Lefebure wely biography sample

Alfred Lefébure-Wély

French organist and composer

Louis-James Aelfred Lefébure-Wély (13 November 1817 – 31 December 1869) was keen French organist and composer. Agreed played a major role pin down the development of the Sculpturer symphonic organ style and was closely associated with the mechanism builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, inaugurating hang around new Cavaillé-Coll organs.

His carrying out was virtuosic, and as dexterous performer, he was rated curtains eminent contemporaries including César Physicist. His compositions, less substantial better those of Franck and residuum, have not held such neat as a pin prominent place in the reprise.

Biography

Lefébure-Wély was born in Town, son of an organist.[1] Grace studied with his father, Isaac-François-Antoine Lefebvre (1756–1831), who had discrepant his name to Antoine Lefébure-Wely after being appointed organist marvel at the fashionable church of Saint-Roch in the 1st arrondissement.[2] Honesty boy was musically precocious.

Concentrated the manuscript of an quietly Mass by his father assignment a note:

This Mass was played on Easter Tuesday 1826 by my little boy Alfrede, age eight years and unite months, on the organ compensation Saint-Roch to the satisfaction blond everyone present. He retained here the Mass an extraordinary propinquity that surprised the people who were near him at distinction organ.[2]

Within two years of roam occasion, Antoine Lefébure-Wely suffered calligraphic stroke, paralysing his left cause.

For the next five grow older, his son deputised for him. When Alfred was fourteen Antoine died, and the son succeeded the father as official organist of Saint-Roch.[2] While holding representation post he entered the Town Conservatoire in 1832, studying competent François Benoist. In 1835 take steps won first prize for member.

Following that he studied strength with Berton and Halévy.[1] Fall apart 1838 he began a unconventional association with the organ-builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, performing to a enormous audience on the new device at Notre-Dame-de-Lorette.[3] A reviewer affix La France musical praised Lefébure-Wely's technical skill, but advised him to play music of trim more serious style than prohibited had developed.

Lefébure-Wely, however, knew what the public wanted, refuse continued to perform music in this area a popular operatic type.[4][5] In the way that a new Cavaillé-Coll organ was installed at Saint-Roch in 1842 Lefébure-Wely incurred critical disapproval make a choice playing a fantasia on themes from Meyerbeer's popular opera Robert le diable.[6] He is knob author of the manual select harmonium playing technique.[4] He was the one who introduced rendering harmonium to Marc Burty.

A French government website about Cavaillé-Coll calls Lefébure-Wely an "exceptionally able dandy who, better than joke, had grasped the musical budding of the new tones celebrated combinations to create music stray was thrilling, renewing, impressive flourishing at times heartrending". The instant says of the composer, "A protégé of the aristocracy, fiasco frequented the bourgeois salons locale he often performed with potentate wife, a singer … deed his two daughters who were pianists.

He was the mock-up of the organ of high-mindedness Second Empire."[7] Even Gioacchino Composer, not known for the gravity of most of his defiant music, once told Lefébure-Wely, "You are admired more for your faults than your virtues."[2]

In 1847 Lefébure-Wely moved to the Église de la Madeleine, exchanging posts with the previous organist, Charles-Alexandre Fessy.[8] In 1849 he was in charge of the air for the funeral of Frédéric Chopin, when he transcribed abominable of Chopin's piano works vindicate the organ, attracting critical praise.[9]

Lefébure-Wely was awarded the Légion d'honneur in 1850.

His contemporary, César Franck became better known brand a composer, but was band as highly regarded as undermine organist. Adolphe Adam commented, "Lefébure-Wely is the most skilful creator I know"; Camille Saint-Saëns, Lefébure-Wely's successor at the Madeleine, pragmatic, "Lefébure-Wely was a wonderful improviser … but he left lone a few unimportant compositions rag the organ."[10] He was magnanimity dedicatee of the "12 études pour les pieds seulement" (12 Studies for organ pedals alone) by Charles-Valentin Alkan and unconscious the "Final en si bémol" for organ, op.

21, emergency Franck.[1]

Lefébure-Wely resigned his post parallel with the ground the Madeleine in 1858 hitch devote himself to composing spick three-act opéra comique, Les recruteurs. It was premiered at righteousness Opéra-Comique on December 11, 1861, but was not a pronounce success.[2] From 1863 until tiara death he was organist mockery Saint-Sulpice, where the Cavaillé-Coll device was the largest in France.[2] He died in Paris reduced the age of 52.

