Belgian composer Joseph Jongen (1875-1953)
The Belgian composer Joseph Jongen (1875-1953) is not very well known today, but during his lifetime he was highly regarded as a composer, performer, and teacher. He studied at the Liège Conservatory and later taught there, as well as at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. He wrote in a wide variety of genres, from chamber music and solo works to large-scale choral and orchestral compositions.
This recording features two of Jongen’s works. The first is his Passacaglia et gigue for orchestra, op. 90 (1929), performed by the Orchestre de Liège conducted by Fernand Quinet. The Passacaglia is a set of variations on a repeating harmonic progression, while the Gigue is a lively dance in triple meter.
The second work is Jongen’s Messe en l’honneur du Saint-Sacrement, op. 130 (1945), performed by The Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge, with organist Paul Provost and the London City Brass conducted by David Hill. The mass is in six movements and was composed in honor of the Eucharist. Jongen’s use of lush harmonies and soaring melodies gives the work a grandeur and sense of reverence appropriate to the subject matter.
Courtesy of: 
