Jean Langlais (1907-1991) was a French composer and organist who was best known for his sacred music and his work as organist at the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Paris. He was born on February 15, 1907 in La Fontenelle in Brittany. He went blind at the age of two. However, this disability did not prevent him from pursuing his passion for music. He attended the Paris Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles (National Institute for Blind Young People), where he studied piano and organ with André Marchal, and later the Paris Conservatoire, where he was a student of Marcel Dupré, Paul Dukas and Charles Tournemire.

in 1931, Langlais returned to the National Institute for Blind Youth as a teacher, where he remained until 1976. His career as an organist blossomed in 1945 with his appointment as titular organist of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Montmartre, a position he held until 1987. Langlais was also a prolific composer. His musical output comprises over 250 works, including masses, motets, organ pieces and chamber music. His compositional style combines elements of Gregorian chant, baroque and modernism and is characterized by strong expressiveness and rich harmonic texture. His music is performed worldwide today and is appreciated for its spiritual depth and technical complexity. His organ music is considered a milestone in the repertoire of this instrument in the 20th century.

This recording contains Langlais' complete works for organ and trumpet. Although these pieces are united by a brilliant compositional originality, each collection differs from the others in character and style. The listener can expect two large-scale works of overarching form - the Pièce and the Sonatine - as well as two collections of shorter but no less important pieces - the 7 Chorales and the 9 Pieces. Organ and trumpet interact incessantly in a unique sound world. In the 7 Chorales, the trumpet is "only" entrusted with the Protestant chorale melodies, while the organ accompanies them with incessant flourishes in varied harmony and counterpoint. In contrast, in the Pièce pour trompette, the trumpet is given free rein for virtuoso development, while the organ is limited to small orchestral interventions. At other times, as in most of the 9 pieces, a homogeneous balance is sought between the two instruments. In terms of sound, each of these pieces is a world of its own.

This recording presents the Brondino-Vegezzi-Bossi organ in the Protestant temple in Gland (on the north shore of Lake Geneva) - a particularly beautiful organ with the typical sound of the French symphonic instrument. This choice proved to be promising, as the sound of the instrument is not only reminiscent of the great Parisian Cavaillé-Coll organs, but also features some of the typical sounds of the French neoclassical organ, which best reflect Langlais' conception of organ timbre.

Further information:
- Recorded in July 2023 in Gland (Vaud), Switzerland
- The English booklet contains liner notes by the organist, portraits of him and the trumpeter and a description of the organ with specification.
- Italian liner notes are available on brilliantclassics. com.

- Jean Langlais (1907-1991) was a French composer and organist known for his sacred music and his work as organist at the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Paris.

He was born on February 15, 1907 in La Fontenelle in Brittany, France. At the age of two, he lost his sight due to untreated glaucoma. However, his disability did not prevent him from pursuing his passion for music. He attended the National Institute for the Young Blind in Paris, where he studied piano and organ with André Marchal, and later the Paris Conservatoire, where he was a student of Marcel Dupré, Paul Dukas and Charles Tournemire.

in 1931, Langlais began teaching at the National Institute for the Young Blind, a position he held until 1976. His career as an organist took a decisive turn in 1945 when he was appointed titular organist of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Montmartre, a position he held until 1987.

Langlais was also a prolific composer. His musical output comprises over 250 works, including masses, motets, organ pieces and chamber music. His compositional style combines elements of Gregorian, Baroque and modern music and is characterized by strong expressiveness and a rich harmonic texture.

- This new recording presents Langlais' complete works for trumpet and organ, a successful combination of a strongly melodic and harmonic instrument. A series of chorales, a sonatina and a number of small character pieces are presented.

- Performed by Nicolas Bernard (trumpet) and Tommaso Mazzoletti on the Brondino Vegezzi-Bossi organ in the Protesta