This ninth volume in the Great Performers series is devoted to organists. Co-authored by Vincent Warnier, professor and house organist at Saint-Etienne du Mont Church in Paris, and by the music critic Renaud Machart, the book offers over 30 portraits of the greatest organists of the twentieth century, in chronological order.

This lively book, which is both well-written and well-documented, gives a sense of each of those talented musician’s personalities and of what made their playing style unique. It describes each one’s life and career, while also explaining the keys to their style and providing a list of their most important recordings. In addition to constituting a portrait gallery of the greatest organists of the century, it also constitutes an excellent introduction to the singular world of organ music.

A CD with eight hours of previously unpublished music comes with the book. It provides one or two examples of each organist’s work. The pieces were selected to be representative of the performer’s style and career.