Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
Tjeerd van der Ploeg, organ
Charles Tournemire (1870-1939) was a French composer and organist, considered one of the finest organists of his time. For more on Tournemire, see my score video of his sixth symphony: youtube.com/watch?v=K_2T7QW5EjQ
Written in 1935, Tournemire's "Symphonie-choral" is a typical example of his late organ music, albeit one which demonstrates a grasp of larger-scale form than his better-known collection l'Orgue Mystique. Tournemire was particularly known for his improvisations, a quality which carried over to much of his composed organ music. As a listener, I am particularly enchanted by the harmonic explorations in this work; overall, it is yet another example of how, in the words of his protégé Jean Langlais (a fantastic organist and composer in his own right), "Tournemire wrote unlike anyone wrote before him and anyone after him."
The score can be found on IMSLP.
Tjeerd van der Ploeg, organ
Charles Tournemire (1870-1939) was a French composer and organist, considered one of the finest organists of his time. For more on Tournemire, see my score video of his sixth symphony: youtube.com/watch?v=K_2T7QW5EjQ
Written in 1935, Tournemire's "Symphonie-choral" is a typical example of his late organ music, albeit one which demonstrates a grasp of larger-scale form than his better-known collection l'Orgue Mystique. Tournemire was particularly known for his improvisations, a quality which carried over to much of his composed organ music. As a listener, I am particularly enchanted by the harmonic explorations in this work; overall, it is yet another example of how, in the words of his protégé Jean Langlais (a fantastic organist and composer in his own right), "Tournemire wrote unlike anyone wrote before him and anyone after him."
The score can be found on IMSLP.
