With the expansion of the French organ in the latter part of the nineteenth century came increased opportunities to use its wider expressive range, not only in solo music but also within the liturgy. Gounod and Saint-Saens were the first to see its potential within the context of the Mass and wrote music which combined voices and organ in an altogether new way; allowing the grand organ to display its wealth of colour and especially its dazzling reeds while the choir continued to be supported by a smaller organ. This tradition of Masses for two organs continued through succeeding generations of Parisian composers, most of whom wrote at least one such work.
Both Vierne's dating from 1900, and Langlais's, written in 1951 (and perhaps more often performed in its version for choir accompanied by just one organ), are among the best-known and finest works of the genre. But this disc also contains a rarity in the beautiful Messe en l'honneur de Saint Louis by Albert Alain, father of the composer Jehan and, more relevantly in this instance, the organist Marie-Claire. Alain's love of medieval music, and in particular Gregorian chant, is very evident both in the strongly modal flavour and the incorporation of the plainsong themes sung by unison voices. This is a most sensitive performance with an ideal balance between the organs' interweaving textures and the flowing choral parts. Michel Corboz keeps a tight rein on his singers, allowing only the briefest of climaxes and elsewhere maintaining a suitably reverential mood; not always easy with such a closely focused recording.
The lack of acoustic depth is most keenly felt in the Vierne where the work's magnificence is stifled by rather a claustrophobic atmosphere; certainly there is none of the opulence of sound which is the most memorable feature in Philippe Maze's performance from Paris's Sacre-Coeur (Motette/Priory). But at least the chorus can be heard with complete clarity, even if they do seem a little tired in places, and the distinct but complementary character of the two organs is always evident.'