Alexandre Guilmant

Félix-Alexandre Guilmant (French pronunciation: [feliks alɛksɑ̃dʁ ɡilmɑ̃]; 12 March 1837 – 29 March 1911) was a French organist and composer. He was the organist of La Trinité from 1871 until 1901. A noted pedagogue, performer, and improviser, Guilmant helped found the Schola Cantorum de Paris. He was appointed as Professor of Organ in the Conservatoire de Paris in 1896.^[1]

Alexandre Guilmant
Guilmant, 1896
Born	(1837-03-12)12 March 1837 Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
Died	29 March 1911(1911-03-29) (aged 74)
Occupations	Composer Organist
Organizations	La Trinité Schola Cantorum de Paris Conservatoire de Paris

Biography

Guilmant was born in Boulogne-sur-Mer. A student first of his father Jean-Baptiste and later of the Belgian master Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens, he became an organist and teacher in his place of birth.

In 1871 he was appointed to play the organ regularly at la Trinité church in Paris, and this position, organiste titulaire, was one he held for 30 years.^[2] Guilmant was known for his improvisations, both in the concert and church setting. His inspiration came from gregorian chants, and he was greatly noted amongst his colleagues for his mastery of the melodies.^[1] From then on, Guilmant followed a career as a virtuoso; he gave concerts in the United States (the first major French organist to tour that country), and in Canada, as well as in Europe, making especially frequent visits to England. His American achievements included a 1904 series of no fewer than 40 recitals on the largest organ in the world, the St. Louis Exposition Organ, now preserved as the nucleus of Philadelphia's Wanamaker Organ.

With his younger colleague André Pirro, Guilmant published a collection of scores, Archives des Maîtres de l'Orgue (Archives of the Masters of the Organ), a compilation of the compositions of numerous pre-1750 French composers. The collection was printed in ten volumes, the first in 1898 and the last (which Guilmant did not live to finalize) in 1914. Guilmant provided a rather similar survey of organ pieces by foreign composers, publishing l'École classique de l'Orgue (Classical School of the Organ). These anthologies, despite all the musicological developments which have taken place since Guilmant's own time, remain very valuable sources of early music.

In 1894 Guilmant founded the Schola Cantorum with Charles Bordes and Vincent d'Indy. He taught there up until his death at his home in Meudon, near Paris, in 1911. In addition, he taught at the Conservatoire de Paris where he succeeded Charles-Marie Widor as organ teacher in 1896.^[2] As a teacher, Guilmant was noted for his kindness and attention to detail. His students' recollections feature accounts of a particular focus on all facets of a note: attack, release, character.^[3] Marcel Dupré was the most celebrated of his many students. Others included Augustin Barié, Joseph-Arthur Bernier, Joseph Bonnet, Alexandre Eugène Cellier, Abel Decaux, Gabriel Dupont, Charles Henry Galloway, Philip Hale, Edgar Henrichsen, Édouard Mignan, and Émile Poillot. See: List of music students by teacher: G to J#Alexandre Guilmant.

Guilmant's interest in Marcel Dupré began when the latter was a child. Albert Dupré, father of the celebrated Marcel, studied organ with Guilmant for seven years prior to his son's birth. In Dupré's memoirs, he includes an anecdote where Guilmant visits his mother upon his birth and declares that the child will grow up to be an organist. After frequent visits throughout his childhood, Marcel Dupré began studying with Guilmant formally at age 11. From this time until his death, Guilmant championed the young virtuoso and did much to advance his career.^[4] Guilmant's house was later purchased then demolished by Dupré and rebuilt. His home organ was also sold to Dupré.

