Charles Tournemire

From Organ Playing Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search

Synopsis

French organist and composer

  • 22 January 1870 born in Bordeaux
  • 1886 transferred to Paris to study at the Paris Conservatory; studied with Widor
  • 1889 joined Franck's organ class, with whom he had a deep connection.
  • 1898-1939 titulaire organist at Ste Clotilde, succeeding Franck. He was also professor of chamber music at the Paris Conservatory.
  • influential teacher to Duruflé, Langlais, Daniel-Lesur and others.
  • 1920 began a gradual retreat from musical society, spending more and more time composing in isolated locations.
  • 1927-1932 Tournemire composed, according to Oxford Music Online, "his best known work, . . . L’orgue mystique, a cycle of 51 organ suites, one for every Sunday of the church year, each based on the appropriate plainsong. The cycle thus aims to provide for the Catholic liturgy what Bach had accomplished for the Protestant. Tournemire was also well-known for his improvisations based on Gregorian chant.
  • 1931 published a book about Cesar Franck
  • 1931 Durufle recorded and then transcribed Tournemire's "Cinq Improvisations."
  • 3 or 4 November 1939, died in Arcachon

For details, see the Charles Tournemire article on Wikipedia.

Oxford Music Online biography of Tournemire: http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.erl.lib.byu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/28225?q=tournemire&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit

List of Organ Works

Click to sort by opus number, title, or year of composition or publication
Opus Title Year
Op. 55-57 l'Orgue Mystique 1927-1932
Op. ?? Title year
Op. ?? Title year
Op. ?? Title year
Op. ?? Title year
Op. ?? Title year
Op. ?? Title year

Background and General Perspectives on Performing Tournemire Organ Works

Some comments from Oxford Music online: "mysticism;" "highly individual musical language;" "eclectic;" "modal themes," including Hindu modes; "fascinating link between the harmonic worlds of Debussy and Franck on the one hand and Messiaen on the other."

Registration and Organs

Replace this text with information on registration and organs that might be applicable to the whole set of pieces

See the footnote in the "Notes" section at the bottom of the page[1]

Fingering and Pedaling

Replace this text with information on fingering and pedaling that might be applicable to the whole set of pieces

Articulation and Phrasing

Replace this text with information on articulation and phrasing that might be applicable to the whole set of pieces

Ornamentation

Replace this text with information on ornamentation that might be applicable to the whole set of pieces

Tempo and Meter

Replace this text with information on tempo and meter that might be applicable to the whole set of pieces

Scores and Editions

Replace this text with information on scores and editions that might be applicable to the whole set of pieces

Recordings

"Charles Tournemire, the Last Symphonic Organ Works" performed by Timothy Tikker

Free Online

Charles Tournemire - Improvisation sur le "Te Deum", performed by Daniel Gabčo

Charles Tournemire - "Victimae Paschali Laudes", performed by Julien Bret, on the 1890 Cavaillé-Coll organ in the Abbey Church of Saint Ouen, Rouen

Pay to Listen

Replace this text with information on online recordings that are available for a fee

Other Resources

Replace this text with information on other resources that might be pertinent to performing these pieces

Notes

  1. This footnote was entered in the "Registration and Organs" section

This space is for automatic insertion of footnotes. To enter a footnote from anywhere in the article, start by typing the tag <ref> and then enter the text, and type the tag </ref> to end the footnote. The footnote will then appear in this "Notes" section automatically.