Aaron TAN organiste, Musique d'orgue

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3 disques

1 - Aaron TAN

• 10 Pieces Published 1894-1923 in L'Orgue Moderne •

P. Kunc : Sortie Fuguée, pub. 1899

A. Schmitt : Pièce en forme de canon, pub. 1899

E. Bourdon : Choral varié sur l’Hymne Ave Maris Stella, pub. 1920

H. Dallier : Offertoire In Deo Charitas, pub. 1895

R. Vierne : Méditation, pub. 1904

P. Combes : Toccatina pour Grand Orgue, pub. 1897

Y. Hédoux : Prélude et Fugue en Mi Mineur (E Minor), pub. 1921

M. Lanquetuit : Intermezzo, pub. 1923

H. Mulet : Prière, pub. 1902

C. Tournemire : Sortie op. 3, pub. 1894

- Richmond Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
- Disque Raven; OAR-208, 14 oct. 2025

Juget-Sinclair (opus 55) 2024.

Ten Pieces Published in L’Orgue Moderne
by Aaron Tan

The late 19th century, known as the belle époque in France, was a time of peace and prosperity. Art and industry flourished, and Paris was the musical capital of the world. At the heart of France’s musical institutions was the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, established in 1795 as a singing school and eventually expanding to encompass all disciplines of music as well as dance. The Conservatoire turned out elite young musicians and composers, and its faculty influenced the shape of European music-making. Among the faculty was Charles-Marie Widor, professor of organ and composition, who assumed this role in 1890 following the 33-year tenure of César Franck, father of the French symphonic organ tradition.

Between 1894 and 1930, Widor and his colleague Alexandre Guilmant curated a collection of 70 compositions for solo organ entitled L’Orgue Moderne and published them in 42 editions of the periodical. The vast majority of works published were by Widor’s or Guilmant’s students or colleagues, or by students from the other major musical institutions in Paris: the École Niedermeyer and the Schola Cantorum. Clearly, Widor was using his formidable influence as a famous organ recitalist throughout Europe, composer of widely performed works in many genres, professor of the elite Paris Conservatoire, and a Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur (1892), to give his and his colleague’s students a platform to launch their compositional careers.

The collection of 70 pieces by 49 composers demonstrates the largely conservative style of the Paris Conservatoire during the early years of the 20th century. Indeed, when Gabriel Fauré took over as Director of the school in 1905, he was regarded as groundbreaking in allowing the music of Wagner and Debussy to be performed in its hallowed halls.

In the preface of the first volume, all of which were published by Alphonse Leduc of Paris, Widor describes his goal: to present a series of contemporary organ compositions featuring young, prize-winning students of the Conservatoire. He also aspires to an eclecticism that welcomes works of genuine artistic interest by all who compose. Whether this lofty intent was propaganda is up for debate.

By the ninth edition in 1897, Guilmant had been added as co-editor of the series, a position which he retained until 1902, when L’Orgue Moderne took an 18-year hiatus. Likely reasons for the publication gap include the editors’ very busy schedules, Guilmant’s death in 1911, and World War I (1914–18) and its aftermath.
In his article for The Diapason magazine in December, 2015, musicologist Steven Young refers to L’Orgue Moderne as “arguably the premier publication of new organ music by young French composers in the early part of the twentieth century.” Yet, in his 600-page biographical book on Widor’s life and work, John Near mentions Widor’s involvement with L’Orgue Moderne in only one sentence. The disconnect between the high-profile status of the collection’s contributors and the lack of both published research and recordings of works from the collection suggested that this would be a potentially fruitful project to pursue, not only for the collection’s historical significance but also as a source for discovering interesting and accessible organ works that add to the grand story of the French symphonic tradition.

For me, the rewards of investigating this forgotten collection of repertoire have been worth the effort. These lesser-known composers lived alongside, worked with, and learned from the giants of the French symphonic tradition who organ music fans know and love: Widor, Louis Vierne, Marcel Dupré, and Charles Tournemire. In fact, Vierne and Tournemire made their compositional debuts in L’Orgue Moderne, and were published in the very first edition in 1894.

