Joseph Bonnet

Synopsis

French organist and composer. According Oxford Music Online he was the "heir of Guilmant." Pupil of Guilmant; at 22 organist of St Eustache, Paris; toured widely in Europe and Amer. Organ comps. have wide popularity.

• 1884 born in Bordeaux. His father was organist at Ste Eulalie in Bordeaux, and was his first teacher.
• 1898 at age 14, appointed organist at St Nicolas at Bordeaux and then of St Michel.
• 1901 gave his first solo recital at St Michel.
• studied at the Paris Conservatory with Tournemire and then with Guilmant.
• 1906 won the premier prix in organ and improvisation.
• 1906-1944 beginning at age 22, he was organist at St Eustache in Paris.
• 1911 succeeded Guilmant as concert organist at the Paris Conservatory. He began touring widely in France and Europe.
• 1917-1919 moved the the USA, where he concertized widely in the US and Canada. Here he composed a large number of organ pieces and compiled the six-volume Historical Organ Recitals.
• 1921 founded the organ department at what would become the Eastman School of Music.
• 1923 he contributed to the creation of the Institut Grégorien de Paris. A few years later he returned to France. He was the teacher of Henri Gagnot and of Conrad Bernier.
• 1937 he succeeded Vierne as professor at the Ecole César Franck.
• 1940 forced to return to North America due to the outbreak of WWII. He founded the organ class at the Montreal Conservatoire.
• 1944 died in Quebec.

For details, see the Joseph Bonnet article on Wikipedia.

Oxford music online has a biography of Joseph Bonnet: http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.erl.lib.byu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/42580?q=Joseph+Bonnet&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit

List of Organ Works

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Opus	Title	Year
Op. 1	Variations de Concert	1906
Op. 3	Poemes d'automne	1906
Op. 5	12 Pieces d'orgue	1909
Op. 7	12 Pieces nouvelles	1910
Op. 10	12 Pieces d'orgue,	1913
no opus #	Chant Triste	1925
Op. ??	Title	year

Background and General Perspectives on Performing Bonnet Organ Works

From Oxford Music Online:

"He was one of the first to record, in the 1930s, the works of Grigny and Marchand."

His recital programmes, which covered organ repertory from the 12th century onwards, were published in six volumes as Historical Organ Recitals (New York, 1917–40)."

"He was also involved in an edition of the works of Bach, and in one of Frescobaldi."

"A perfectionist and man of high ethics, Bonnet was also a Benedictine oblate."

"His works for organ, which include the Variations de concert, Poèmes d’automne and three volumes of Pièces d’orgue, opp.5, 7 and 10, are still played in recital; elegant in style, they are characterized by traditional harmony and rigorous counterpoint."

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

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Free Online

Joseph Bonnet - Elfes, performed by Gilian Weir at the Cavaillé-Coll organ in St.Ouen, Rouen, France.

Joseph Bonnet - In memoriam Titanic, Op.10 n°1, from "12 pièce pour Grand Orgue" performed by Giovanni Danda

Pay to Listen

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Other Resources

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Notes

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