Yves Devernay

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DevernayYves Devernay (1937-1990) studied the organ with Marie-Claire Alain and Rolande Falcinelli, and was awarded Premier Prix at Lyon and Chartres improvisation competitions. He became one of four organists (alongside Olivier Latry, Philippe Lefèbvre and Jean-Pierre Leguay) to inherit Pierre Cochereau‘s post as titulaire of Notre Dame in 1985. He died suddenly in 1990. You can hear him on Spotify.


Recordings:

Devernay: Improvisations à Notre-Dame de Paris

Audio:
Yves Devernay – Entry in the 12th Haarlem Improvisation Competition

Videos:
Yves Devernay – Sortie, Christmas 1988 – Notre Dame, Paris
Yves Devernay – Sortie, Easter 1989 – Notre Dame, Paris
Yves Devernay – Sortie, Easter 1989 – Notre Dame, Paris

Olivier Latry

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Festival Musica: Olivier Latry, concert d'orgue Messiaen aÃÄ l'eglise ST PaulProfessor of Organ in the Conservatoire de Paris.
In 1985, at 23 years of age, Latry was awarded the post of one of four titulaires des grands orgue of Notre-Dame, Paris alongside Yves Devernay, Philippe Lefèbvre and Jean-Pierre Leguay, following the death of Pierre Cochereau.
Full bio.


Recordings:

Olivier Latry: On A Sunday Afternoon at Washington National Cathedral
This recording features Olivier Latry’s 2007 recital on the pipe organ in Washington National Cathedral and includes works of Louis Vierne, Felix-Alexandre Guilmant and two improvisations by Latry.

Videos:
Sortie – 18.09.2011 – Notre Dame
Sortie – 10-09-2011 – Notre Dame
À la Bach – Notre Dame
Communion – 29.03.2008 – Notre Dame
Olivier Latry – Organ Blessing Versets – Our Lady of Refuge, Brooklyn, NY
Olivier Latry – Improvisation on The Simpsons Theme – Toronto
Olivier Latry with Vincent Dubois, Paolo Oreni and Michael Bottenhorn – Happy Birthday – St. Joseph, Bonn Beuel
Olivier Latry & Philippe Lefebvre – Variations Pt. 1
Olivier Latry & Philippe Lefebvre – Variations Pt. 2
Olivier Latry, Philippe Lefèbvre, Vincent Dubois, Paolo Oreni and Kalevi Kiviniemi – Improvisation-à-cinque – St. Joseph, Bonn Beuel

Gerre Hancock

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HancockGerre Hancock is best known for his service as Organist and Master of the Choristers at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue in New York City from 1971 to 2004.
Full bio. You can hear him on Spotify.


Book:

Improvising: How to Master the Art
Oxford University Press
One of the most recent essential method books from a master teacher!

Recordings:

Gerre Hancock: Fanfare
Also Available as an mp3 download


Gerre Hancock: Christmas Improvisations


On a sunday afternon: Gerre Hancock Live at Washington National Cathedral


Great Hymns Of Faith
University Of Texas Chamber Singers under the direction of James Morrow
Gerre Hancock provides fabulous improvised hymn accompaniments, interludes, and free improvisations based upon hymn tunes on the Visser-Rowland at the University of Texas at Austin.

Videos:
Doxology October 6, 2002- St. Thomas
Final hymn and improvised Organ Voluntary on ‘Gott sei Dank’ – May 18, 2003 – St. Thomas
Improvised versets on the Magnificat Solemn Tone – April 4, 2004 – St. Thomas

Naji Hakim

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naji_hakimOfficial website:
http://www.najihakim.com/
You can hear him on Spotify.

Naji Hakim studied with Jean Langlais and at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris in the classes of R. Boutry, Jean-Claude Henry, M. Bitsch, Rolande Falcinelli, J. Castérède and S. Nigg, where he was awarded seven first prizes. He is professor of musical analysis at the Conservatoire National de Région de Boulogne-Billancourt, and visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music, London. At first organist of the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur, Paris from 1985 until 1993, he then became organist of l’église de la Trinité, in succession to Olivier Messiaen, from 1993 until 2008.


Book:
HakimCompanionThe Improvisation Companion
United Music Publishers Ltd.
The Improvisation Companion is intended as a reference book for all musicians looking for a form of personal artistic expression on their instrument. The guide uses an educational process of synthesis and is divided into four main parts that deal with the theory of improvisation and of its different components (theme, development and forms). The two appendices cover the basic principles of harmonisation and give a repertoire of themes.

