Charles Tournemire

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

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Opus	Title	Year
Op. 55-57	l'Orgue Mystique	1927-1932
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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

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See the footnote in the "Notes" section at the bottom of the page

Fingering and Pedaling

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Articulation and Phrasing

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Ornamentation

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Tempo and Meter

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Scores and Editions

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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

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Other Resources

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Notes

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