This is a great set of Christmas variations for any organist and much easier than something like Dupré's Variations on a Noel. It's not terribly difficult and all of the variations are fairly short.
Obviously, the piece starts out with the theme, in 6/8 played on the 8' and 4' foundations. It's a beautiful melody and Fleury harmonizes it wonderfully.
Following the theme is the first variation, a nice little duo for an 8' Bourdon and another 8' Bourdon with a Nasard.
The third variations reminds me of the second variation from Dupre's variations. In the left hand the theme is now played on an 8' trumpet, in 4/4 time now with the pedal harmonizing in simple quarter in half notes with the 16' and 8' foundations. The left hand is the tricky part though, with it's ascending and descending thirds. However, once you get proper fingering for the thirds it shapes up quickly.
The fourth variation is the most beautiful in my opinion. It has a very mysterious and underwater sort of feeling for me. Probably because of the celeste and bourdon together. It also gave me the hardest time! Back in 6/8 now, the theme is played in the pedal coupled to the swell/recit and on soft 16' and 8' foundations (a nice 32' works great too!). The pedal is the easy part though. In the manuals there is an accompanying figure of triplet fourths and sixths in the left hand and mostly duplet fourths, fifths, and thirds in the right hand. I always have a hard time with two against three, so that's why this variation posed the biggest issue for me. I also like to use the expression pedal a bit too. Even though it's not written in the score, I think that it works very nicely in the variation.
The fourth variations is a cool little trio between a cornet, a cromorne, and an 8' flute in the pedal. Not too difficult and really not much else to say.
The fifth variation is a little more difficult, (At least it was for me) but one of the most fun to play. The entire variation is staccato chords and a very sparse pedal line. It always reminds me of snow falling. It's a bit tricky, but nothing a little bit of practice can't cure!
Now in 5/8, the sixth variation is very lush and warm sounding. It reminds of me a sunny day. Only the organ's 8' foundations are used in this variation. Maybe now the sun is coming out and snow has stopped falling?
The finale comes to us now in the form of a fugue. I think I spent more time on this variation than any other; even the third. I still never felt like I got it right either. Fortunately it's a short fugue though so it's not too bad. Though, as with any fugue, there was some tricky spots to finger. I think that page is the most marked in my score. There are fingerings and pedaling everywhere.
Anyway, the fugue builds up to a wonderful climax and then the theme is restated, but in a much bigger and bolder fashion, thus concluding the piece.
So, there you have all the variations. As far as recordings go. There is one commercial recording I know of. That is by my teacher and concert organist, Ken Cowan. Unfortunately, the disk is out of print and only used copies are available.
Ken Cowan plays at Rosary Cathedral
Fortunately, I myself have learned the piece and I'll post my recording on YouTube below. It's not the best, but it'll do for now. I hope you enjoy it!
Also, if anyone wants the score it is available in a collection of Christmas organ music from France and Germany and very inexpensive. Link is below.
Buy Score
Yours in Music,
Jim
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