! the Organ-388-May-Jul'19

Louis-James-Alfred Lefébure-Wély, lithograph 4 No 388 | THE ORGAN | SPRING 2019 Louis-James-Alfred Lefébure-Wély A sesquicentenary assessment Michał Szostak 2019 marks the 150th anniversary of the death of this greatly significant figure in the Cavaillé-Coll (1811-1899) and his instru - development of 19th-century French organ music. In this major article, Dr Szostak ments built in the spirit of symphonic considers a number of important factors in the life and work of this remarkable style. musician. Another important factor at this time was the enlargement of the Prologue said that new music – in the spirit of orchestra, an area enabling composers This year sees the 150th anniversary of developing Romanticism – began to to create larger and larger symphonic the death of an interesting and import - appear in French organ music in the works, where such factors as crescendi ant figure for the French organ and ’30s and ’40s of the 19th century. This and diminuendi played a more expressive organ music world of the 19th century, phenomenon was closely related to the and important role. Louis-James-Alfred Lefébure-Wély appearance in Paris in 1833 of Aristide It must also be remembered that (1817-1869). He was called by his con - temporaries the “prince of organists”, a “notability”, a ”dandy”, the “Auber of organ” and even – this is the very word of Alexandre Guilmant – ”the most significant, the greatest and timeless organist of France”. 1 Anniversaries are good opportunities to recall characters who – although forgotten today – played an important role in their field in their time. This article presents facts from the life of this musician, and sheds light on the realities in which he lived. Historical context The cultural and moral plight that reached France during the Great Revol- ution (1789-1799) and the subsequent decades of the 19th century reflected a significant turning point in the whole culture of the country, but also – more significantly from our standpoint – in organ music. The period marked a temporary closure of the organ class at the Paris Conservatory; on the one hand, completing the work of the “old” classi - cal era and, on the other, the arrival of the “new” romantic era. Organists of the so-called Golden Age left without leav - ing successors who would cultivate the Baroque (classical in the French sense) organ-playing technique. In this case, there was no natural transition for the old techniques into new ones. It can be Lefébure-Wély’s father’s workplace: the organ in the Saint Jacques du Haut, Paris SPRING 2019 | THE ORGAN | No 388 5 Collection of 34 Noëls (1805-1823). Autograph of Antoine Lefébure-Wély. Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France. even up to the end of the 1860s, there viewpoint, it must be admitted that organist was at the comparatively was a relaxed atmosphere in the French such things are often performed with insignificant church of Saint Jacques du churches – far from contemplative piety, talent. In response to my astonishment Haut Pas in Paris. From 1802, he had as we know it. Whilst women naturally over this, I was told that the clergy as been a substitute organist in Saint-Roch entered churches wearing hats, men did well as the congregation expected light- – close to the Tuilleries Garden and the also, and the congregations would often hearted music.”3 Palais Royal – and in 1805, after a vividly react to the music they heard by These elements, as well as others, contest between Nicolas Séjan, Gervais- turning to face the organs, and the were important factors in creating one François Couperin and Isaac-François- works that were liked were applauded. 2 of the most original characters in the Antoine, he became organist in this When Adolph Hesse visited Paris in organ world of 19th century France. prestigious church in the city centre of 1844, he observed that “organ playing in Paris with its fine classical organ by France was generally irreverent, alth - Louis-James-Albert’s father Clicquot. After this, he changed his ough occasionally a significant talent The first natural and musically import - name from Isaac-François Lefebvre to came to my attention within this ant person in the life of Louis-J ames- Antoine Lefébure-Wély, which combin - irreverence. Not infrequently a light Alfred was his father, Isaac-François- ed the original English surname of his pastorale heard during a church service, Antoine Lefebvre. He was born in 1756 wife to give him more noble character. would turn into a thunderstorm before and lived all his life in Paris. He was an He began to publish his works in 1778 closing with a sort of operatic grand organist, a master of the harpsichord and continued to do so throughout his finale in free style. Given that this is not and the newly-invented pianoforte and life. As well as much religious music and aligned with the German religious also a composer. 