As both an organist and a composer, Lebanese-born Naji Hakim has distinguished himself as one of the most active artists of his generation. A virtuosic performer, who succeeded Olivier Messiaen as organist at l’église de la Trinité in Paris, many of his works draw on his own Christian beliefs (in 2007 he was honoured with a Papal award for his services to the church). The works are recorded on the new van den Heuvel organ of the Danish Radio Concert Hall, Copenhagen (opened in 2009).
The most immediately striking thing about this disc – apart from the excellence of the recording quality – is the brilliance and virtuosity of the performances … I regard this as an important recording and I recommend it unreservedly – International Record Review
Hakim’s spiritual exuberance is expressed in harmonically ear-tickling music which sings and dances, accelerating, in his inimitably breathless toccatas, to the insane-sounding speeds of whirling dervishes – Choir and Organ
