Rollin Smith - Louis Vierne: Organist of Notre Dame Cathedral (The Complete Organ Series Vol 3)

Louis Vierne:
Organist of Notre Dame Cathedral

Rollin Smith

The Complete Organ No. 3

Pendragon Press

Hillsdale, N.Y.

1999

for

Charles N. Henderson

Teacher and Friend

Contents

Vierne at the Philadelphia Wanamaker organ

Albert Mahaut

16. Francks tomb in Montparnasse Cemetery

17. Lenoirs monument of Franck at the organ

22. Bach at the organ

45. La Trinit

74. Saint-Pierre-de-Neuilly

79. Notre-Dame, the transept seen from the nave

96. Pont Saint-Louis and the apse of Notre-Dame

101. Vierne at the New York Wanamaker organ

109. Lonce de Saint-Martin

Sources for Illustrations

American Organ Archive, Organ Historical Society, 143; Pierre Baculard: 109; Ray Biswanger: 101; James M. Bratton: 56; Nelson Buechner: 58, 134; Casavant Frres , 141; Rulon Christiansen: 81, 95, 115, 116, 148, 168, 173; Franois Carbou: 133; Norbert Dufourcq , 31; Franoise Fleury , 111; Hagley Museum and Library, 128; Allen Hobbs: 51, 81, 95, 149, 115, 116, 137, 147, 149, 152, 153, 163, 166, 174; Marie-Louise Langlais, 61; Kurt Lueders: 2; Jim Lewis: 48, 129; Jean-Pierre Mazeirat: 42, 110, 112, 154, 159, 161, 162, 169; Thomas Murray: 100; Barbara Owen: 136, 138, 139; Carl Weinrich: 566; Ernest White: 82.

[A number of illustrations have been changed for this ebook edition.]

An awareness of the special qualities of Louis Viernes organ music began for me around 1950 listening to the preludes, offertories, and postludes played by Ellen B. English at Broadway Methodist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. Later, at Butler University in that city, my organ teacher, Ernest White, who knew Vierne, encouraged my interest in playing his music. While at Union Theological Seminary in New York, I met the musicologist, Mason Martens, who simply said, Vierne is so much more interesting than Widor. In 1970 I performed the complete Vierne symphonies at St. Thomas Church in New York with program notes by Marcel Dupr, Maurice Durufl, Nadia Boulanger, and Jean Langlais written especially for the series.

Louis Viernes organ music has figured prominently in recitals for the entire twentieth century. Individual pieces were recorded on player organ roils in the 1920s and on phonograph records as early as 1928 but it was not until 1955 that a music lover could hear a complete symphony. That was the second, played, appropriately enough, on Viernes organ at Notre-Dame de Paris by the newly-appointed organist, Pierre Cochereau . To date there have been seven commercial recordings of the complete six symphonies; this does not take into account some nine recordings of the first and third symphonies, and at least five each of the even-numbered symphonies.

In spite of the popularity of Viernes music there has not been, until now, a book published on the composer in English. Articles surface from time to time, mostly quoting translated excerpts from Bernard Gavotys 1943 biography, Louis Vierne: La Vie et luvre, and a 1937 translation of Viernes Mes Souvenirs has been available to those with access to back issues of The Diapason.

While this work will hopefully fill a void, I present it with the thought of the many people who crossed my path who knew Vierne, studied with him, or heard him play, and who would have enthusiastically shared their memorieshad I but taken the time to ask. Nevertheless, I have been fortunate to have the generous help of Rulon Christiansen who interviewed several of Viernes surviving students, Jean-Pierre Mazeirat, a friend of Bernard Gavoty and erudite Vierne authority, and Allen Hobbs, the American author and musicologist who befriended Viernes companion, Madeleine Richepin, several years before her death. I am grateful to Mr. Hobbs for including his reminiscences in the Foreword.

Two organists who have researched particular aspects of Viernes career generously contributed to this volume: Olivier Latry, the present titulaire of Notre-Dame Cathedral, whose list of corrections to the published scores of the 24 Pices de Fantaisie, was originally published in The Sydney Organ Journal; and William Hays who spent a number of years tracing Viernes 1927 recital tour across the United States and Canada. Dr. Hays unfortunately passed away in December 1997 but little needed to be done to complete his chapter, Vierne in America.

This book, then, is a collaborative effort by many devotees of Louis Vierneboth those who knew him and studied with him, and those who wish they had.

Rollin Smith

Anthony Baglivi, who read this work and made suggestions for the French translations;

Rulon Christiansen, who generously shared his knowledge garnered from his association with Viernes students;

Franoise Fleury , Andr Fleury s daughter, for a copy of Viernes carte-de-visite and providing the dates for her uncle, Jacques Pierson;

Paul Hale, editor of Organists Review, who kindly ran an inquiry regarding Viernes recitals in England;

Charles N. Henderson who read the manuscript and offered many valuable suggestions;

Phillip J. Herbert for information on Viernes recital on May 3, 1925, at St. Marys Church, Hinckley, England;

Allen Hobbs, who shared his reminiscences of Madeleine Richepin, provided copies of Viernes recital programs, photographs, and assisted with the English translations;

Marie-Louise Langlais for an original copy of the program of the 1935 inauguration of the organ of Saint-Pierre-de-Montrouge ;

Pastor de Lasala for permission to use his English translation of Olivier Larrys textual corrections for Viernes Pices de Fantaisie;

Olivier Latry, for permission to include his textual corrections for Viernes Pices de Fantaisie and additional corrections for the Second and Third Symphonies;

the many who assisted the late William Hays in his research on Viernes American tour: Stephen M. Burk, John Ditto, Rachael E. Finch, Michael Friesen, Susan B. Henley, Franklin L. Mitchell, Grant Moss, Jacquelin Rochette, John Tuttle, and Nina Wu;

Jean-Pierre Mazeirat, who for many years has shared his knowledge of Vierne and his association with Bernard Gavoty. In addition to photographs, he has provided copies of Viernes recital programs and reviews;

Marcus Prater and Paul Wolfe who set many of the musical examples.

Madeleine and Me

There was barely enough room in the elevator forMadeleineand me.

It was a lovely day in Paris in 1958, although I no longer remember the exact dateprobably a day in June. (As the reader will notice, some details are forgotten after forty years... but Madeleine s letters indicate that I would be arriving sometime early in June.)

Several hours before, Madeleine had come to get me at the Gare St. Lazare , where the train brought passengers to Paris from Le Havre. Steamship trips in those days were far less expensive for tourists and students than air travel, yet in its infancy. One detail I have not forgotten: round trip fare for the New York Le Havre New York voyage was the huge amount of $199. Oh, how times change!

Now, to identify the people involved: Madeleine was Madeleine Mallet-Richepin.