Pipe Organ Chartres Cathedral Tournemire "Victimae Paschali"

Philippe Lefebvre, one of the 3 titulaires @ Notre Dame de Paris since 1985, recorded this in 1981, when he was titulaire at Chartres. My notes say they were recorded in August. Bet it was a little toasty up there in that swallow's-nest organ loft.

"Victimae" is the third of the Big Three Duruflé transcriptions of Tournemire's masterfully inventive improvisations (along with "Te Deum" & "Ave Maris.") Only a tiny portion of Tournemire's inventions was ever recorded. It's a shame he didn't have someone to document his work as Carbou did for Cochereau. If the ones that WERE recorded are any indication of the overall caliber, it must have been a joy to sit in Ste. Clotilde each Sunday & listen to this man's magic.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• pipe
• organ
• orgue
• orgel
• organo
• Chartres
• Cathedral
• Tournemire

[dacatholicbandorgan]

Is he related to Archbishop Marcel Lefevbre?

[a55b47]

I don't know.  It's not an unusual name in France.

[HONGYOUNGEUN]

i can see rainbow on 1st picture.

[trompettechamade1]

Thank you so much for posting this; it is marvelous! I am reminded of a similar experience I had one summer in the 60's. I was in the crypt section of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception when I heard organ music coming from the upper church, which was closed to the public. I quietly walked upstairs and had the great pleasure to hear Madame Durufle-Chevalier play the most magnificent rendition of the Chorale #2 in B minor I have ever heard!

[davewvu1]

I love this tempo. Usually, "Victimae" is taken faster. This tempo yields a cleaner version, enabling the listener to hear all of the subtle nuances underlying the theme of the piece. Faster tempos and large venues only make for an undecipherable cacophony from what should be a clean,majestic sound of praise.

[fillmore593]

I was at Chartres Cathedral a few years ago and I only wish I could have heard this wonderful organ.

[Souadette]

J'organise un flashmob a chartres pour ceux qui sont intéréssé joindre mon groupe dans Facebook : Flashmob a chartres merci a tous

[jice0610]

he was born in north of France in Roubaix, was organist in Arras cathedral, at Chartres and then one of the 3 organist at Notre Dame de Paris. Lefebvre is a common name in north of France. He has been my organ teacher so i can answer all your questions about him!

[octavegeigen4]

The fact that this was recorded in August, explains why the organ is out of tune.

[blogson]

I have a DC of this piece played on this organ by another, and the tempi essentially are the same except towards the end, which Lefebvre plays more quickly. Since Tournemire actually refused to write down this improvisation as he believed that an improv is a one-time-off piece of music, Maurice Durufle painstakingly noted it from the 78 rpm recording of Tournemire's concert after his death in 1939, made I believe by Radio France. Perhaps Durufle also noted the tempo from the recording.