Charles Tournemire

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Charles Tournemire (Bordeaux, January 22, 1870 – Arcachon, November 3, 1939), was a French composer and organist, most famous for his improvisations. While he could play the conventional organ literature expertly, he rarely played anything in his titular post other than his own improvised works. His improvisations were consistently brilliant, and most often rooted in Gregorian thematic material. His output contains many organ works, eight symphonies (one of them choral), and several chamber works.

Tournemire was the youngest student of César Franck. He was the Organist Titulaire at the Basilique Ste-Clotilde, Paris 1898-1939. He was also professor of Chamber Music at the Paris Conservatory, and teacher of organ improvisation.

Tournemire recorded five improvisations in 1930 which were later transcribed by Maurice Duruflé from phonograph recordings. In his improvisations, he would become totally absorbed, ignoring his surroundings and following his musical ideas to their logical conclusion. His improvisations could last three or thirty minutes. An amusing story is often told about his improvisation for the sortie (recessional) after a Sunday High Mass, normally a full-voiced, flashy showpiece for the organ. Starting quite bravura, it consistently became softer and softer until he was playing solo on the swell bourdon. His dismayed young assistant whispered: "Maestro - it is the sortie!" An annoyed Tournemire whispered back: "Well then, my friend, sortez!" (leave!).

His L'Orgue Mystique, created between 1927 and 1932, covers the cycle of the Catholic Liturgical Year. These pieces, fifty-one sets of five movements each, are based on the Gregorian chants for the day.

His compositions can sound almost like improvisations when played (an interesting contrast to his colleague, peer, and friend Louis Vierne, also a gifted improviser, whose improvisations could sound more like composed works).

Tournemire died in 1939, though the exact cause of his death is uncertain. Some sources say he drowned during a vacation accident, others say he succumbed to a sudden illness and was found dead in a street at Arcachon.

[edit] External links

• Original art by Tom Walker representing Tournemire's 'L'Orgue Mystique'
• Charles Tournemire was listed in the International Music Score Library Project
• Article and review, on Tournemire's chamber works
• Charles Tournemire Memories Contains worklist, though that is the only working link on the page, which has not been updated in eight years (Feb. 2008).
• Free MP3 recording of 'L'Orgue Mystique' MP3 played by Hugh Potton at Hammerwood Park