On June 2, 1937, Louis Vierne had just concluded his 1,750th organ recital, which eyewitnesses claimed had been as fine a concert as he had ever given. He was just about to launch into two improvisations on submitted themes, and had already selected the stops, when all at once he pitched forward. As he collapsed, his foot hit the low E pedal, and the sustained note resounded throughout the vast cathedral. Whether it was a heart attack or a stroke that ended his life is unclear. What matters is that Vierne went out the way he said he had always wanted: he died at the console of the great organ of Notre-Dame de Paris.
This Thursday, October 8th, will mark the sesquicentenary of the birth of this colossus of the console, and representatives of the organ world will be pulling out all the stops as they celebrate his artistry.
Organist Christopher Houlihan will anchor a “Vierne at 150” festival, TODAY through October 8th. The four-day event will include online interviews with Notre-Dame organist Olivier Latry, noted scholar and organist Rollin Smith, author of “Louis Vierne: Organist of Notre-Dame Cathedral,” and artist manager Phillip Truckenbrod, who will talk about his 50-year career.
The series will culminate in a recital of Vierne’s works, with Houlihan at the organ of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, where he serves as organist and director of chapel music. Also included among of the festivities will be a pre-concert lecture and demonstration, a live Q&A, and some archival concert recordings.
All events will begin at 7:00 p.m. EDT. A complete schedule and streaming information are available at http://www.christopherhoulihan.com.
Closer to home, on the actual anniversary, Princeton University Organist Eric Plutz will undertake a mammoth organ marathon, offering all of Vierne’s symphonies for the king of instruments on the Skinner organ at Princeton University Chapel. Each of the six works will be presented, in succession, at the top of every hour, beginning Thursday at 4:00 p.m. Again, this is a free event that will be live-streamed.
You can watch the entire marathon here: https://www.facebook.com/SevenEightArtists.
An interview with Plutz about “The Vierne Project” appeared yesterday in the organ journal Vox Humana:
It looks as if we have a boxed set of Plutz recordings of all the Vierne symphonies to look forward to, produced by Princeton’s own Affetto Records!
COVID may have limited access to live performances, but the internet endures. Get yourself some good bookshelf speakers or an HDMI cord and run it through your television set.
The manner of Vierne’s demise proved a fitting capstone to a turbulent life. Vierne served as organist of Notre-Dame de Paris for roughly 37 years. Among his students were Nadia Boulanger and Maurice Duruflé. In fact, Duruflé was at his side at the moment of his dramatic leave-taking.
For years, the legendary organ had been in a sorry state. It was Vierne who undertook a grand tour of the United States in order to raise funds for the instrument’s restoration. Among his stops was the Wanamaker Department Store in center city Philadelphia.
Vierne was born nearly blind, as a result of congenital cataracts, in 1870. When he came to notate his music, he did so by using outsized manuscript paper. Later, as his eyesight continued to deteriorate, he employed Braille. He endured a painful divorce from his wife, who had left him for his best friend. He also lost a brother and a son during the First World War.
A street accident resulted in compound fractures to his left leg. The injuries were so bad that for a time it was thought that the limb would have to be amputated. But the leg healed, and Vierne began the arduous process of relearning his pedal technique.
At a point, he traveled to Switzerland in the hope of improving his eyesight. There, he underwent an advanced treatment that included living in a completely darkened room for six months. Alas, it proved to be unsuccessful.
He was also a three-pack-a-day smoker, addicted to tranquilizers and sleeping pills, and used ether as a sedative. But for all he went through, and for all he achieved, I think we can forgive Vierne his vices.
Heroically, he managed to ride out every adversity, and he continued to compose prolifically in nearly all forms. Of course, he is most renowned for his organ works, of which the symphonies serve as essential milestones.
Celebrate Louis Vierne this week. Here’s a link to his rarely-heard Symphony in A minor (conceived for orchestra this time), composed between 1907 and 1908.
Joyeux anniversaire, mon vieux!
Christopher Houlihan, organist
Eric Plutz: The Vierne Project
Seven Eight Artists
Princeton Pro Musica
Affetto Records
#Vierne150
