Jan Lehtola · St. Michel Strings · Naji Hakim · Petri Komulainen
2009 · ABCD 285
Naji Hakim (b. 1955)
Påskeblomst (Easter flower),
a work for strings
Concerto No. 1 for organ and strings
Esquisses Grégoriennes
Concerto No. 3 for organ and strings
Mikkeli City Orchestra
Petri Komulainen conductor
Jan Lehtola, Paschen organ, Juva
Naji Hakim's works for organ and orchestra
The new CD of Jan Lehtola and the Mikkeli City Orchestra contains Naji Hakim's works for organ and orchestra. Påskeblomst is a Danish chorale composed by Carl Nielsen in 1910, the text of which is written by N. F. S. Grundtvig from 1817. The chorale describes the great mystery of Christianity, the resurrection. The text examines the authenticity of the resurrection and proceeds like a drama, pondering the relationship between faith and doubt. The first concerto for organ and strings was commissioned by the Dutch organ festival Orgelkring Heeswijk in 1988 and is dedicated to Professor Dorthy de Rooij. The organ part is written only for the fingers of the organ without a footstool, and the organ functions in the piece both as a soloist and as part of the orchestra. The five-volume Esquisses Grégoriennes contain Gregorian paraphrases of the themes according to the titles. The third concerto for organ and string orchestra was commissioned by the Royal Canadian Collage of Organists. The stunningly beautiful second part of the concerto, Moderato, is based on an old Syrian tune. The piece was premiered with the composer by the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra conducted by Roy Goodman in Winnipeg in July 2004.
Påskeblomst for Strings and Esquisses Grégoriennes are world premiere recordings.
Naji Hakim is currently the most prominent Lebanese-French organist-composer-improviser. His career as an orchestral composer has taken off rapidly. Six years ago, Hakim was chosen to succeed Olivier Messiaen as the organist of the Église de la Trinité, where Messiaen worked for more than half a century.
Jan Lehtola is the organist in the works that call for the instrument, and the fine chamber orchestra supports him admirably.
SA-CD.net · Robert Benson ·
Jan Lehtola is the organist in the works that call for the instrument, and the fine chamber orchestra supports him admirably.
ClassicalCDReview.com · Robert Benson ·
If you have not yet encountered Naji Hakim’s music, this is a fine starter. Given his fascinating absorption of styles from the Near East, French late Romanticism, mastery of the French Symphonic Organ School and a deep Catholic belief, I commend this disc to any listener wishing to explore further in modern music. The performances are exemplary, and sonic presentation is breathtaking. © 2014
SA-CD.net
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SA-CD.net · John Miller ·
As far as I can judge, performances are excellent and superbly recorded. Jan Lehtola clearly enjoys the music and plays it with much zest and assurance. This hybrid CD sounds remarkably well even when played on a normal CD player.
In short, this well-filled release provides an excellent introduction to Hakim’s generous, honest and superbly crafted music. It will appeal not only to “organ buffs” but also to those who respond to accessible contemporary music.
MusicWeb International · Hubert Culot
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