Louis Vierne (1870–1937) brought symphonic French organ music to its stylistic climax.

Besides being a productive composer, he also gained a reputation as a brilliant improviser at his place of employment, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and throughout the world.

In 1928 Vierne, one of the best-known organists of his day, made one of the earliest organ recordings, playing Bach works and his own improvisations in Notre Dame.

Three improvisations released in 1929-30 were transferred to musical notation in 1954 by his pupil Maurice Duruflé. Another previously unpublished improvisation which was recently rediscovered among Vierne's posthumous papers was reconstructed and published in musical notation in 2005 by Duruflé’s pupil Jean-Michel Louchart (b. 1946). These four improvisations join Vierne's transcriptions of works by Johann Sebastian Bach, César Franck and Serge Rachmaninoff in this volume, bringing our complete edition of his organ works to a close.

• New source material incorporated
• Extensive trilingual Foreword (Fr/Eng/Ger) with detailed notes on performance practice
• Comprehensive Critical Commentary (Fr/Eng/Ger)
• Illustrations and facsimiles

Photographs:
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Notre-Dame, Paris, ca. 1929
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Louis Vierne at his desk in front of his house organ, ca. 1900
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Préface
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Preface
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Vorwort
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Louis Vierne – Repères biographiques
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Les improvisations de Louis Vierne, témoignages
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Les improvisations enregistrées à Notre-Dame de Paris
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Les improvisations reconstituées par Maurice Duruflé et Jean-Michel Louchart
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Les transcriptions de Louis Vierne
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Louis Vierne – Biographical Overview
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Louis Vierne's improvisations, earwitness accounts
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The improvisations recorded in Notre-Dame, Paris
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The improvisations transcribed by Maurice Duruflé and Jean-Michel Louchart
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Louis Vierne's transcriptions
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Louis Vierne – Biographische Übersicht
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Louis Viernes Improvisationen, Zeugenberichte
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Die in Notre-Dame, Paris, aufgezeichneten Improvisationen
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Die von Maurice Duruflé und Jean-Michel Louchart in Notenschrift übertragenen Improvisationen
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Louis Viernes Transkriptionen
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Facsimiles:
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Audition on 21 May [1900], manuscript
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Louis Vierne, improvisation themes, manuscript
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Louis Vierne, letter of 22 April 1928
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Louis Vierne in Notre-Dame, Paris, drawing by J[eanne] Péllacq (1881– ?), ca. 1931
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Improvisations:
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Composer / Author:
Vierne, Louis / Duruflé, Maurice
Trois Improvisations (1954) (Transcriptions by Maurice Duruflé):
Instrumentation:
Organ
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I. Marche épiscopale
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II. Méditation
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III. Cortège
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Composer / Author:
Vierne, Louis / Louchart, Jean-Michel
Improvisation
Transcription by Jean-Michel Louchart
Genesis of the work:
2005
Instrumentation:
Organ
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Transcriptions:
·
Composer / Author:
Bach, Johann Sebastian
Arranger:
Vierne, Louis
Sicilienne BWV 1031
Organ transcription
Genesis of the work:
1894
Instrumentation:
Organ
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Composer / Author:
Franck, César
Arranger:
Vierne, Louis
[Cinq] Pièces (1901) (Organ transcriptions):
Instrumentation:
Organ
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I. [Offertoire]
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II. [Petit Offertoire]
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III. [Verset n° 1]
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IV. [Verset n° 2]
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V. [Communion]
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Composer / Author:
Rachmaninoff, Sergei
Arranger:
Vierne, Louis
Prélude no. 2 in C-sharp minor op. 3
Organ transcription
Genesis of the work:
1932
Instrumentation:
Organ
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Rapport critique:
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I. Abréviations
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II. Principes éditoriaux
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III. Sources
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IV. Notes détaillées
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Critical Report:
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I. Abbreviations
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II. Editorial Policies
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III. Sources
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IV. Detailed References
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Kritischer Bericht:
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I. Abkürzungen
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II. Zur Editonstechnik
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III. Quellen
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IV. Einzelnachweise
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Bibliography