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Embark on a captivating musical adventure with “Voyage,” an album from the Organ Music Specialists at Base2 Music that explores the rich world of organ music at Saint Ouen, Rouen on one of the greatest organs in the world.

Featuring the talents of Jean-Baptiste Monnot, a protege of renowned organists Jean Guillou and Olivier Latry from Notre Dame Cathedral, this album offers a unique blend of traditional and innovative sounds and featuring in the mix, the ultrasonic contributions of the bats who flew during the recording.

The album is Exclusively Available in Stereo and 5.1 Channel Surround Sound DSD 256, DSD 128 and DXD plus Stereo DSD 512 from NativeDSD.

At the heart of the album is the Grand organ, the 1890 ‘michaelangelo’ masterpiece crafted by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, known for its thunderous 32ft Contra Bombarde stop. This organ, often regarded as one of the world’s most thrilling and frequently recorded instruments, captivates listeners with its powerful and unique sound complimented by the 130 metre long Abbey’s superb acoustics.

The second part of the album introduces L’orgue du Voyage, a portable organ built by Jean-Baptiste Monnot, featuring an all Bach programme. Recorded in immersive 5.1 surround sound, the emphasis is on enveloping the listener in between the pipe modules as they surround you.

Produced by Jake Purches for Base2 Music, the album was recorded with a 100 kHz bandwidth, utilising Sennheiser MKH8020 omni-directional microphones and recorded in 32-bit linear at 352.8 kHz PCM (DXD), the recordings capture every detail of the music with exceptional resolution. This level of resolution allows listeners to experience the full spectrum of sound up to 50kHz, from the powerful bass notes of the organ to the delicate harmonies and harmonics. In addition to the musical performances, the recordings reveal the presence of bats calling amidst the organ’s melodies.  The bats sing at 47 to 80 kHz, and a coda was made at the end of the album with a tenfold reduction to bring the bat song into our own audio range, adding an unusual touch to the album’s atmosphere

The album features classic pieces such as Widor’s 6th Allegro, showcasing the Grand organ’s commanding and powerful presence with its famous 32ft contra-bomarde, then more gentle Bach, Brahms and increasing in power with César Franck’s Pièce héroique followed by a brand new composition by producer Jacob Purches who under the touch of Jean-Baptiste Monnot, explores the organ’s subtleties and sonic depths in his ‘Prelude, Passacaglia and Lament’.

Jean-Baptiste Monnot, Organist