Ken Cowan plays Marcel Dupré (1886-1971): Variations sur un vieux Noël, Op. 20 at Rice University

The Variations on a Noël, Opus 20 were purportedly written while Dupré was traveling by train in early 1920s America, playing recitals across the country. Dupré greatly enjoyed the pipe organs he found here, whose consoles permitted him more instantaneous changes of registration than the beloved Cavaillé-Coll instruments he knew in France.
The ten contrasting variations, which present a variety of interesting coloristic and technical possibilities, are based on the familiar French Christmas Carol “Noël nouvelet”. The third, sixth and eighth are canons at the octave, a double canon at the fourth and fifth, and a canon at the second, respectively. The final variation is an exhilarating fugato and toccata which builds to the organ's full resources.
C.B. Fisk and Rosales Organ Builders have collaborated on just one instrument, a monumental organ in French Romantic style for Rice University, designed in collaboration with then Professor of Organ Clyde Holloway. Installation was completed during 1996-97 in Edythe Bates Old Recital Hall at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music. Since 2012 Professor of Organ Ken Cowan has headed the organ performance program at Rice, where this landmark instrument is in continuous use for study and performance.

[@andrewlarson603]

A TREMENDOUSLY virtuosic performance!!!!! FABULOUS!!!! The speed at which he plays those double note thirds!!!!!!

[@scottwexlin6456]

Amazing! The technical challenges in this are insane, as in everything Dupre wrote. And that toccata!😮

[@johnsee12345]

Fantastic organ playing

[@rg77083]

I played this organ in 1998 and enjoyed it so much then ... great to hear it again! Thank you Professor Holloway for being such an inspiration to organ players everywhere.

[@Elhombresombra]

Every time I suppose to have seen it all, Ken Cowan appears and raises the bar... O_O This man is perfection incarned.

[@archivesinformatiques9567]

Très belle interprétation ! Merci ! Un compliment aux constructeurs de cet ourgue qui ont réussi de réunir les plusieures centenaires de la tradition et du savoir faire français dans cet instrument. Fisk est le premier constructeur d'orgue américain qui a construit un orgue important en Europe, le plus grand orgue de la Suisse, à la cathédrale de Lausanne.

[@tiahj66]

Kenneth Cowan is of the very finest organs and concert organists ANYWHERE. I am honored to call him friend and colleague. Tom Jaber

[@OrganNLou]

One of my fave pieces and one of the finest examples of modern, french romantic organ building in America!

[@Highinsight7]

great combination... lovely, HEROIC playing... beautiful organ!

[@edwardpotasznyk1691]

Outstanding performance Maestro Cowan, I heard you live in Ocean Grove Auditorium, Please come back!!!!

[@TheJohn1567]

Fabulous playing!

[@margueritedejonge4557]

WOW WOW WOW No other words !! Thank you, and praise God who gave you such a beautiful and great gift!

[@oulihua]

Wow! Beautiful, articulate, and controlled! So well done!

[@krisvojna7269]

Very nice indeed!! Bravo.

[@BruceRobson1953]

Wonderful. I remember my first organ teacher, Michael Stairs, playing this as le learned it at Curtis in Philadelphia. Well done, Mr. Cowan!

[@williambrightman5980]

I think this was first performed by Dupre on the Wanamaker Organ in Philadelphia.

[@markbersch2061]

Joyeux Noel and forgive any misspellings, s'il vous plait. 🎄

[@eugenetrollip751]

Beautifully executed!

[@johnellis6755]

This was amazing!

[@Highinsight7]

Variations three... LOVE how you have your melody hand help with the accompaniment... it's a tricky variation...

[@orgue3461]

Fabulous - thank you!

[@garymcwithey980]

Wow!Just........WOW!

[@chen0466]

Wow!! The last time I heard this was on vinyl and a recording of Virgil Fox. I prefer Ken Cowan. Thank you!!

[@keplergso8369]

Very good, well played in accordance with the score, with Dupré's style, and with registration. This organ sounds not too far from to french symphonic sound.

[@camilloflaim8933]

Ken Cowan don' t need that someone say Bravo to him; it' s he that say bravo to someone on University.

[@nickwilson7697]

Delicious!

[@bsnellgrove]

interrupted by two commercial breaks. Why, for such a short video 11:18

[@Pipe-organ-recordings]

Thanks for mentioning this. I fixed it. It was never set that way

[@GlamRockCowboy]

Where can one find the stoplist for this noble instrument?

[@Pipe-organ-recordings]

Just google it and you will find it

[@kentallyn2880]

Does anyone know of a recording of Dupre's Symphony Passion (for organ)???

[@wolsonjr]

Funny you should ask, I was just listening to it this morning. It is not the cleanest recording ever, but it is a 1955 recording at Notre-Dame by Pierre Cochereau originally from L'Oiseau-Lyre and rereleased by Solstice of France as part of the Cochereau Raretés et Inédits box set (www.solstice-music.com), about $70 direct from France as I recall.

[@goklemp]

Pierre Cochereau on Solstice FYCD 820. If you're lucky, look for Dupre's own performance on a Philips LP.

[@manuelrosales5136]

There are several including one by Marcel Dupré on the 1890 Cavaillé-Coll in St.-Ouen, Rouen. It has been re-released on CD.

[@dargo8178]

Great performance! My only criticism is to the organ builder, way too many pedal pistons! A Cavaille Coll inspired organ should have simplified pedal pistons and limited to a few combinations with the usual reeds, coupling and Tremblant abilities. That’s just my opinion as I was shocked to see three levels of pedal pistons on a Cavaille Coll look alike. Great dupré performance none the less to the performer 👍

[@manuelrosales5136]

The thumb and toe pistons were the request of the organ professor whose hard work and political savvy resulted in this wonderful building - just for the organ and the instrument itself all funded by a generour donor. Why would we have said no to his requests for console features?

[@HankySwankles]

The sound is the most important thing- for a modern organist, functionality is crucially important, and as someone who plays this organ regularly I can tell you I am not distracted from the exquisite sounds by the abundant amount of pedal pistons!

[@kevingilchrist1684]

The “extra” toe pistons are there because the console can work on both the French system of ventils, etc., and the American system with General toe pistons. Clyde Holloway wanted an organ that could present both “world views” in console layout to the students. This was a project that was headed by Manuel Rosales and executed by CB Fisk.

[@karlrovey]

@@kevingilchrist1684 And now there are a few other instruments with that same feature allowing for a pseudo-ventil system and American style pistons foreboding on which mode you have selected.