Fugue State Films - the multiple-Editor's Choice-winning DVD label focussed on the organ - has made a film available for Gramophone readers of Isabelle Demers playing three of Alkan's Pedal Studies on the organ of London's Temple Church.

You can watch the video, while below it, Director of Fugue State Films, Will Fraser, offers some background to these fascinating and challenging pieces.

'Charles-Valentin Alkan (1813 - 1888) was a virtuoso pianist who was very well-connected but also somewhat aloof, and developed an original approach to composition. In the middle of the 19th century he wrote many works for the pedal-piano, an instrument which has not really remained in use, but whose music is obviously suited for the organ. Therefore, Alkan becomes by default an organ composer, and brings a broad and cosmopolitan consciousness to this instrument.

'Not that Parisian sophistication was in short supply at the time, as Saint-Saëns and Franck, and later Widor, were writing for the organ as well. Franck seems to have a particular connection with Alkan; Franck dedicated the first ever organ symphony, his Grand Pièce Symphonique, to Alkan, and arranged various of his piano works for the organ. As with any instrument it is getting harder to find organ music that hasn’t been performed much, but these pedal studies should be fresh to the ears and eyes of most people. In addition to their quality musically, they are ferociously difficult to play.

'Isabelle Demers is noted as one of the best organists in the world, and gives a performance uniting virtuosity and expressivity. She was filmed here in London, at the Temple Church.'

The English Organ - special offer for Gramophone readers

Fugue State Film's most recent release was The English Organ, a fascinating survey of the history of the instrument told through three feature-length documentary films, accompanied by 10 hours of recordings on 33 different organs. It was our DVD of the month in the June issue of Gramophone - 'a hugely impressive visual and audio package' as reviewer Marc Rochester put it (read the review here). As well as its DVD release, The English Organ is now available for On Demand viewing via Fugue State Film's Vimeo channel, and Gramophone readers can use the code fuguestate20 to get 20 per cent of the price of the stream (or can use the code in Fugue State Film's web-shop against any purchase).