Bach to the Future - Olivier Latry at the Cavaillé-Coll, Notre Dame de Paris

"Bach to the Future" with Olivier Latry, Titulaire of the Notre Dame de Paris, on the Cavaillé-Coll organ inaugurated in 1868.  This may have been one of the last major concerts recorded in the Cathedral before the recent fire, which in itself makes this release a collector’s item.  But this is much more than an ordinary concert performance.  Bach seems to transcend time and place. "This idea of permanent rebirth is an imperative for performers, who must adjust their playing to the acoustics – at Notre-Dame, the reverberation time is seven seconds – and the instrument at their disposal", says Latry, "Contrary to popular belief, the organist is above all a chamber musician. Each organ, like a mute chamber music partner, obliges us to take part in a curious dialogue: ‘With me, such and such a thing is possible, such and such a thing is not . . . Come on, try, find something else.’ The first rule to know when playing the organ is that you must listen to the instrument, whether it’s this Cavaillé-Coll or any other instrument – in the case of Bach, it might be from north Germany, Saxony or Holland. "

With the Cavaillé-Coll, and in the unique acoustic of the Notre Dame, Bach will necessarily sound different. But historically-informed performance isn't simply about instrumentation, but rather the goal of hearing music afresh, closer to the spirit of the composer rather than received style.  As Latry notes "the most important question remains, in my opinion, that of authenticity in music. I must confess that this concept often seems to me to be a decoy. Let’s compare it to a geometrical figure. An interpretation that presented itself as ‘authentic’ would imply that, at each corner of an equilateral triangle, we have one of these parameters: the composer, the music and the instrument. By modifying one of these – in this case, the performer and the organ – we necessarily shift the centre of gravity. Playing Bach in this context therefore implies finding a new balance in order to preserve the spirit and the letter of the music. One cannot be divorced from the other.......One cannot and must not fight against the past, but on the contrary assimilate it, the better to derive inspiration from it and then find one’s personal path. We shouldn’t really be talking about authenticity at all, but, more soberly, about sincerity".

Hence the title "Bach to the Future". It's a pun, and witty,  but bears the truth of Latry's belief that music is immortal, lending itself to permanent rebirth.  Latry's choices are informed by the way in which his unique instrument and acoustic can bring out new perspectives.  For example, the Ricercare a 6 from Bach's Musical Offering BWV 1079, here the six voices come together in the single voice of the organ.  In the expanse of the Notre Dame, the Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565 resonates impressively. The timbre is so clear that the music seems to gleam.  The fugue ripples with the virtuosity of Latry's technique.  Latry was inspired by the the orchestral transcriptions of Leopold Stokowski "because they force us to get away from the literal interpretation of the original text and use the full organic potential of the instrument.".  He also approached the Fantasia and Fugue in G minor BWV 542 through Franz Liszt's transcription which  showed how the pianos of Liszt's time could extend expressive potential.  Thus the choral prelude Herr Gott, nun schleuß den Himmel auf, BVW 615,  which rings on the Cavaillé-Coll like silvery bells, contrasting with the more contemplative Herzlich tut mir verlangen BVW 727. Both the Pièce d’orgue BWV 572 and the Passacaille et fugue in C minor BWV 582 were in the repertoire of Latry's predecessors at the Notre Dame, the latter here particularly magnificent, revealing the depth and richness of the Cavaillé-Coll.  "Bach to the Future", uniting past and present, yet still looking forward. 

Please also see Olivier Latry in the documentray below where he describes and plays the Cavaillé-Coll and the Notre Dame de Paris