Organ recital: Thomas Ospital

Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 8:30 PM

Estimated Run Time: 1 hour

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

During a stay in Paris, Rachmaninoff discovered a reproduction of one of Arnold Böcklin's five paintings depicting The Isle of the Dead. It shows a boat moving across the calm waters of the Styx, rowed by a figure painted from behind. In the center of the painting stands a dead man, also seen from behind, dressed in his shroud and standing in front of his coffin. He contemplates his final resting place: a rocky island planted with tall cypress trees. Literally captivated, Rachmaninoff composed his eponymous symphonic poem in 1909. In it, he recreates the funereal atmosphere of the painting and imbues it with ever-increasing intensity. The Dies Irae motif is used several times to reinforce the tragic dimension of the score.
Fifteen years later, Marcel Dupré composed his Symphonie-Passion, a souvenir of an improvisation he made on the immense Wanamaker Grand Court Organ in Philadelphia in 1921. Although it does not bear the name, the work is similar to a symphonic poem and evokes four moments in the life of Christ, each movement based on a Gregorian melody: “Jesu, redemptor omnium” for the anticipation of his coming; “Adestes fideles” for the Nativity; “Stabat mater dolorosa” for the Crucifixion; and “Adorote devote” for the Resurrection.

Photo by ©DR

Program

Sergueï Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
L'Île des morts transcription by Louis Robillard

Thomas Ospital (1990)
Improvisation

Marcel Dupré (1886-1971)
Symphonie-Passion op. 23

Cast

Thomas Ospital, grand organ