• Jean-Philippe Rameau / Edwin Henry Lemare: Gavotte aus "Le Temple de la Gloire"
  +Johann Strauss II / Edwin Henry Lemare: An der schönen blauen Donau op. 314
  +Richard Wagner / Edwin Henry Lemare: Pilgerchor aus "Tannhäuser"; Vorspiel zu "Lohengrin"
  +Franz von Suppe / Edwin Henry Lemare: Dichter und Bauer-Ouvertüre
  +Sergej Rachmaninoff / Edwin Henry Lemare: Melodie E-Dur
  +Georges Bizet / Edwin Henry Lemare: Carmen
  +Franz Liszt / Edwin Henry Lemare: Sposalizio
  +Johannes Brahms / Edwin Henry Lemare: Adagio op. 108; Akademische Fest-Ouvertüre op. 80

• Artists: Massimo Gabba (Mascioni-Orgel Basilica San Gaudenzio, Novara, Italien)

In the early 20th century, the organ found a foothold in the American classical concert scene, which had previously been dominated by the piano and symphony orchestra, not only with its own traditional repertoire, but also with transcriptions tailored to ever more advanced and perfected instruments.

This was thanks to Alexandre Guilmant and his many followers and students, all of whom contributed to the founding of the highly esteemed American organ school.

Edwin Lemare, born on September 9, 1865 in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight, is considered one of the most virtuosic and influential musicians of his time.

Lemare played a role in the heyday of the organist's show, contributing significantly to the development of hand and foot techniques and consolidating the so-called "thumbing down" (playing two separate melody lines of different timbre with the thumb of one hand on a separate manual).

While still a student, Lemare first came into contact with Richard Wagner's music at the age of 16 and fell in love with it, so much so that he entered into a partnership with the publisher Schott to publish transcriptions of Wagner's operas. This ushered in a productive period as an arranger which, along with his compositions - in particular his Andantino in D flat major Mondschein und Rosen, which became a cult hit - made him famous.

For the recording of this anthology, which includes a number of world premiere recordings, the organ chosen was the Mascioni in the Basilica of San Gaudenzio in Novara, as it was designed according to the American orchestral perspective. The 75th anniversary of its construction was celebrated in 2023.

Further information:
- Recorded in September 2023, Novara (Italy)
- The booklet in English contains liner notes by the artist and his biography as well as a full organ specification.
- Edwin Lemare (1865-1934) was a celebrated English organist and composer, famous for his transcriptions of orchestral works for the organ, which greatly expanded the instrument's repertoire and offered a new level of expressiveness and complexity.
- Lemare's transcriptions are notable for their ability to capture the essence and dynamics of orchestral compositions and translate them into the rich, multi-layered textures of the organ, demonstrating his deep understanding of both the original scores and the capabilities of the organ.
- This new recording presents transcriptions of works by Rameau, J. Strauss, Rachmaninoff, Suppé, Bizet, Brahms, Wagner, Liszt and Di Capua (O Sole Mio!).
- Played on the Mascioni organ of the Basilica of San Gaudenzio in Novara, a magnificent symphonic organ perfectly suited to this rich and complex repertoire.
- Massimo Gabba is one of Italy's most important organists. He has recorded works by Cirri, Ritter and transcriptions of works by Handel for Brilliant Classics.