Franck Vaudray studied organ at the Conservatoire National de Région in Lyon and the Conservatoires Nationaux Supérieurs de Musique in Paris and Lyon where his teachers included Louis Robilliard and Loïc Mallié. His other teachers include Denis Magnon, Roger Boutry, Jean-Claude Henry, Marcel Bitsch, Daniel Gaudet, Claude Ballif, and Gilbert Amy. He presently serves as professor of musical writing at the Conservatoire National de Région in Grenoble and associate professor at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Lyon.
Video:
Franck Vaudray – Improvisation – Saint François de Sales
Tag Archives: Paris
Jeanne Demessieux
Jeanne Demessieux (1921-1968) began studying piano with her older sister, Yolande, before entering the Montpellier Conservatoire in 1928. In 1933, she entered the Paris Conservatoire, studying piano with Simon Riera and Magda Tagliaferro, harmony with Jean Gallon, counterpoint and fugue with Noël Gallon, and composition with Henri Büsser. She studied organ privately with Marcel Dupré before entering his organ and improvisation classes at the conservatory in 1939. After earning her first prizes, she continued private lessons until her concert debut at the Salle Pleyel in 1946. She served as organist at Saint-Esprit in the 12th arondissement from 1933 until her appointment as titular organist at La Madeleine in 1962. She taught organ at the Nancy Conservatoire (1950-1952) and the Conservatoire Royal in Liège (1952–68). She wrote over 30 compositions and made several recordings, including the complete works of César Franck.
Recordings:
The Legendary Jeanne Demessieux: The Hamburg Organs
Festivo 6961862
Includes repertoire by Bach, Franck, Demessiuex, Messiaen and an improvisation on the choral “O grosser Gott der Treu”
Sophie-Veronique Cauchefer-Choplin
Website:
http://caucheferchoplin.com/
Sophie-Veronique Cauchefer-Choplin began organ studies at the age of 14 with Gérard Letellier. She went on to earn Premier Prix from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris in organ and improvisation with Rolande Falcinelli, harmony with Jean Lemaire, fugue with Michel Merlet, and counterpoint with Jean-Claude Henry. She continued studies with Loïc Mallié, eventually winning the second improvisation prize in the Concours International d’Orgue de Chartres in 1990 when Pierre Pincemaille won first place. In 1985, she became titulaire adjointe with Daniel Roth at Saint-Sulpice in Paris. In 2008, she became professor of organ and improvisation at the Royal College of Music in London.
You can hear her on Spotify.
Recordings:
Sophie-Véronique Choplin au grand-orgue de Saint-Sulpice
Includes an improvised theme and variations
Saint-Sulpice Paris
Includes repertoire by J.S. Bach, Daniel Roth, Maurice Duruflé, F. Mendelssohn and an improvisation
Videos:
Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin – Improvisation – Saint-Sulpice
Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin – Improvisation über ‘Erschalle laut Triumphgesang! Triumph der Heiland ist erstanden!’ – St. Joseph, Bonn-Beuel
Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin – Offertoire improvisé – St Jean Baptiste de la Salle, Paris
Léonce de Saint-Martin
Léonce de Saint-Martin (1886-1954) became titulaire of Notre Dame de Paris from 1937 until his death. He succeeded Louis Vierne after a decision by the cathedral authorities. But it was a controversial appointment, a petition from 55 organists and other church musicians of Paris has asked for an open contest as were Vierne’s wishes, but it was not to be. St Martin’s appointment was to remain controversial for the rest of his time at Notre Dame, his abilities were not held in high regard by many in the Parisian church music scene.
Videos:
Léonce de Saint-Martin – Elevation – Notre Dame
Léonce de Saint-Martin – Noel – Notre Dame
János Pálúr
Website:
http://palur.hu
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/palurj/videos
János Pálúr is professor of organ at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and titular organist of the Fasor Reformed Church. From 1995 to 1997 he studied organ with Olivier Latry in the Perfectionnement class of the Conservatory of Paris (CNSM). In 1997 he won the Grand Prix of the second International Organ Competition of Paris.
