A Film by Yvette Carbou
SOLSTICE SODVD 01
Length: 2 hours
Distributed by Discovery Records

It has been twenty years since the death of one of France’s greatest improvisers and to mark this anniversary in 2004, Disques du Solstice present a new film by Yvette Carbou that is an absolute must for any organist worth their salt! Pierre Cochereau’s life is keenly examined through accounts of those with whom he shared it. Insights from colleagues, pupils and family build a picture of a great man, a man who readily shared his gift with regular audiences of 4000 and upwards at his regular recitals at Paris’s Notre-Dame.

What amazes me is how the French, so proud of many of their traditions, seem to have captured so much on film and television during his lifetime, adding much more to the insight we get from those interviewed. This is a fascinating biography of a man whose own compositions and improvisations are marked by the magnificent Cavaillé-Coll in Paris’s Notre-Dame Cathedral he used to create them. He simply indulged us all, least of all himself, with all that this wondrous instrument could give. The instrument itself is given a starring role in much of the archive material and will prove of great interest to all organists.

The story is broken down into seven chapters – The first appearances, Notre-Dame, The pedagogue, The improviser, The person and, finally, Epilogue. All the conversations are printed in French and English in the booklet accompanying the DVD together with photographs of Cochereau and all those who contributed throughout the film. There is also a discography on the DVD for those happy to pursue CD recordings of this man’s stunning output. Get down to your local CD shop and buy it without reservation!

BH