René Saorgin (1928 - ...), a discography

Conception & research: Pierre-F. Roberge
For comments, additions and corrections mccomb@medieval.org (continuing this discography for PFR)
Last update: 12/27/2003

Biography
René Saorgin, born in 1928 in Nice, France, is one the most respected organists of France. He studied at the Conservatoire de Nice under Maurice Duruflé. In 1958, he won the first prize "Jean Sébastien Bach" at at the International Organ Competition of Gand. From 1951 to 1954 he was organist at Saint-Pierre de Montmartre, then started teaching organ at the Nice Conservatory. In 1954, he became the holder of the organ of the church Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Nice. From 1969 to 1971, he was the director of Ajaccio Conservatory. He is one of the few French organists with a deep interest for the Italian organ and its music; noteworthy on this, some of his first recordings were done at the organ of Bastia and Brescia (Frescobaldi, 1963). With his recording in Tende (1973), he revived interest on curious 19th century musical instruments. His Buxtehude's complete work recordings [1966-1973: Alkmaar & Zwolle (Netherlands), Altenbruch (Germany), Arlesheim (Switzerland)] are considered a "Reference". He is one of the first French organists to reveal the astounding Georg Muffat's Toccatas (Apparatus Musico-Organisticus) on the italianized organ of Malaucène (1974).
(Adapted and translated from Alain Pâris: Dictionnaire des interprètes et de l'interprétation musicale, Coll. Bouquins, Ed. Robert Laffont, 1982).

This is an "under construction" comprehensive discography of the organist René Saorgin.

Part I lists the original recordings and re-edited material containing tracks not previously released. Each individual title is (or will be) linked to a descriptive section containing as much information as possible about the original recording; this description is cross-linked to available CDs actually on the market (December 2003) in North America or western Europe. Great care has been taken to prevent misinformation and a large part of the data originates from records themselves (although often not as reliable as it should be). If the recording was not available, the content originates from "Catalogue de l'Audio-visuel of Bibliotèque Nationale de France (BN-Opale) and the superb site of France Orgue. I also used the usual sources (periodicals such as The Gramophone (and the Catalogue), Diapason (and the Catalogue), Bielefelder Katalog, Notes ... etc.). Alas! if all this failed, reference was made to the French book "Diapason - Guide de la musique ancienne et baroque" (Coll. Bouquins, Robert Laffond, 1993); although impressive in term of quality and amount of content, readers should be careful about many recording dates listed.
I tried to list titles according to their label and release dates. In the linked section, I tried to follow the track order of recording; in some cases when the recording was not available, the order may need correction by a careful reader owning the disc. In Part I, my goal is to cover all original recordings, but this may well be wishful thinking without comments and corrections. Credit for any significant contribution will be given at the end of the discography.

Part II deals mostly with reedition on CDs; I will try to be complete, but the goals is really to inform readers about available recordings on the market.

Pierre-F. Roberge

PART I

  1. Harmonia mundi HMO 30 537 [LP]
    Girolamo Frescobaldi: Toccatas, Fiori musicali, Canzoni alla francese
    Rec.: 08/1963
    Rel.: 1963

  2. Musique de tous les temps "Orgues Historiques" OH 8 [LP, 45rpm, 17cm]
    L'orgue de Bastia: Frescobaldi - Luzzaschi - Malvezzi - A. Gabrieli
    Rec.: 08/1963
    Rel.: 1964

  3. Harmonia mundi HMO 30 538 [LP]
    Mozart - Messe en ut majeur, KV 115, & Six motets pour choeur et orgue
    Rec.: 08/1963
    Rel.: 1964 (maybe late 1963)

  4. Harmonia mundi HMO 30 577 / HMOS 30 577 [LP, mono / stereo]
    Orgue historique Schnitger de Steinkirchen
    Rec.: 1964
    Rel.: 1965 (maybe late 1964)

  5. Musique de tous les temps "Orgues Historiques" OH 9 [LP, 45rpm, 17cm]
    L'orgue de Steinkirchen: J.S. Bach - Anonymous - Buxtehude - Krebs
    Rec.: 1964
    Rel.: 1964

