Hyperion Records

Dupré made the first of his many visits to America in 1921. He refers in his memoirs to the evening of 8 December when, at a recital he was giving in the Wanamaker Auditorium in Philadelphia, he was offered several liturgical themes on which to improvise—Iesu redemptor omnium, Adeste fideles, Stabat mater dolorosa and Adoro te devote. He instantly decided to improvise an organ symphony in four movements which depicted in music the life of Jesus: ‘The world awaiting the Saviour’, ‘Nativity’, ‘Crucifixion’ and ‘Resurrection’. This improvisation became the basis of his Symphonie-Passion, Op 23, which he began to compose on his return to France.

The first movement, ‘Le monde dans l’attente du Sauveur’, presents Iesu redemptor omnium as a quiet second subject in contrast to the agitated pulsing of the opening main theme, over which the plainsong ultimately triumphs. ‘Nativité’ seems to describe first the crib and then the Wise Men’s approach, before finally presenting Adeste fideles against a gentle background. The ostinato rhythms and cruel, jagged harmonies of ‘Crucifixion’ resolve into a simple, quiet treatment of Stabat mater dolorosa, while ‘Résurrection’ is a vast crescendo based entirely on the Eucharistic hymn Adoro te devote.

from notes by Felix Aprahamian © 1998