The ten works I have selected for this recording are immediately attractive and familiar in style if unfamiliar in name. The writing is tuneful and harmonically pleasing. Listen for similarities to the styles of Franck, Fauré, and Duruflé.

Pierre Kunc 1865–1941: Sortie Fuguée 1899
The Sortie fuguée is Pierre Kunc’s earliest known composition. He was born into a family of church musicians. His father, Aloÿs, was organist at the cathedral in Lombez, France. His younger brother, Aymé, was a celebrated composer, director of the Toulouse Conservatory, and is also published in L’Orgue Moderne.

While in Paris, Pierre frequented concerts of the Schola Cantorum and developed relationships with some of Paris’s great musicians, many of whom were devotees of Franck. This sphere of influence, coupled with Kunc’s devout Catholicism, may have influenced his style. Aside from being a keyboard professor at the St. Geneviève School in Paris, he played and conducted at several Parisian churches throughout his career.

· Education: École Niedermeyer (studied organ with Gigout and composition with Guiraud)
· Major positions: professor of piano and organ, St. Geneviève School, Paris (1899–1925); choirmaster, St. Louis Cathedral, Versailles (1891); choir organist, Ss. Eugène & Cécile and St. Étienne du Mont (1905); organist and choirmaster, Notre Dame de Bercy (1912); choirmaster of St. Sulpice, Paris (1928); organist, St. Pierre, Charenton-le-Pont, Paris (1928).
· Publication in L’Orgue Moderne: Sortie fuguée (1899); Adagietto (1902)

Alphonse Schmitt 1875–1912:
Pièce en forme de canon 1899
Born in Kœtzingue in the Alsace region, Alphonse Schmitt was a student of Guilmant (ca. 1901) and Widor. He succeeded Vierne as assistant to Widor at Saint-Sulpice (1900–1903) and afterward directed the choir of Saint-Philippe-du-Roule.

· Education: 1893, Paris Conservatoire (studied with Guilmant and Widor); 1898, 1st prize, organ
· Major positions: choirmaster, Église Saint-Philippe-du-Roule, Paris (1903–1912)
· Publications in L’Orgue Moderne: Prèlude-Choral (1898); Pièce en forme de canon (1899); Prélude-Choral sur l’hymne Sacris solemnis (1901); Pièce romantique (1901)

Émile Bourdon 1884–1974:
Choral varié sur l’Hymne Ave Maris Stella 1920
The Choral varié is Émile Bourdon’s first published work that survives. Joseph Antoine Émile Bourdon was a classmate of Marcel Dupré at the Conservatoire, and they remained lifelong friends. Bourdon would dedicate several of his compositions to Dupré. Shortly after graduating from the Conservatoire, he fell ill and needed to relocate to Switzerland from 1912 to 1917. Seeking a more tropical climate, he relocated to the town of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, just outside Nice on the French Riviera, and in 1922 won the position of organist at the cathedral in Monaco, where he would remain until his retirement in 1968. Bourdon was a skilled liturgical improviser. Somewhat mystical, Bourdon would kneel in the Sacré-Coeur chapel, lost in long inner contemplation, before each of his morning sessions at the cathedral’s organ, recounts Henri Carol (1910 –1984), his successor at the cathedral.

· Education: 1902–1912, Paris Conservatoire (studied organ with Guilmant, composition with Widor); 1905, 2nd prize, harmony; 1907, 1st accessit, organ; 1908, 2nd prize, counterpoint
· Major positions: Cathedrale Notre-Dame-de-l’Immaculee-Conception, Monaco (1922–1968); professor of organ, Nice Conservatoire (1951– 1954)
· Publication in L’Orgue Moderne: Choral varié sur l’hymne Ave maris stella (1920); Canzona (1923)

Henri Dallier 1849–1934:
Offertoire In Deo Charitas 1895
Born in Reims, Dallier studied organ with César Franck at the Conservatoire and was organist of two important Parisian churches: Saint-Eustache (1875–1905) and the Madeleine (1905–1934). He was a professor of harmony at the Paris Conservatoire and the Niedermeyer School from 1908 to 1928 and was known as a virtuoso performer and improviser. He was an organist for the funerals of Camille Saint-Saëns (1921) and Gabriel Fauré (1924).