Compositions

Clarence Eddy and Alexandre Guilmant, 1898

Guilmant was an accomplished and extremely prolific composer. Unlike Widor, who produced a great deal of music in all the main genres, Guilmant devoted himself almost entirely to works for his own instrument, the organ. His organ output includes: 'Pièces dans différents styles', published in 18 books; 'L'organiste pratique', published in 12 books; Eighteen 'Pièces Nouvelles'; and 'L'Organiste liturgique', published in 10 books. Guilmant's Eight Sonatas were conceived with the Cavaillé-Coll organ of La Trinité in mind, and are therefore symphonic in style and form, taking their place alongside the symphonic organ works of César Franck and the Organ Symphonies of Charles-Marie Widor.

The Sonate No. 1/Symphonie No. 1 for organ and orchestra, Op. 42, was programmed by Sergei Koussevitzky in the 1930s, but was not heard again until Igor Buketoff revived it for a 1977 live recording with the Butler University Orchestra (note, the composer's name is misspelled "Gilmont" in the source).^[5]

Though few in number, his works for instruments besides the organ have not been entirely neglected. For example, the Morceau Symphonique is one of the most frequently performed trombone solos, enjoying longstanding popularity among both professional and advanced student trombonists.

Opus list

Opus	Title
1	Ave Verum pour Choeur et Orgue
2	O Salutaris Hostia pour Choeur et Orgue
3	Faux-Bourdons - Chant de la Commission de Reims et Cambras
4	Messe en Fa majeur pour Choeur et Orgue
6	Première Messe à 4 Voix, Choeur et Orgue
7	Te Deum pour Choeur et Orgue
8	Quam Dilecta (Psaume 83) pour Choeur et Orgue
9	Messe Brève pour Choeur et Orgue
11	Troisième Messe Solennelle pour Choeur et Orgue
12	Cinq Litanies en l’honneur de la bienheureuse Vierge Marie à une, deux, trois ou quatre voix
(13)	Échos du mois de Marie - Cantiques à une ou deux voix égales avec accompagnement d'orgue ou d'harmonium
14	12 Motets pour Choeur et Orgue
15	Pièces dans différents styles pour orgue, livraison 1
16	Pièces dans différents styles pour orgue, livraison 2
17	Pièces dans différents styles pour orgue, livraison 3
18	Pièces dans différents styles pour orgue, livraison 4
19	Pièces dans différents styles pour orgue, livraison 5
20	Pièces dans différents styles pour orgue, livraison 6
21	Kyrie Eleison pour Choeur et Orgue/Orchestre
22	Prière pour Violoncello et Piano
23	Deux Morceaux pour Harmonium
24	Pièces dans différents styles pour orgue, livraison 7
25	Pièces dans différents styles pour orgue, livraison 8
26	Pastorale pour Harmonium et Piano duo
27	Prière et Berceuse pour Harmonium
28	Canzonetta pour Harmonium
29	Fughetta de Concert pour Harmonium
30	Aspiration Religieuse pour Harmonium
31	Scherzo pour Harmonium
32	Deux Pièces pour Harmonium
33	Pièces dans différents styles pour orgue, livraison 9
34	Marche Triomphale pour Harmonium et Piano duo
35	Mazurka de Salon pour Harmonium
36	Scherzo Capriccioso pour Harmonium et Piano duo
37	O Salutaris pour Basse ou Baryton et Orgue
38	Idylle pour Piano
39	L'Organiste Pratique pour Harmonium, livraison 1
40	Pièces dans différents styles pour orgue, livraison 10
41	L'Organiste Pratique pour Harmonium, livraison 2
42	Sonate No. 1/Symphonie No. 1 pour Orgue (et Orchestre)
43	Fantaisie sur deux Mélodie Anglaises pour Orgue
44	Pièces dans différents styles pour orgue, livraison 11
45	Pièces dans différents styles pour orgue, livraison 12
46	L'Organiste Pratique pour Harmonium, livraison 3
