Introduction et Allegro moderato

Guy Ropartz (1864-1955) was a French composer, pupil of Franck. He was born in Britanny and his compositions are much influenced by Brittany’s popular music and by its singing and often melancholic mood which obviously matched completely with Ropartz’s sensivity .

“Introduction and Allegro moderato” is often considered as Ropartz’s best organ piece, although his Fantaisie and Prélude funèbre could – IMHO – be quite valuable contestants.

This piece in D minor could be described as :
00:0 Introduction, in an “heroic march” mood ;
01:06 Main theme of the allegro, quite energetic
02:37 Second theme, quite lyrical
03:30 Back to first theme with a more restrained registration
04:45 A beautiful singing episode which leads back to
05:30 Reexposition of first theme
06:50 Reexposition of the second lyrical theme
07:55 Conclusion which reminds the introduction, but in major (and with chamades and 32’ bombarde :-) :-) ).

This piece was composed in 1917, but its musical language evokes much Franck’s one. For instance the long and lyrical second theme ( 02:37 ), RH melody against LH repeated chords as in Franck’s Fantaisie en la (04:18), Récit registered on a 8’ base without 16’, various transitions ( 02:30 for instance), and above all my favorite bars (from 04:47 )…

It’s, I guess, the first upload of this piece on CCH. I hope you will like it (although I overlooked it during more than 40 years  before a sudden and unexpected “coup de foudre” one week ago ).