Crystal clear with plenty of punch

The great is, they say, the enemy of the good, and that is certainly the case with David Sanger’s interpretation of Vierne’s Organ Symphony No. 1, which stands head and shoulders above a strong field of alternative versions.

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David Sanger (organ)
Meridian 723721415129

Part of the reason is the outstanding quality of the recorded sound. Taped in 1977 at the tail-end of the analogue era, Sanger’s performance benefits from the superbly balanced engineering of Meridian label founder John Shuttleworth and the expert oversight of producer Edward Perry (who started Hyperion Records three years later). Together they capture a satisfyingly punchy, ripe-toned picture of the Anneesen organ at St Peter’s Italian Church, Clerkenwell, London.

Sanger’s interpretation of the Symphony is wonderfully forthright and cogent. In his hands, the opening Prélude has an unflagging focus and sense of direction, with the chromatic harmonies more tellingly voiced than in rival versions. This movement, which can easily meander, acquires sharpness and purpose, bringing its unsettled emotions more openly to the surface. In the ensuing Fugue, Sanger finds moments of lightness and elegance which elude other recordings, and the immaculate balance that he strikes between the pedal notes and keyboards lends extra clarity to Vierne’s fugal writing.

The Anneesen organ’s fruity flute and oboe stops adorn Sanger’s account of the Pastorale, where he imparts a playful lilt to the outer sections. Crisp chording lends a welcome buoyancy to the