Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986) was a French composer, organist and teacher known for his meticulous craftsmanship and deeply spiritual music. A student of Charles Tournemire and Louis Vierne, Duruflé inherited the rich French symphonic organ tradition, which he combined with Gregorian chant and impressionistic harmony to create a unique and transcendent style.

Duruflé's entire organ music is limited in quantity, but monumental in quality. His small output comprises only six published organ works, but each piece reveals an extraordinary depth of expression and technical mastery. The most important of these is the Suite op. 5 (1932), which consists of three movements: Prélude, Sicilienne and Toccata. Although the Toccata is virtuosic and brilliant, it is considered one of the most difficult in the repertoire and is sometimes omitted from performances due to its enormous demands. The Prélude, Adagio et Choral varié sur le thème du "Veni Creator", Op. 4, illustrates his affinity with Gregorian chant, a trademark of his style.

The Fugue sur le thème du Carillon des Heures de la Cathédrale de Soissons, Op. 12, demonstrates Duruflé's love of musical architecture and his ability to combine modern harmonic language with traditional forms. The Méditation, a posthumously published piece, reveals a more intimate and reflective side to his writing, while the Scherzo, Op. 2, composed during his student days, shows early signs of his technical prowess and imaginative use of the organ's color palette.

Although Duruflé's organ works are few in number, they have occupied a central place in the repertoire of this instrument. Their combination of liturgical solemnity, compositional rigor and sensual beauty ensures that they are well received by performers and audiences alike. They are testimony to a perfectionist who put quality before quantity and whose music remains timeless.

Played by Roberto Marini on the magnificent Stahlhuth-Jann organ of St. Martin in Dudelange, Luxembourg. The technical data are included in the booklet. Roberto Marini has made an authoritative recording of Max Reger's complete organ works on 17 CDs, released by Brilliant Classics.