Fugue State Films continues to enrich the niche organ DVD market with its splendid crowd-funded productions. Hot on the heels of Daniel Moult’s magnificent presentation on ‘The English Organ’ (6/20) comes Roger Sayer’s complete Vierne symphony cycle. Having excelled in his performances of Rheinberger’s 20 sonatas (Priory), he remains with his ‘home’ instrument in London’s Temple Church for an exciting traversal of arguably the most important corpus of French symphonic organ music of the first 30 years of the 20th century, the pinnacle of the genre started by Franck and developed by Widor.

Some might scoff at the notion of Vierne (1870-1937), that quintessential Franco-Romantic-modernist, being played on an English thoroughbred 1920s Harrison & Harrison. What about those piquant Gallic mutations and sizzling Anches? Fear not – the music fits this organ like a glove. Its Francophile credentials are strong, since in its original Scottish baronial home of Glen Tanar Castle it was Marcel Dupré, no less, who was persuaded to travel from Paris in 1927 to open the instrument. Having been transplanted to the Temple Church as a replacement for the Rothwell organ, destroyed by the Luftwaffe in May 1941, its versatility as a fine recital and recording instrument has come to the fore in recent years.

Needless to say, Roger Sayer has all of this complex music’s technical challenges completely mastered. Everything is clear and pointed with an abundance of colour. All of Vierne’s tragedies, neuroses and (very) occasional joys are wrapped up in these powerful pieces. Debussy called the Second Symphony ‘truly remarkable. It combines rich musicality with ingenious discoveries in the special sonority of the organ.’ The joyfulness of the thistlefloss Scherzo is caught perfectly. At the other extreme, the Sixth Symphony’s Adagio bears the full weight of its Mahlerian harrowing. Other highlights include a deliciously lyrical Cantilène (Symphony No 3) and an inexorable climb of yearning in the Fifth, which rattles some of the Temple’s monuments with the 32' pedal registers.

Visually, this set is presented quite simply. As an audio experience this welcome 150th birthday tribute cannot be bettered. Bravo, Roger Sayer, for playing all of this during lockdown without the assistance of a page-turner or registrant.