Ben van Oosten's impressive discography of French organ music has somehow neglected one very important person: César Franck. Now the Dutch organ wizard fills this glaring gap with a marvellous show of virtuosity on four CDs bringing together the whole of Franck's organ oeuvre, from his early efforts to the three great masterpiece cycles.

Once again van Oosten performs on the legendary L'Orgue à Michel-Ange in St. Ouen's Cathedral in Rouen. Today this

organ, one of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll's most magnificent

instruments, is preserved in its original state.

Cavaillé-Coll and César Franck were close friends. Franck tested many brand-new organs in Cavaillé-Coll's workshop and wrote the Trois Pièces for the inaugural concert of the Trocadéro Organ on the occasion of the World's Fair in 1878.

Ben van Oosten conveys all of the above in remarkable fashion. The challenges in the field of playing technique are of course no problem for this Chévalier des Arts et des Lettres, and the manner in which he draws on the phenomenal resources of the St. Ouen organ make this encyclopedic survey of Franck's organ oeuvre an audio feast with addictive potential.