Ajoutez la Trompette! - French Romantic Organ Music International Brass

• Alexandre Guilmant (1837 - 1911): Organ Sonata No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 80:
• 1Organ Sonata No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 80: I. Allegro Appassionato06:08
• 2Organ Sonata No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 80: II. Adagio08:00
• 3Organ Sonata No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 80: III. Scherzo06:34
• 4Organ Sonata No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 80: IV. Recitativo01:43
• 5Organ Sonata No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 80: V. Choral et Fugue08:52
• Louis Vierne (1870 - 1937): 24 Pièces en style libre, Op. 31:
• 624 Pièces en style libre, Op. 31: No. 1, Préambule03:09
• 724 Pièces en style libre, Op. 31: No. 21, Carillon03:43
• 824 Pièces en style libre, Op. 31: No. 19, Berceuse03:33
• Louis-James Lefébure-Wely (1817 - 1869): L'Organiste moderne, 2me Livraison:
• 9L'Organiste moderne, 2me Livraison: Offertoire06:17
• Louis Vierne: 24 Pièces en style libre, Op. 31:
• 1024 Pièces en style libre, Op. 31: No. 4, Epitaphe04:00
• 1124 Pièces en style libre, Op. 31: No. 2, Cortège02:55
• 1224 Pièces en style libre, Op. 31: No. 3, Complainte03:16
• Léon Boëllmann (1862 - 1897): Suite Gothique, Op. 25:
• 13Suite Gothique, Op. 25: I. Introduction, Choral02:27
• 14Suite Gothique, Op. 25: II. Menuet Gothique02:31
• 15Suite Gothique, Op. 25: III. Prière à Notre Dame05:52
• 16Suite Gothique, Op. 25: IV. Toccata04:01
• Total Runtime01:13:01

Info for Ajoutez la Trompette! - French Romantic Organ Music

Organ + brass instruments = a stunning musical experience

And so too is this recording, produced by the brass quintet International Brass with Elmar Lehnen at the monumental Seifert organ at St Mary’s Basilica in Kevelaer. Under the title “Ajoutez la trompette!” they present arrangements of works from the French Romantic school.

But it is perhaps not the massive concentration of acoustic effects that will remain most enduringly in the mind. Just as impressive are the intimate, lyrical passages, whether in the Adagio of Alexandre Guilmant’s Sonata No. 5, performed by the organist and quintet together, or in the “Prière à Notre Dame” (Prayer to Our Lady) from the “Suite gothique” by Léon Boëllmann. Also in some of the six miniatures from Louis Vierne’s “24 Pièces en style libre”, played in a version for brass only, the lyrical tone is intriguing. Finally, in the “Offertoire” by Louis-James-Alfred Lefébure-Wély, also performed on trumpets, horn, trombone and tuba only, we find a combination of powerful march-like elements and sustained arcs of lyrical melody.

The originals are already very much focused on tonal qualities, but the listener may discover new facets in these arrangements. It is striking how natural these pieces appear when performed with the artistry of modern brass players, just if they were tailor-made by their composers for these instruments. They form a stylistically interesting and enriching addition to the ever-growing repertoire for brass – but most of all they are a sheer pleasure to listen to!

The five members of International Brass, Willy Huppertz (trumpet, Netherlands), Waldemar Jankus (trumpet, Latvia), Wilhelm Junker (horn, Germany), Thomas Lindt (trombone, Germany) and Matthew Hall (tuba, United Kingdom), were trained at conservatoires and colleges in their home countries. All five are freelance musicians.

International Brass:
Willy Huppertz, trumpet
Waldemar Jankus, trumpet
Wilhelm Junker, horn
Thomas Lindt, trombone
Matthew Hall, tuba
Elmar Lehnen, organ

International Brass
Music without limits - we take our music seriously while enjoying what we do. International Brass comprises five musicians from four countries - The Netherlands, Lithuania, Austria and Germany, all of whom reside in Germany.

We believe that it is the international nature of our group that makes it unique. In a sense our common language is music itself and our individual cultural experiences serve to lend a certain flair to our music.

Ultimately however, it is the quality of each performance and our strength as entertainers that is most important to us.

All about Classical.... and much more: International Brass plays a broad spectrum of musical styles; from baroque to rock, from romantic-era organ sounds to big-band jazz, from Mozart to Mancini. Our focus is on quality in music - no style is therefore necessarily excluded.

We're not mainstream, definitely not pop and we avoid the mediocre. We're always looking to broaden our repertoire; aiming to challenge our audiences as well as ourselves. We seek out quality arrangements and work to develop them into high quality performances - that is what we're about.

Simply put our mission is to play good brass music well.

Our experience, drive and philosophy come together to create a memorable performance that we believe leaves a lasting impression on our audiences and fosters their support. We’ve been fortunate to play concerts together across Germany and the Netherlands, as well as in Austria, France, Lithuania and Oman.

Participation in so many exciting international concerts and music festivals, as well as the appreciation and enthusiasm of the many audience members that we’ve met, fosters our resolve to continue doing what we do

Elmar Lehnen
was born in 1965 in Hinsbeck, Lower Rhine. He received his first organ lessons from Wolfgang Seifen who became an important model for him. Following his course at the Hochschule für Kirchenmusik in Aachen with Berthold Botzet, Norbert Richtsteig, Hans-Josef Roth and Viktor Scholz, he continued his studies at the Schola Cantorum in Paris with Prof Jean-Paul Imbert, where he graduated with distinction in 2001, earning a “Diplome de Concert”. Having been organist and choirmaster in Mönchengladbach for ten years, Elmar Lehnen was appointed to succeed Wolfgang Seifen as organist of the papal basilica of St. Marien in Kevelaer in 2000. From 2008 until 2012 he was also choral director at St. Marien. In addition, Elmar Lehnen devotes himself to his international concert schedule. Television, radio and CD recordings document his musical activities.

This album contains no booklet.