Recordings:
Videos:
János Pálúr and László Fassang – Improvisation on ‘O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden’ – Fanciscans Church Budapest
János Pálúr – Dies Irae – Improvisation – Palace of Arts, Budapest
Olivier Latry, László Fassang and János Pálúr – Sortie Improvisation – Notre Dame de Paris
Jacques Taddei
Jacques Taddei (1946-2012) was organist titulaire at the Basilique Sainte-Clotilde from 1993 to 2012. He began as co-titulaire in 1987 and was the successor to Jean Langlais. His successor is Olivier Pénin. He also served as Director of the CNR de Paris (1987-2004), Director of Music for Radio France (2005-2006), and Director of the Musée Marmottan in Paris (2007-2012).
He studied organ with Pierre Cochereau and Marie-Claire Alain. In 1980, he won the Grand Prix d’improvisation in the Concours international d’orgue de Chartres.
Recording:
Hommage a Pierre Cochereau
Includes Liszt “Ad Nos” and an improvised symphony.
Francis Chapelet
Francis Chapelet began organ studies at the École César Franck, studying with Édouard Souberbielle. He continued his studies at the CNSMD in Paris where he earned First Prizes in Harmony (class of Maurice Duruflé), organ and improvisation (class of Rolande Falcinelli).
In 1964 he was named cotitulaire of the organ at the Église Saint-Séverin in Paris, a position which he held for twenty year and where he remains titulaire honoraire.
He created the organ class at the Conservatoire de Bordeaux where he taught until 1996.
Books:
Chapelet, Francis, Livre d’improvisation et d’accompagnement, éditions Les presses de la Double, 2002, 68 pages.
Chapelet, Francis, L’Œuvre pour orgue (volume 1 : Pièces et improvisations dans l’esthétique classique, volume 2 : Pièces et improvisations dans le style modal et contemporain), éditions Delatour, 2013.
Recordings:
Orgues De Grignan
While the top of the listing indicates this is an audio CD, the description indicates it is a vinyl record!
It includes both a composition and improvisation by Francis Chapelet.
Collection “Orgues Historiques” : Covarrubias réf: HMO n°7 Improvisations et Correa de Arauxo, Cabanilles…
Collection “Orgues Historiques” : Salamanque réf: n°10 Improvisations
Collection “Orgues Historiques” : Frederiksborg – Sweelink et improvisations Réf: HM n°16
Collection “Orgues Historiques” : Tolède – Improvisations réf: HM 4519.1.24
Collection “Orgues Historiques” : Trujillo – Improvisations réf: HM 4511 n° 18
Collection “Orgues Historiques” : Lisbonne – Improvisations réf: HM 4517 n° 1.22
Abbatiale Sainte Croix de Bordeaux – Orgue Dom Bedos – F.Couperin, Grigny, Guilain, Dandrieu et improvisation
Videos:
Francis Chapelet – Improvisation sur ‘Ay triste que vengo’ – Frechilla
Francis Chapelet – Improvisation – Albi
Francis Chapelet – Présentation de l’orgue Castillan Majorquin
Francis Chapelet – Trois improvisations sur l’Evangile – Menesterol
Francis Chapelet – Improvisación final concierto – Torre de Juan Abad
Francis Chapelet – Obertura Improvisada – Torre de Juan Abad
Francis Chapelet – Improvisations – Cathédrale de Salamanca
Francis Chapelet – Improvisations – São Vicente de Fora, Lisbonne
Martin Bacot
YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/VJOrgue
Born in 1980, Martin Bacot studied piano with Christine Pagès and harmony with Jeanine Boutin at the Conservatoire National de Région de Versailles. Il has studied organ with Georges Robert, Eric Lebrun, Vincent Warnier, and Pierre Pincemaille.
Having earned his Premier Prix d’Interprétation from the CNR d’Angers, a premier Prix d’Improvisation à l’unanimité from the CNR de Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, Martin Bacot has also won several improvisation competitions:
• Second prize in the Concours “Orgues sans frontières”, Sarrebrück in 2001
• First Prize in the Concours de Schwäbisch Gmünd in 2009
• Grand Prix André Marchal and Prix Englert in the Concours André Marchal in Biarritz in 2009
In 2010, he was a finalist in the Haarlem International Improvisation Competition.
