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TOURNEMIRE: Triple Choral, 7 Last Words of Christ; Timothy Tikker, organ; Raven 186; 79 minutes

Charles Tournemire (1870-1939) was a significant figure in the late 19th and early 20th Century Paris organ world. As organist of the church of St Clotilde (a post held by César Franck, Gabriel Pierné, and later Jean Langlais) he was famous for his improvisations during mass, as exemplified in the 51 suites of L’Orgue Mystique. His music was a strong influence on younger generations of organists and composers, such as Messiaen and Duruflé. For many Tournemire’s music, like Messiaen’s, will be an acquired taste. It is a subtle, complex style, laced with refined harmonies and infused with the language of Gregorian chant and the atmosphere of the liturgy. The large-scale Triple Chorale is conceived in the manner of Franck’s Chorales, using 3 chorale themes, which are developed separately and then combined in a triumphal conclusion. The 7 Chorale-Poems for the 7 Last Words of Christ were inspired by the composer’s visit to Beauvais Cathedral, and are considered his masterpiece. They were written in February and March of 1935, and premiered by the composer at St Clotilde. Each Poem uses a chorale theme, which is not heard at the beginning but emerges over the course of the movement, finally appearing with a stately, hymn-like character. The themes are all modal, using Gregorian modes for the first 4, symbolizing Christ’s divine power, and Hindu modes for the last 3, to depict Christ’s succumbing to death’s darkness. Tikker brings a certain authority to this performance, as he studied the Poems with Jean Langlais, who was at their premiere in 1935. He is a superb player who obviously understands this music and plays it with commitment, understanding, and virtuosity. The wonderful 3-manual, 55-stop 1936/1960 Michel-Merklin and Kuhn organ at St Bonaventure Church in Lyon, France, is contemporary with the year of Tournemire’s masterpiece, and has all the tonal characteristics essential for this music. Tikker handles it superbly. The recorded sound is up to Raven’s usual high standard. Detailed notes by the performer about the music, with specification. A magnificent recording.

– DELCAMP American Record Guide, November/December 2024

Poems and Variations: Tikker at Claremont, Raven OAR-670: Organist Tikker… here acquits himself well as both performer and composer. He intersperses his own work, Variations sur un vieux Noël (Holtkamp/AGO winner 1993-94) with works by Dupré (Évocation, Poème symphonique pour Orgue, op. 37) and the first U.S. recording of Trois Poèmes pour Orgue, op. 59, by the enigmatic Charles Tournemire. Perhaps a comparison is implied. If so, it is an apt one, for both his composition and his performances are splendid. The UCC instrument is handsome, well spoken, and well sited. Chosen by Tikker for its resemblance tonally to the instruments of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, the [Glatter-Götz/Rosales organ] handles all of the music well, and itself is handled with dramatic precision by Tikker. For devotees of 20th-century French Romantic organ music, this is a welcome addition.

– Paul Aldridge, The American Organist, December 2004

Tikker… presents this program on the 3-77 Glatter-Götz (1998) Rosales organ in the Claremont (CA) United Church of Christ. The instrument is powerful, with obvious French influences. As usual, Raven’s engineering is superb. The Dupré is performed with a style and accuracy that are every bit competitive with interpretations by Castagnet (Sony 57485) and Van Oosten (MDG 3160951, May/June 2000), both at St. Ouen, and Beck (REM 311252, Sept/Oct 1995). The clarity of Tikker’s disc is clearly the best. His own set of variations on the French carol ‘Or, nous dites Marie,’ also known as the hymn tune Chartres, is appealing yet remarkably brief… The customary spotlight is cast on the flutes here, the reeds there, and the piece concludes with a Fugato and Finale. Along the way, Tikker includes two trios with canonic imitation. His handling of these devices is convincing technically….Written late in his career (1932), they [Trois Poèmes by Tournemire] supply a musical reflection of Psalms 22, 23 and 150… Tikker does a wonderful job here… Tikker has a true flair for Tournemire’s music, and has recorded other pieces by him (Arkay 6118, Sept/Oct 1992). He emerges as a top-flight interpreter and performer, heard to good advantage on this magnificent organ.

– Donald Metz, American Record Guide, November/December 2003

Charles Tournemire: The Last Symphonic Organ Works, Arkay AR-6118:

Particularly noteworthy… is Timothy Tikker’s superb Arkay recording of some of the late works: playing which gets right to the heart of the music.

– Mark Buxton, The Diapason, August 1994

The organ was originally built in 1912 by J. J. [sic] Kimball and has 4 manuals, 53 ranks and electro-pneumatic action. The church has a lively acoustic and is ideal for this programme. Timothy Tikker has long been a noted scholar and interpreter of French music and one cannot do better than quote Jean Langlais: “Timothy Tikker, who studied in 1984 under my guidance, is one of the most gifted temperaments that I have ever encountered. It is particularly in the music of my teacher, Charles Tournemire, that he has shown the utmost comprehension and affinity, and I do not hesitate to say that in the US he is without doubt one of the best specialists in the work of Tournemire.” It would be a bold critic who would disagree with Langlais – but there is no need – for the playing on this CD is everywhere convincing. Here is the ideal opportunity for anyone unfamiliar with Tournemire’s idiom to come to terms with the late works of this composer of genius and actually to enjoy the mysticism, formalism and impressionism in his music allied to a wonderfully improvisatory style…

– Douglass R. Carrington, The Organ, Spring 1993