Iveta Apkalna plays one of the most important works written for her instrument in the 20th century.
The French composer Francis Poulenc only wrote one work for organ - but it is one of the most important organ concertos of the 20th century. It was composed in 1938, in a dark time. The lightness of the 1920s, when Poulenc had turned the French music world upside down as a member of the Groupe des Six, had evaporated. "If you want to have a precise idea of my serious side, you have to look at this concerto - alongside my religious works," said Poulenc. The work recounts his "journey into the monastery, very much in the manner of the 15th century". However, he takes some wild detours along the way, and you can undoubtedly hear what the critic who once described him as a "mixture of monk and rascal" meant. Here the Latvian organist Iveta Apkalna plays the solo part, Paavo Järvi conducts.
Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich
Paavo Järvi Music Director
Iveta Apkalna Organ
Francis Poulenc Organ Concerto in G minor
Recording from 06 - 08 March 2024, Tonhalle Zurich
Concert supported by Merbag
Recording supported by the Elisabeth Weber Foundation
Here you will find further concert recordings of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich.
