“There is no such thing as an empty space or an empty time. There is always something to see, something to hear. In fact, try as we may to make a silence, we cannot.” ― John Cage “The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.” – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart As improvisers, … Continue reading
André Fleury (1903-1995) was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. He received his musical training as a private student of Henri Letocart (a former student of César Franck), and later, of André Marchal and Louis Vierne. At the Paris Conservatory, he studied organ with Eugène Gigout and received a first prize in organ performance and improvisation under … Continue reading
Jeffrey Brillhart Breaking Free: Finding a Personal Voice for Improvisation through 20th Century French Improvisation Techniques. Published by Wayne Leupold Editions. One of the great difficulties I see in the teaching of improvisation is choosing where to begin and how to cover the wealth of material that a well-trained improviser needs to know. Whereas Gerre … Continue reading
Louis Vierne (1870 – 1937) is best known as a composer and organist at Notre Dame in Paris, France. He was born in Poitiers, nearly blind due to congenital cataracts, but was discoverd at an early age to have a gift for music: at age two, a pianist played him a Schubert lullaby and he … Continue reading
Last week, we looked at Harmonizing: A Method to Encourage the Art of Improvising by Sietze de Vries. It focused primarily on basic chords in the same key as the melody. Today, I’d like to offer an idea on developing a tonal vocabulary more in the style of Jean Langlais. Building Chords Common practice harmony … Continue reading
Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986) was a French composer, organist, and teacher. At age 17, upon moving to Paris, he took private organ lessons with Charles Tournemire, whom he assisted at Basilique Ste-Clotilde, Paris until 1927. In 1920 Duruflé entered the Conservatoire de Paris, eventually graduating with first prizes in organ, harmony, piano accompaniment, and composition. His … Continue reading
Website: www.anthonyhammond.com You can hear him on Spotify. Equally renowned as an interpreter and improviser, Dr. Anthony Hammond studied the organ in England with Roger Fisher and David Briggs, and in Paris with Dr. Naji Hakim. A graduate of the University of Bristol, he held posts at Chester Cathedral and St. Mary Redcliffe Church, Bristol, … Continue reading
In addition to the offerings at the AGO National Convention in Boston, there are several other courses around the world offering improvisation instruction during the summer of 2014. Please feel free to share information about other courses in the comments. I will try to add to the list as I find out about other offerings. … Continue reading
This page will list links to all posts that were originally sent as part of the email newsletter. Feel free to enjoy these past issues and sign-up using the box to the right in order to receive future issues when available. Issue 69 – Harmonie 2017 10 31 Issue 68 – Improvisations on Spotify 2017 … Continue reading
This is the chant hymn for vespers for the feasts of the Immaculate Conception and Assumption. The name Mary is said to mean “Star of the Sea” = stella maris. See a list of other popular chant themes here. Videos: Charles Tournemire – Ave Maris Stella – Ste. Clotilde, Paris, France *original audio recorded by … Continue reading