From 1998 to 2010, he regularly replaced Pierre Pincemaille at the Cathédrale de Saint-Denis. In 2011 he became organist titulaire at the Église St Louis de la Guillotière in Lyon.
In addition to his musical studies, Martin Bacot studied architecture at the Ecole Supérieure d’Architecture in Versailles, earning his diploma in 2006. In addition to his concert activities, he works in Lyon as an architect specializing in the restoration of patrimony.
Videos:
Martin Bacot – Improvisation sur un texte biblique – Finale Concours André Marchal 2009
Martin Bacot – Improvisation sur un choral imposé – Concours André Marchal 2009
Martin Bacot – Improvisations in German Baroque Style – Haarlem Wallon church
Martin Bacot – Improvisation on Coventry Carol – Coventry Cathedral
Martin Bacot – Improvisation sur l’introÏt de l’Ascension ‘Viri Galilei’ – Cathédrale de Troyes
Rolande Falcinelli
Rolande Falcinelli (1920 – 2006) was a French organist, pianist, composer, and teacher. She studied organ and improvisation with Marcel Dupré at the Paris Conservatoire. In 1955, she succeeded Dupré as organ professor at the Paris Conservatory, teaching there until 1987. Among her numerous students were Xavier Darasse, Louis Thiry, Yves Devernay, Francis Chapelet, André Isoir, Daniel Roth, Jean-Pierre Leguay, Sophie-Veronique Cauchefer-Choplin, Louis Robillard, Philippe Lefèbvre, Maurice Clerc, Patrice Caire, Marie-Bernadette Dufourcet, and Naji Hakim. She also served as titular organist at Sacré-Coeur in Paris from 1946 to 1973.
You can hear her on Spotify.
Recordings:
Rolande Falcinelli: 4 Grandes Improvisations en Concert
Gaston Litaize
Association Gaston Litaize:
http://www.gastonlitaize.com/
Gaston Litaize (1909 – 1991) was a French organist and composer. An illness caused him to lose his sight just after birth. He entered the Institute for the Blind in Nancy, studying with Charles Magin. Magin encouraged him to continue studies in Paris at the Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles. Litaize enrolled concurrently there and at the Paris Conservatory. His teachers in Paris included Adolphe Marty, Marcel Dupré, Henri Büsser, and Louis Vierne.
In 1939, Litaize became organist at Saint-Cloud, and in 1944 he became director of religious radio programs, overseeing five weekly broadcasts. In 1946, Litaize became organist titulaire at Saint‑François‑Xavier, a post he held until his death. When he retired from the radio in 1975, he became the organ teacher at the Conservatoire in St Maur-des-Fossés. His students there included Denis Comtet, Olivier Latry, Eric Lebrun, and Christophe Mantoux.
Litaize made numerous recordings, some of which have been reissued. He also was very active as a composer. A complete list of his compositions is available here. Olivier Latry has even transcribed and published one of Litaize’s improvisations
Biography:
Gaston Litaize by Sébastien Durand
This book is in French.
Fantaisie et Fugue sur le nom de Gaston Litaize
Alain Litaize
This book is in French and includes an audio CD with unpublished works and improvisations of Gaston Litaize.
Recordings:
Gaston Litaize: Organ
Includes an improvisation on Victinmae paschali laudes.
Gaston Litaize: Récital de Son 80 Anniversaire
Includes Litaize playing some of his own compositions and an improvisation.
Gaston Litaize e Guy Bovet: All’organo di Carasso (Ticino)
Includes repertoire played by Gaston Litaize and Guy Bovet as well as an improvisation by each of the organists.
Litaize plays Litaize
Gaston Litaize plays his own works on the 1979 Winfried Albiez (Lindau / Lake Constance) organ located in the gallery of the Church of St. Mary in Kempen, Germany as well as three improvisations. Available through OHS.