Prière Orientale

For solo Pipe Organ – ca. 11′

Dedicated to Cédric Burgelin, the organist of the Cathédrale of Saintes.
Premiered on May 18, 2022, on the composer’s YouTube channel, performed by the Organist Cédric Burgelin on the Organ of the Saint-Pierre Cathedral in Sainte – France.
This piece was composed during the composer’s residence program in the Abbaye Aux Dames – Saintes, in which he discovered the beautiful organ of the cathedral.
The piece has an ad. lib. introduction, then starts with a traditional Arabic rhythm called Sama’i Thaqil of 10/8 meters, and through it, we discover the beauty of Arabic maqams and ornamentations.
A clear oriental melody using a cornet reed sound, accompanied by soft flutes and strings in the grand orgue, with a pedal of flutes and sub-bass to make the rhythm pulse steady and set the right oriental mood.
A short solo played on the pedalboard in the middle section creates a deep spiritual mood and explores the powerful bass sound of this historical instrument.
With space for improvisation in some specific Arabic mode, the organist has the opportunity to show their capability of improvisation and create some variation on the piece’s motif.
The form follows the Sama’i structure, which is a traditional Arabic rondo form, with a slow tempo and a final refrain in a fast tempo.