André Raison

Writing in 1687 or 1688 (in the preface to his Premier livre d’orgue, published in 1688) the composer mentioned that he found the purpose of his life while studying at the seminary.

[2] In Paris Raison first lived in a room in "The Guardian Angel", a house in Rue Saint Etienne des Grez, two city blocks away from the abbey.

[4] Finally, Raison's Second livre d'orgue, published in 1714, indicates that at that time he worked as organist at the church of the Jacobins at Rue St. Jacques in Paris.

The offertory has a subtitle "Vive le Roy des Parisiens" ("Long live the King of Parisians"), referencing Louis XIV's entrance into the city hall on 30 January 1687.

The collection features a long preface in which Raison explains that Premier livre d'orgue was composed to assist the musicians of secluded monasteries; for them he provides important instructions concerning style, ornamentation, registration and other aspects of performance practice.

The individual pieces are short versets in various typical forms of the French organ school: duos, trios, dialogues, fugues, récits, etc.

Willi Apel describes the overall style thus: "In their melodious, dance-like character these pieces follow Lebègue; others of a more organ-like and ecclesiastic approach are similar to Nivers'.

"[8] An interesting feature, indicative of Raison's meticulous attention to detail,[4] is the early use of double dotting in French music of the period.

Some more fugues and preludes follow, an offertory, an Ouverture du Septième en d, la, ré, an Allemande grave and a number of noël (French Christmas carols) variations.