seven improvisations each follow, and sometimes accompany, readings from various Chapters and Verses, indicated in the notes, from The Book of Revelation, presenting a potent programmatic work.

The recitations - they are in Italian and there are no translations in the booklet, so have your Bible to hand - are delivered with great dramatic impulse helping to stoke Guillou's extraordinary imagination to produce an inspired array of both fiery and tranquil sonorities from Balbiani Vegezzi Bossi's recently restored 1842 Felice Bossi instrument. The registrations used achieve awesome atmospheric aspects and make the pieces valuable additions to the canon of contemporary compositions for organ.

The recording is not the greatest technically; coughs from the audience abound in Improvisation II and there is constant background hiss, but one shouldn't let this put you off buying into this significant and important composer's sound world.
DA