Marie-Claire Alain August 10, 1926–February 26, 2013

In Memoriam Marie-Claire Alain August 10, 1926–February 26, 2013

By James David Christie

he world’s most distinguished con- donated the family house organ, built by cert organist, Marie-Claire Alain, her father between 1910 and 1971, to the Tdied at the age of 86 on Tuesday, Jehan Alain Association in Romainmôtier. February 26, 2013, in Le Pecq, a small Madame Alain’s last teaching in North French commune located next to her America took place at the McGill Sum- home city of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. mer Organ Academy, Montreal, Quebec, She had been in failing health for several Canada, in July 2007, and her very last months and the cause of her death was trip to North America was as a juror for reported as a cardiac arrest. Madame the First Canadian International Organ Alain performed around the entire Competition in Montreal in the fall of world, but always held her many Ameri- 2008. She served on that jury with five of can friends and audiences in her heart her former students: John Grew (Artistic as her favorite public. She performed Director of the CIOC), Dame Gillian over 2,500 concerts and made over 280 Weir, James David Christie, Ludger recordings during her lifetime. Lohmann, and James Higdon. Marie-Claire Alain was born in The list of awards and honors given Saint-Germain-en-Laye on August to Marie-Claire Alain is immense. She 10, 1926. Her father was the organist- received honorary doctorates from Colo- composer Albert Alain (1880–1971) and rado State University, Southern Meth- her mother was Magdeleine Alberty odist University, the Sibelius Academy (1890–1971). She had three siblings, all (Helsinki), the Boston Conservatory, excellent musicians, who preceded her McGill University, and Johns Hopkins in death: her older sister, Marie-Odile University. She was awarded the Prize Alain (1914–1937), and two brothers— of Les Amis de l’Orgue, the Edison Prize the renowned organist-composer Jehan (Holland), the Golden Disque Award Alain (1911–1940) and Olivier Alain (Japan), the Prize of the President of the Marie-Claire Alain at the Gérald Guillemin organ at the Church of St. Vincent in (1918–1994). Her father, Albert, was Republic (Académie Charles-Cros), and Mérignac, France (reprinted with kind permission of Aurélie Decourt) the organiste titulaire of the Church of the Buxtehude Prize (Lübeck). In addi- Saint-Germain-en-Laye from 1924 until tion, she was awarded the Grand Prix du www.france-orgue.fr/ (to access the list- Bach and Jehan Alain for the service, his death in 1971. Marie-Claire began Disque (Académie Charles-Cros) sixteen ing, type in “Marie-Claire” in the box including former Marie-Claire Alain assisting her father at the church in 1937 times, the Léonie Sonnig Foundation marked “Recherche rapide organist” on students Vincent Warnier, Daniel Roth, at the age of 11. She was appointed her Prize (Copenhagen), the Franz Liszt the right side in the middle of the page). Bruno Morin, Jean-Baptiste Robin, and father’s successor upon his death in 1971 Prize (Budapest), the Golden Laser Marie-Claire Alain married Jacques Jean Ferrard. A small Gregorian choir and faithfully served as organiste titulaire Prize of the Académie du Disque Fran- Gommier, a musician and choral conduc- sang parts of the Requiem Mass. Her for the following 40 years. She resigned çais, and 1984 International Performer tor, in 1950; he died in 1992. Monsieur daughter, Aurélie, gave a touching eulogy in 2011 because of her declining health. of the Year (New York City chapter of Gommier was a wonderful husband and and spoke lovingly of her mother’s last She studied at the Conservatoire the American Guild of Organists). She often handled her correspondence and difficult weeks and how optimistic she national supérieur de Paris, where she has received numerous “Diapasons d’or” did musicological research for Madame was about life. When she would ask her was an organ student of Marcel Dupré; for her outstanding recordings. Marie- Alain. He never complained or corrected mother how she was feeling, she would there she also studied harmony with Claire Alain was a member of the Royal anyone when he was addressed as ‘Mon- respond that she was getting ‘better and Maurice Duruflé and fugue with Simone Academy of Music, Stockholm and the sieur Alain’ when he accompanied his better each day.’ As Madame Alain held Plé-Caussade. At the Paris Conservatory, Royal Academy of Music, London. wife on her many North American tours! the rank of Grand Officier in the Légion she won first prizes in organ, improvisa- She was made a Chevalier in the Royal They had two children: a son, Benoît, d’honneur, an honor guard carried the tion, fugue, harmony, and counterpoint. Order of Danneborg (Denmark). She who died in 2009 at the age of 57, and a French flag into the church and gave She studied organ privately with Gaston held the rank of Commandeur in the daughter living in Paris, Aurélie Decourt, a military homage when her coffin was Litaize and André Marchal; both of Légion d’honneur, the Ordre national du musicologist and author of several taken outside the church at the end of these famous teachers were important Mérite and the Ordre des Arts et Lettres. books