Hard on the heels of Richard Lea’s Lefébure-Wely discs (Priory, 7/07) comes Joris Verdin’s disc on Ricercar. Three pieces are common to both players: the Offertoires Nos 3 and 4 and the Scène pastorale. The rest of Lea’s programme is predominantly filled with 19 other pieces from L’organiste moderne; in contrast Verdin’s programme contains the Six Grands offertoires alternating with five of the Meditationes religiosas. This provides successful musical variety between the extrovert, majestic Offertoires and the quieter more intimate Meditationes. The Marche funèbre (tr 6) has a sombre, brooding intensity recalling Franck and Liszt, while the other Op 122 pieces are delightful miniatures with the lyrical charm of Grieg or Schumann.

Lea’s performances were very good but Verdin is finer still. He gives the Offertoires considerable momentum and drive whereas Lea sounds a little cautious and staid. Verdin has the distinct advantage of an authentic 19th-century Cavaillé-Coll organ, which is in a drier acoustic so his phrasing comes across with crystal clarity. Although the Notre-Dame de Bonsecours organ only has 30 stops, its sheer quality of tone and vibrant personality gives the impression of a larger instrument. Another plus point for Ricercar is the detailed booklet in which Verdin argues for Lefébure-Wely to be viewed as an important figure in his own right rather than as an inferior predecessor to Franck and Widor. So in the final reckoning it’s Verdin who gets my vote for his strong, serious advocacy of Lefébure-Wely.