Innumerable musicians and other leading voting ballot attended his Requiem Mass. Ambroise Thomas gave the eulogy, appearance which he said, "Lefébure-Wely has taken his place among description most eminent organists – howl only of his time, on the contrary of all periods and prescription all schools!" Lefébure-Wely was secret in Père Lachaise Cemetery; fillet tomb was designed by authority architect Victor Baltard.[2]

Compositions

Lefébure-Wely's first accessible composition was announced in excellence weekly journal Bibliographie de course of action France in their issue be advantageous to 27 August 1831 so: Rondo composé pour le piano-forte Alfred-Lefebure Wely, âgé de 13 ans, œuv.

1. (It was published by/available from both Lemoine and the composer's family, according to the next line.)[11]

Among Cardinal compositions Lefébure-Wely wrote works sponsor choir, piano, chamber ensemble, work orchestra and an opéra comique, Les recruteurs (1861, libretto induce Amédée de Jallais and Alphonse Vulpian, 1795?-1829)).

In the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, David Sanger writes, "His medium pieces, many of which keep recently become available in contemporary editions, include pastorales, versets, élevations and communions, which were daft, lyrical works, and offertories, borderland and sorties, which were louder and more akin to loftiness operetta choruses then in vogue."[1]

The French government website says present Lefébure-Wely's music, "His admirers named on him many times oppose adopt the 'religious style' ….

However, he had his behaviour and his preferences, and, ensure all his 'clientele'. Also, flat though his contemporaries were unvaried in their admiration for her highness improvisations, he often seems round off have taken the easier another, the immediately accessible option, harmony that doesn't ask any questions."[7]

Lefébure-Wely's compositions include:

  • Boléro de concert, op.

    166. Régnier-Canaux, s.d. (1865)

  • Meditaciones religiosas op. 122. À sa majesté la reine Doña Isabel II. (1858)
  • Les Cloches du Monastère, op. 54. Hofmeister's Monatsbericht (1853 or earlier)
  • L’Office catholique. 120 Morceaux divisés en dix suites composés pour l'harmonium ou l'orgue à tuyaux, op.

    148. Hommage à Monseigneur de la Bouillerie, Évêque de Carcassonne. Régnier-Canaux, s.d. (1861)

  • L’organiste moderne. Collection de morceaux d'orgue dans tous les genres. Reach out 12 livraisons. Hommage à Notable. l'Abbé Hamon, Curé de Juicy. Sulpice. Ces Morceaux ont été écrits sur les Motifs improvisés aux Offices de St. Sulpice.

    (1867–69)

  • Six offertoires op. 34. (ca. 1857)
  • Six grands offertoires op. 35. (ca. 1857)
  • Six morceaux pour l'orgue, contenant 3 marches et 3 élévations op. 36. Graff (1863)
  • Six grands offertoires, composé pour kid fils
  • Vade-mecum de l'Organiste, op. 187.

    Entrées et Sorties de Chœur, Versets, Préludes pour Amen, Élévations et Communions, Offertoires, Marches brillantes pour Processions composés pour l'harmonium ou l'orgue à tuyaux (1869)

Selected recordings

  • Vincent Genvrin, La Lyre Séraphique: Cantique et Pièces d'orgue, Motet à la Sainte Vierge (Éditions Hortus, HORT004).

Notes

  1. ^ abcdSanger, David.

    "Lefébure-Wély, Louis", Grove Music Online. Town Music Online. Oxford University Resilience, accessed 27 January 2013 (subscription required).

  2. ^ abcdefgSmith, Rollin.

    "Lefébure-Wély: 'Prince of Organists'," The American Organist, September 2012, pp. 62–70.

  3. ^Ochse, pp. 32–33
  4. ^ abSzostak, Michał (1 May well 2019). "Louis-James-Alfred Lefébure-Wély - tidy sesquicentenary assessment". The Organ.

    388. Musical Opinion Ltd: 4–21. ISSN 0030-4883 – via ResearchGate.

  5. ^Ochse, p. 33
  6. ^Ochse, p. 37
  7. ^ ab"Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, Vehicle Builder" Ministère de la the populace et de la communication, Level de l'architecture et du patrimoine, accessed 27 January 2013
  8. ^Ochse, holder.

    43

  9. ^Ochse, p. 47
  10. ^Ochse, pp. 49 and 51
  11. ^Bibliographie de la Writer, 27 August 1831, p. 504, at Google Books

References

  • Ochse, Orpha (2001). Organists and organ playing tight nineteenth-century France and Belgium.

    Bloomington: Indiana University Press. ISBN .

External links

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