47	L'Organiste Pratique pour Harmonium, livraison 4
48	Six petites pièces pour Piano réunies
49	L'Organiste Pratique pour Harmonium, livraison 5
50	L'Organiste Pratique pour Harmonium, livraison 6 (Seconde Sonate pour Grand Orgue)
51	Balthazar: Scène Lyrique
52	L'Organiste Pratique pour Harmonium, livraison 7
53	Symphonie-Cantate Ariane
54	Cantate en l’honneur de Frédéric Sauvage pour Choeur et Orchestre
55	L'Organiste Pratique pour Harmonium, livraison 8
56	L'Organiste Pratique pour Harmonium, livraison 9 (Troisième Sonate pour Grand Orgue)
57	L'Organiste Pratique pour Harmonium, livraison 10
58	L'Organiste Pratique pour Harmonium, livraison 11
59	L'Organiste Pratique pour Harmonium, livraison 12
60	Noëls pour Harmonium ou Orgue (4 livraisons)
61	Quatrième Sonate pour Harmonium ou Grand Orgue
62	Couronnement de Notre-Dame de Boulogne-sur-Mer pour Choeur et Orchestre
63	Méditation sur le Stabat Mater pour Orgue et Orchestre
64	Christus Vincit pour Choeur et Orgue
65	L'Organiste Liturgiste pour Orgue ou Harmonium (10 livraisons)
66	Ecce Panis pour Choeur et Orgue
67	Deux Romances sans Paroles pour Violoncello ou Violon et Piano
68	60 Interludes dans la tonalité Grégorienne pour Orgue ou Harmonium
69	Pièces dans différents styles pour orgue, livraison 13
70	Pièces dans différents styles pour orgue, livraison 14
71	Pièces dans différents styles pour orgue, livraison 15
72	Pièces dans différents styles pour orgue, livraison 16
73	Pie Jesu pour Baryton et Choeur
74	Pièces dans différents styles pour orgue, livraison 17
75	Pièces dans différents styles pour orgue, livraison 18
77	Sept pièces for organ
78	Berceuse (Elegie) pour Flûte et Piano
79	Berceuse pour Flûte ou Violon et Piano
80	Sonate No. 5 pour Grand Orgue
81	Allegro pour Orgue et Orchestre
82	Two pieces for organ
83	Final alla Schumann pour Orgue et Orchestre
84	Grand Choeur en forme de Marche pour Grand Orgue
85	Romance sans Paroles pour Flute et Piano
86	Sonate No. 6 pour Grand Orgue
87	Offertoire sur le commun des confesseurs non pontifes
88	Morceau Symphonique pour Trombone et Piano
89	Sonate No. 7 (Suite) pour Grand Orgue, dédié à Monsieur Charles Galloway
90	18 Pièces Nouvelles pour Orgue (7 livraisons)
91	Sonate No. 8/Symphonie No. 2 pour Grand Orgue/Orgue et Orchestre
92	Voluntary for the Organ
93	Chorals et Noëls pour Orgue
94	Trois Oraisons pour Orgue

References

1. Archbold and Peterson, ed. (1995). French Organ Music: From the Revolution to Franck and Widor. University of Rochester Press.
2. Ochse, Orpha Caroline (1994), Organists and Organ Playing in Nineteenth-Century France and Belgium, Indiana University Press, pp. 195–96, ISBN 0-253-21423-8
3. Murray, Michael (1985). Marcel Dupré: The Work of a Master Organist. Boston: Northeastern University Press.
4. Dupré, Marcel (1975). Recollections. Translated by Kneeream, Ralph. Belwin-Mills Publishing Corporation.
5. "New Listings - October to November 2007". Trotterbooks. Archived from the original on 2012-02-22. Retrieved 2017-01-17.

External links

• Alexandre Guilmant on culture.gouv.fr
• Alexandre Guilmant on Naxos
• Alexandre Guilmant on bach-cantatas
• Clive Driskill-Smith plays the Scherzo Symphonique on YouTube on the Rieger organ of the Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.

Free scores

• Free scores by Alexandre Guilmant at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
• e-Partitions Many newly edited and typeset organ scores.
• Free scores by Guilmant Alexandre^[usurped] on loumy.org^[usurped]