4 His first position as an compositions for the organ, we also find 6 No 388 | THE ORGAN | SPRING 2019 Collection of 34 Noëls (1805-1823). Autograph of Antoine Lefébure-Wély. Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France. within his oeuvre occasional comic ber 13, 1817 in Paris. He was musically wrote down music for his son to play. operas (“Agèes Bernau”, “Labyrinth”), precocious and a natural organist; it Young Alfrede substituted his father for sonatas for harpsichord and violin, a was said he learned musical notes the next five years until his father’s large-scale “Sonata for the piano-forte” before the letters of the alphabet. The death in June 22, 1831, at which time the (1808) and the “Fantasy for piano and manuscript of his father’s unpublished 14-year-old boy, thanks to the generous harmonium”. 5 In his organ com pos it - Mass bears the note: “This Mass was protection of Queen Marie-Amélie de ions, in the form of airs, marches, played Easter Tuesday 1826 by my little Bourbon-Siciles (1782-1866), succeeded récitatifs, fugues, Noëls, sorties – written boy Alfrede, aged eight years and four him as organiste titulaire. in the classical French style – we can months, on the organ of Saint-Roch to The next steps in his life were the also find examples of uncomp licated the satisfaction of everyone present. He happy consequences of the protection music, with simpler clear structures, retained throughout the Mass an extra - and flowering of his musical talent. easy to grasp but also full of charm. All ordinary presence that surprised the Louis-James-Alfred Lefébure-Wély’s these features will be found later in the people who were near him at the organ.” 6 first pub lished composition (created art of his son, Louis-James-Alfred, to A year and a half later, his father when he was 13 years old) was whom (as we have indicated) he was suffered a stroke, paralysing the left side announced in the “Journal Bibliographie both the loving father and the first of his body and, in the days before de la France” in their issue of August 27, proud teacher. disability insurance and empl oyee bene - 1831 – entitled “Rondo composé pour le fits, it was imperative that the father be piano-forte, œuv. 1”. His early life substituted by the son. Through out In 1832, Lefébure-Wély entered the Louis-James-Alfred was born on Novem - those years, Antoine Lefébure-Wély Paris Conservatoire and studied comp - SPRING 2019 | THE ORGAN | No 388 7 8 No 388 | THE ORGAN | SPRING 2019 Specification The Cavaillé-Coll organ, La Madeleine church, Paris (1846) I. Grand-Orgue (C-g3) III. Bombarde (C-g3) 1 Montre 16’ 1 Soubasse 16’ 2 Gambe 16’ 2 Flûte harmonique 8’ 3 Montre 8’ 3 Flûte traversière 8’ 4 Salicional 8’ 4 Basse 8’ 5 Flûte harmonique 8’ 5 Flûte 4’ 6 Bourdon 8’ Jeux d’Anches Jeux d’Anches 6 Octavin 2’ 7 Prestant 4’ 7 Bombarde 16’ 8 Quinte 2 2/3’ 8 Trompette 8’ 9 Doublette 2’ 9 Clairon 4’ 10 Fourniture V r. 11 Cymbale V r. IV. Récit-expressif (C-g3) 12 Trompette 8’ 1 Flûte harmonique 8’ 13 Cor anglaise 8’ 2 Flûte octaviante 4’ 3 Basson-Hautbois 8’ II. Positif (C-g3) 4 Voix humaine 8’ 1 Montre 8’ Jeux d’Anches 2 Viole de gambe 8’ 5 Bombarde 16’ 3 Flûte douce 8’ 6 Trompette 8’ 4 Voix céleste * 8’ II 7 Clairon 4’ Jeux d’Anches 8 Trémulant 5 Prestant 4’ 6 Dulciane 4’ Pédale (C-f1) 7 Octave 2’ 1 Quintaton 32’ 8 Trompette 8’ 2 Contrebasse 16’ 9 Musette 8’ 3 Flûte 8’ 10 Clairon 4’ 4 Violoncelle 8’ * first use of this stop in Jeux d’Anches church organ ever 5 Bombarde 16’ 6 Basson 16’ 7 Trompette 8’ 8 Clairon 4’ Couplers: Positif/G.O., Bombarde/G.O., Récit/G.O., Bombarde/Positif, Récit/Positif, Récit /Bombarde, Tirrasses: G.O., Positif, Bombarde, Récit, Appels d’anches: G.O., Positif, Bombarde, Récit, Pédale, d’Orage Source: Le Moël Michel, “Les Orgues de Paris”, Délégation à l’action artistique de la ville de Paris, 1992. SPRING 2019 | THE ORGAN | No 388 9 Autograph Fantaisie pour Poïkilorgue avec accompagnement de piano. Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France. osition under Henri Montan Berton for the or gan world – not only in France ions and friendship between Lefébure- (1767-1844), Jacques Fromental Halévy – is in no doubt (see: “An appreciation of Wély and Cavaillé-Coll were on profess - (1799-1862) and Adolphe Adam (1803- Aristide Cavaillé-Coll on the 120th ional and private grounds. Their 1856), organ under François Benoist anniversary of his death”, in: “ The cooperation began immediately when (1794-1878) and Louis Nicolas Séjan Organ ”, No 387, February-April 2019).

Load more