Articles:
Principles of Improvisation. In: Church Music Quarterly, magazine of the Royal School of Church Music, July 2001.
Une entrevue avec Naji Hakim
by Béatrice Piertot in : “La Revue l’Orgue” 2003 (in French)

Audio:
Naji Hakim – Entry in the 33rd Haarlem Improvisation Competition

Videos:
Documentary – On the Edge featuring a Sortie by Hakim
Naji Hakim – Improvisation “Segne du Maria” – Wallfahrtskirche – Klausen

On the music of Hakim:

Selected Chant-Based Organ Works of Naji Hakim: The Influence of Improvisation
by Heather Hernandez

Thierry Escaich

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Thierry Escaich © François GibelliOfficial website:
http://www.escaich.org/en/

YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/escaichthierry
 You can also hear him on Spotify.
Thierry Escaich has been organist at Saint-Étienne-du-Mont in Paris since 1997, having succeeded Maurice Duruflé.


Recordings:

Thierry Escaich: Organ Spectacular (Improvisations)


Souvenirs de l’opus 26 Live
Includes repertoire and improvisations


Thierry Escaich : Esquisses (feat. Eric Aubier, Ensemble Vocal Soli Tutti)
Includes compositions by Escaich for organ, choir, and trumpet with organ. The recording begins and concludes with improvisations.


Escaich: Le Dernier Evangile
This recording contains a work for chorus, organ and orchestra by Escaich and four improvisations.


Escaich: Live Improvisations
Thierry Escaich: Improvisations
Only available as used through Amazon.com. This recording contains fur suites of improvisations for Chirstmas, Holy Week, Pentecost and Assumption. Recorded on the Daniel Birouste organ at St. Pierre de Chaillot in Paris.
There is an earlier release on the same record label where Escaich improvises and plays some of his own compositions at St. Germain-des-Prés in Paris.

escaich_cd05

Thierry Escaich
Le Chemin de la Croix, improvisations.
Thierry Escaich, organ. Georges Wilson, récitant (textes de Paul Claudel). Recorded at the Cathedral of Laon, 16 – 17 March 2000. Disque Caliope, 2000, CAL 9523.


Hommage à Pierre Cochereau
Improvisations by George Baker, David Briggs, Thierry Escaich and Loïc Mallié.


Duruflé: Works for Organ & Choir
This recording contains choral works of Maurice Duruflé, along with the Suite, op 5, and improvisations by Thierry Escaich.


Unlimited! (Music for Trumpet and Organ)
While both discs contain music for trumpet and organ, the second also includes several improvisations by Escaich alone.
Videos:
Improvisation sur un texte de saint Paul
Thierry Escaich Improv sur le “Chemin de la Croix” de Claudel – Notre Dame de Paris

Pierre Cochereau

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cochereauPierre Cochereau was organist at the Cathedral of Notre Dame from 1955 until 1984.
Full bio. You can hear him on Spotify.

Many of his improvisations have been transcribed by David Briggs, François Lombard, and a few others and are now available in print through Editions Chantraine.


Recordings:

Cochereau: Improvise sur des Noëls


Cochereau: Improvise en concert à Notre-Dame de Paris


Cochereau: 2 Symphonies improvisées à Notre-Dame de Paris


Cochereau: L’Organiste liturgique


Cochereau: L’Art de l’improvisation


Improvisations sur les thèmes de Pâques


Cochereau, la Légende


Cochereau: Deux grandes Improvisations en concert à Notre-Dame de Paris


Cochereau: Un Testament musical


Les Offices du dimanche à Notre-Dame de Paris


Pierre Cochereau – l’organiste de Notre-Dame


L’art de la Variation – improvisations


Cochereau Joue Cochereau Improvisions 1


Pierre Cochereau – Les Incunables (1955-56)


Pierre Cochereau – 12 improvisations inedites


Pierre Cochereau at Saint Thomas NYC

Videos:
Pierre Cochereau – Sortie – Notre Dame – Audio only

Fugue

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A fugue is a contrapuntal compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject (theme) that is introduced at the beginning in imitation (repetition at different pitches) and recurs frequently in the course of the composition.

David Briggs – Fugue at St. Sulpice
Otto Maria Krämer – Suite Francaise – Fugue
William Porter – O dass ich tausend Zunge hätte – Fugue

David Briggs

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DavidBriggsDavid Briggs is organist at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. Previously he served as Artist in Residence at St. James Cathedral, Toronto.
Complete bio.

David Briggs has a YouTube Channel. You can also hear him on Spotify.


Recordings:

Sounds French – David Briggs Plays the Organ of Blackburn Cathedral
Includes an improvised symphony by David Briggs as well as two improvisations by Pierre Cochereau transcribed and played by David Briggs.


Sounds Artistic
Includes an improvised suite of dances and Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky.


Organ Spectacular
Includes improvised Prelude, Adagio and Chorale Variations on Ein Feste Burg.


Briggs: Mass for Notre Dame
In addition to the choral music of David Briggs sung by the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge under the direction of Stephen Layton, David Briggs improvised other parts of the traditional mass when the organ would play without the choir singing.


Hommage à Pierre Cochereau
Improvisations by George Baker, David Briggs, Thierry Escaich and Loïc Mallié.

Videos:
Fugue at St. Sulpice
Sortie at St. Sulpice
Offertoire at St. Sulpice
Sarabande Improvisée – St Wenzelkirche, Naumburg