on the Alain family. Dr. Decourt the service. Marie-Claire Alain was bur- mentors in her career and played a great French President François Hollande organized a national French celebration ied next to her husband in the Gommier role in her artistic development. promoted Madame Alain to the rank of and festival held in Saint-Germain- family plot in the “New Cemetery” of Marie-Claire Alain was an extraordi- Grand Officier in the Ordre national du en-Laye for the 2011 centenary of the Saint-Germain-en-Laye. nary teacher and her students have won Légion d’honneur on July 14, 2012. birth of Jehan Alain; she also appeared The world has lost a great artist—we a staggering number of international Marie-Claire Alain’s impressive list of at Alain centenary events in the United have lost a great inspiration, an excep- competitions. Today her students hold recordings includes three versions each States. [See articles in The Diapason: tional human being, and a great friend. some of the most important and pres- of the complete organ works of J.S. Bach, “Marie-Claire Alain—80th birthday Thank you, Madame Alain, for making tigious teaching and church positions François Couperin, Nicolas de Grigny, tribute” (July 2006), “National French our lives so rich and so full of beauty—we around the world. Marie-Claire Alain was and Jehan Alain, two versions each of the Centenary Celebration of the Birth of will never forget you. May your soul rest professor of organ at the Conservatoires organ concerti (with orchestra) of G.F. Jehan Alain” (November 2011), “Jehan in peace, now and forever—Amen. ■ nationaux de région in Rueil-Malmaison Handel and the organ works of César Alain—The American Festival: Wichita (1978–1994) and Paris (1994–2000). Prior Franck, and complete recordings of the State University” (January 2012), and James David Christie holds positions as to and even after 1978, she always had a organ works of Buxtehude, D’Aquin, “Jehan Alain: His Life and Works” (July the Distinguished Artist in Residence at the very large private studio and taught many Bruhns, Böhm, and Mendelssohn. She 2012).] She took extraordinary care of College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Mas- of the most famous organists of today recorded organ concerti by Poulenc, her mother in her last years, and this was sachusetts, Chair and Professor of Organ at on her Haerpfer-Erman house organ Charles Chaynes, Haydn, C.P.E. Bach, greatly appreciated by Madame Alain’s the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, Oberlin, Ohio, and serves as College Organist at her homes in L’Étang-la-Ville and Vivaldi, Mozart (Church Sonatas), and family and friends. In addition to her at Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts. Maule, as well as at the Church of Saint- two recordings of Symphonie III of Saint- daughter, Marie-Claire Alain’s survivors He has previously held positions at Boston Germain-en-Laye. Madame Alain taught Saëns. Madame Alain appeared as a con- include six grandchildren, one nephew, Conservatory, Harvard University, M.I.T., and every summer in the Netherlands at the tinuo artist on dozens of recordings, many and two nieces (the three children of Boston University. He has served as organist of Haarlem Summer Organ Academy with with the Jean-François Paillard Chamber Jehan Alain: Lise, Agnès, and Denis). the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 1978. her close friends and colleagues Anton Orchestra. She also has recorded many Madame Alain’s funeral took place at James David Christie has made over fifty Heiller and Luigi Ferdinando Tagliavini works by Liszt, Pachelbel, Vierne, Widor, the Church of Saint-Germain-en-Laye tours of Europe and performs regularly in from 1956–1972; after 1972, she returned Messiaen, and others. Madame Alain on Friday, March 1 at 10:00 am. Her cof- Canada, Asia, Australia, and Iceland. He to teach at Haarlem on three occasions in performed and recorded with the leg- fin was placed under the Grand Orgue in has recorded for Decca, Philips, Nonesuch, 1974, 1982 and 1994. She also founded endary flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal and the church before and after the service. JAV, Northeastern, Arabesque, Denon, RCA, Dorian, Naxos, Bridge, and GM and has and taught at the Académie Jean-Sébas- the acclaimed trumpet virtuoso Maurice The church was full and the congrega- received several awards for his solo recordings, tien Bach de Saint-Donat from 1971– André. For a complete discography, tion was filled with her many friends including the Preis der Deutschen Schallplat- 1991. From 1991 to 2009, she was a per- please consult Alain Cartayrade’s thor- from Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Paris, ten Kritik and the Magazine d’Orgue: Coup de manent member of the organ faculty for ough listing in the French publication as well as musicians and many organists Coeur. In the fall of 2010, he was on sabbatical the Académie d’orgue de Romainmôtier, L’Orgue, Cahiers et Mémoires No. 56, from Paris, France, and western Europe. in Paris, France, where he served as visiting Switzerland. In 1985, Marie-Claire Alain 1996; the listing may also be read online: Several organists played works of J. S. Professor of Organ at the Paris Conservatory.