    6. Harmonia mundi HMO 30 580 [LP]
    Orgues historiques d'Europe
    Rel.: 1965 or prior

  6. Musique de tous les temps "Orgues Historiques" OH 15 [LP, 45rpm, 17cm]
    L'orgue d'Alkmaar: Scheidt - Buxtehude
    Rec.: 1965
    Rel.: 1967

  7. Vox / Turnabout SVBX 53010 (VS3550 - VS3555) [LPx3]
    A survey of the world's greatest organ music - France, volume 1 - Orgelmusik der Jahrhunderte - Frankreich 1
    The Primitives
    René SaorginRec.: 1965
    Rel.: 1973

  8. Vox SVBX 5311 [LPx3]
    A survey of the world's greatest organ music - France, volume 2
    Orgelmusik der Jahrhunderte - Frankreich 2
    Rec.: 1965
    Rel.: 1973

  9. Harmonia mundi HMO 30 700 [LP]
    Dietrich Buxtehude I - Orgue historique d'Alkmaar: Cantates, Préludes et Fugues Rec.: 1965
    Rel.: 1966

  10. Harmonia mundi HMO 30 701 [LP]
    Dietrich Buxtehude II - Orgue historique d'Alkmaar: Cantates, Préludes et Fugues Rec.: 1965
    Rel.: 1966

  11. Vox / Turnabout TV (3) 4 054 [LP]
    Organ music - Nicolas de Grigny
    Rec.: 1965
    Rel.: 1967

  12. Musique de tous les temps "Orgues Historiques" OH 15 [LP, 45rpm, 17cm]
    L'orgue d'Alkmaar: Scheidt - Buxtehude
    Rec.: 1965
    Rel.: 1967

  13. Vox SVBX 5312 [LPx3]
    A survey of the world's greatest organ music - France, volume 3
    Orgelmusik der Jahrhunderte - Frankreich 3
    Rec.: 1965/1966
    Rel.: 1973

  14. Vox SVBX 5313 [LPx3]
    A survey of the world's greatest organ music - France, volume 4
    Orgelmusik der Jahrhunderte - Frankreich 4
    Rec.: 1965/1966
    Rel.: 1973

  15. Musique de tous les temps "Orgues Historiques" OH 20 [LP, 45rpm, 17cm]
    L'orgue de Saint-Chinian: Louis-Antoine Dornel
    Rec.: 1966
    Rel.: 1969

  16. Vox SVBX 5314 [LPx3]
    A survey of the world's greatest organ music - France, volume 5
    Orgelmusik der Jahrhunderte - Frankreich 5
    Rec.: 1966/1967
    Rel.: 1973

  17. Harmonia mundi HMO 34 727 [LP]
    Orgue historique Antegnati de San Giuseppe de Brescia: Girolamo Frescobaldi
    Rec.: 1967
    Rel.: 1968

  18. Harmonia mundi HMO 34 728 [LP]
    Orgue historique Antegnati de San Carlo de Brescia
    Rec.: 1967
    Rel.: 1968

  19. Vox / Turnabout TV 34 238 - FSM 43 007 [LP]
    French organ music of the late Romantic period / Orgelmusik der französischen spätmusik
    Rec.: 1967
    Rel.: 1967

  20. Harmonia mundi HMO 34 741 [LP]
    Dietrich Buxtehude III - Orgue historique de St Nicolas de Altenbruch: Cantates, Préludes et Fugues
    Rec.: 19??
    Rel.: 1970 or prior

    21. Harmonia mundi HM 756 [LP]
    Orgues de France
    Rel.: 1981 or prior

  21. Harmonia mundi HM 929 [LP]
    Dietrich Buxtehude - Cantates & oeuvres d'orgue: Jubilate Domino
    Rec.: 19??
    Rel.: 1973 or prior

  22. Harmonia mundi HM 942 [LP]
    Dietrich Buxtehude IV - Orgue Historique Schnitger de la Groote Lerk de Zwolle: Cantates, Préludes et Fugues
    Rec.: 1972 or prior
    Rel.: 1972 or prior

  23. Harmonia mundi HM 943 [LP]
    Dietrich Buxtehude V - Orgue Historique Schnitger de la Groote Lerk de Zwolle: Cantates, Préludes et Fugues
    Rec.: 1972 or prior
    Rel.: 1973 or prior