Dallier’s contributions to L’Orgue Moderne occurred at a mature period of his career: he was 46 years old when his two compositions were published in Volumes 4 and 5 of the series. Perhaps the inclusion of a work by an older composer who held an important post as titulaire of Saint-Eustache was an attempt by Widor to gain traction for the series. Indeed, the following year (1896), Charles Lenepveu, another faculty member of the Conservatoire, would be published in the series.

· Education: 1876, Paris Conservatoire (studied organ with Franck); 1878, 1st prize, counterpoint and fugue
· Major positions: Saint-Eustache (1875– 1905); Church of the Madeleine (1905–1934); professor of harmony at Paris Conservatoire and École Niedermeyer (1908–1928)
· Publications in L’Orgue Moderne: Andante, op. 26 (1895); Offertoire In Deo charitas (1895)

René Vierne 1878–1918: Méditation 1901
René Vierne was born in Lille, the younger brother of Louis Vierne and the son of journalist Henri-Alfred Vierne and Marie-Josephine (née Gervaz). René entered the Catholic seminary at Versailles in 1889 where he studied music but eschewed the priesthood, becoming a student of his brother in organ, counterpoint and fugue. His death on the front lines in Austria was profoundly felt by his brother.

· Education: 1906, 1st prize, organ and improvisation (studied organ with Guilmant)
· Major positions: organist, Notre-Dame-des- Champs, Paris (choir organ, 1902–1904; main organ, 1904–1917)
· Publication in L’Orgue Moderne: Gavotte (after Bach; 1899); Méditation (1901)

Paul Combes 1858–1921:
Toccatina pour Grand Orgue 1897
A native of Bordeaux as was Charles Tournemire, Paul Combes studied at École Niedermeyer and would later teach Joseph Bonnet and Henri Sauguet, among others. In 1880, he became organist at Notre-Dame, Bergerac, before moving back to Bordeaux in 1882, where he worked for the remainder of his life. The Toccatina is his earliest surviving composition.

· Education: École Nie

2 - Aaron TAN

• De la lumière aux étoiles •

F. Germani : Toccata op. 12

P. Whitlock : Fantasie choral n°2 F sharp minor

S. Karg-Elert : Ave Maria form Cathedral Windows op. 106; Fantasie und fuge D Dur op. 39b

J. Demessieux : Lumière des Sept Méditations sur le Saint Esprit op. 6

R. Laurin : Poème symphonique pour le temps de l'Avent op. 69

H. Duparc : Aux étoiles (tr. A. Tan)

L. Vierne : Final de la 5e symphonie op. 47

- Guelph Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate
- Disque Atma; CIOC, 2-4 mai 2023

orgue Casavant op. 796, 1919, 2014.

3 - Aaron TAN

• Impressions •

J. Jongen : Toccata op. 104, Prière op. 37

J. Demessieux : Etude en notes répétées n°5

J. Ermend-Bonnal : Paysages euskariens

P. Tchaikovski : The Christmas tree , Marche characteristique op. 71 (adapt. F. Hohman & A. Tan)

S. Karg-Elert : Wie schön leucht’ uns der Morgensterm, Op. 65 No. 44 , Wie schön leucht’ uns der Morgensterm, Op. 65 No. 64, La Nuit des Trois impressions op. 72

G. Bizet : Farandole de l'Arlésienne (tr. J. Hastings)

L. Vierne : Final de la 6e symphonie

- Bryn Mawr Presbyterian church
- Disque Pro Organo; 7284, Mai 2019

2018 First Prize Winner of the National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance (NYACOP)

orgue Rieger

3 disques

Source: base de donnée discographique Alain CARTAYRADE
www.france-orgue.fr

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