Charles Tournemire was born in Bordeaux in 1870. A child prodigy he became organist-accompagnateur at age 11 at the St. Pierre in Bordeaux. At the Paris Conservatory he had lessons from De Bériot and César Franck, after whose death he continued with Charles-Marie Widor. In 1891 he became organist of the famous Basilika St. Clotilde in Paris, a post he held till his death in 1939.

As a composer Tournemire was influenced by his teachers Franck and Widor. He expanded their harmonic system even more, using Gregorian Chant and even exotic elements from India to create a truly symphonic sound fresco of unprecedented scope and richness, evoking the mystical aspects of the Catholic faith.

This set contains Tournemire’s complete Organ Works, apart from his cycle L’Orgue mystique. Played by Dutch master organist Tjeerd van de Ploeg on three French organs perfectly suited to the grand style of the music: the organ at St. Pierre, Douai, the organ at Cambrai Cathedral and the organ at Notre-Dame d’Auteuil, Paris. The technical specifications of these instruments are included in the booklet, which also contains detailed descriptions of the compositions.