Composer: Carson Cooman

Carson Cooman is many things musical – organist and Composer in Residence at the Memorial Church, Harvard University; writer, critic and consultant, concert organist, and above all a highly prolific composer of music in a wide variety of genres, from orchestral to song.

His organ compositions come in many styles, from those inspired by the Renaissance, to liturgical models, to more gritty and substantial pieces such as his organ symphonies and preludes and fugues. The music here, tonal and accessible though never lacking in complex chromaticism, was all written either as a commission, or dedicated to a person who has known, worked with, or inspired the composer. Some works are overtly liturgical and all are endowed with a deep spirituality.

Erik Simmons is a fine organist, making his fifth Cooman organ album for Divine Art. He is playing the organ of the Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Saint-Omer, France (built 1855) in a live performance recorded through the Hauptwerk system.

Following two celebrated CDs of Carson Cooman‘s organ music (“benchmark recording” – Classical Music Sentinel), Erik Simmons now takes us to a special area of the composer’s work – music inspired by renaissance and early baroque music. This double album will be a delight to early-music lovers as well as followers of the modern organ repertoire.

Organ of the Basilica Mariä-Himmelfahrt

Erik Simmons has recorded a second programme of fine organ music by Carson Cooman, Composer in Residence at Harvard University’s Memorial Church and one of America’s most prolific composers, writing in a variety of approachable musical styles, innovative but within traditional tonal boundaries. The previous album ‘Litany’ received rave reviews, one critic called it a ‘benchmark recording”, and this new CD will appeal very much to organ enthusiasts.

The album is recorded on the sounds of the wonderful Marcussen organ of the Laurenskerk, in Rotterdam using the Hauptwerk system which gives full rein to the wide tonal range of the instrument, while avoiding the excessive reverberation which can spoil many organ recordings. The sound here is crisp and clear allowing full enjoyment of the music and the instrument.

Carson Cooman is one of America’s most prolific and feted composers of our time. Also writer, critic, teacher and organist (Organist and Composer in Residence at Harvard), his music is never avant-garde but varies from the mildly challenging in harmonic structure to firmly traditional tonality, all with a fine sense of style and inspiration. This album presents a program of recent organ music (mostly composed 2012-3) of lyrical, Romantic and pastoral nature, but with plenty of variety. It’s a beautiful album enhanced by the marvellous playing of Erik Simmons and the wonderful Marcussen organ of Laurenskerk, Rotterdam (recorded by the Hauptwerk system).