  24. Harmonia mundi HM 947 [LP]
    Musiques théâtrales & militaires
    Rec.: 1973
    Rel.: 1974

  25. Harmonia mundi HM 966 [LP]
    Georg Muffat - Six Toccatas pour orgue
    Rec.: 1973
    Rel.: 1974

  26. Harmonia mundi HM 967 [LP]
    Georg Muffat - Six Toccatas pour orgue
    Rec.: 1973
    Rel.: 1974

  27. Harmonia mundi HM 984 [LP]
    Noëls à l'orgue / Claude-Benigne Balbastre
    Rec.: 1974
    Rel.: 1975

    28. Sine Qua Non SQN 108 [LP]
    A Treasury of the classical organ
    Rel.: 1975

  28. Harmonia mundi HM 1204 [LP]
    Le monde de l'orgue no 4: L'orgue historique de St-Victor de Marseilles (Jean Sébastien Bach: BWV 565, 530, 654, 740, 727, 721)
    Rec.: 1975
    Rel.: 1975

  29. Harmonia mundi HM 1205 [LP]
    Le monde de l'orgue no 5: L'orgue historique de Nantua (Lefébure- Wély)
    Rec.: 1976
    Rel.: 1976

  30. Harmonia mundi HM 1002 [LP]
    Noëls à l'orgue / Dandrieu, Lebègue, Corrette, Raison
    Rec.: 1978
    Rel.: 1979 ?

  31. Harmonia mundi HM 1211 [LP]
    Le monde de l'orgue no 13: L'orgue historique de Vabres l'Abbaye (Gilles Jullien)
    Rec.: 1978
    Rel.: 1980 or prior

  32. Harmonia mundi HM 1212 [LP]
    Le monde de l'orgue no 14: L'orgue historique de Saorge (Bellini, Petrali, Marcello, Zipoli)
    Rec.: 1979
    Rel.: 1980

  33. Harmonia mundi HM 1213 [LP]
    L'orgue de St-Michel de Castelnaudary (César Franck: Trois Chorales)
    Rec.: 1979
    Rel.: 1980

  34. Harmonia mundi HM 1214 [LP]
    L'orgue Silbermann de St-Martin de Colmar (Jean Sébastien Bach - Passaglia, Toccata, Chorale, Fantasie und Fugue)
    Rec.: 1979
    Rel.: 1980

  35. Harmonia mundi HM 1059 [LP]
    Danses et pastorales
    Rec.: 1980
    Rel.: 1981

  36. Harmonia mundi HM 1215 / 1216 [LPx2]
    Jean Sébastien Bach - Orgelbüchlein
    Rec.: 1982
    Rel.: 1983

  37. Harmonia mundi HM 5148 [LP]
    Michel Corrette - Concertos pour orgue et orchestre, op. 26
    Rec.: 1984
    Rel.: 1985

  38. Harmonia mundi "Musiques à Monaco" HMC 90 5245 [CD]
    Gaspard Corrette - Gilles Jullien
    Rec.: 1998
    Rel.: 1999

PART II

Material listed above originaly issued on CD or transferred to CD (most recent release).

  1. Harmonia mundi HM 290 060 [CDx6]
    Orgues historiques d'Europe
    Rel.: 1989

    Harmonia mundi "Musique d'abord" HMA 190 1229 [CD]
    Orgues historiques d'Europe 5 - Girolamo Frescobaldi: Orgues italiens - Brescia et Bastia
    Rel.: 1991

  2. Harmonia mundi "Musique d'abord" HMA 190 947 [CD]
    Musiques militaires & théâtrales
    Rel.: 1987, 1992

  3. Harmonia mundi "Musique d'abord" HMC 195 5148 [CD]
    Michel Corrette - Concertos pour orgue et orchestre, op. 26
    Rel.: 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2003

  4. Harmonia mundi "Musiques à Monaco" HMC 90 5245 [CD]
    Gaspard Corrette - Gilles Jullien
    Rel.: 1999

  • Harmonia mundi "Christmas Edition" HMX 297 8199 [CD]
    Noëls à l'orgue
    Rel.: 2006

    • ....And thanks to all contributors....
    Todd McComb <mccomb@medieval.org>
    I am waiting.... for others...

    To Early Music FAQ

    Pierre-F. Roberge