Marcel Dupre: Antiphon 3, from Fifteen Pieces Op. 18, "I am Black but Comely"

This is #3 of Fifteen Pieces founded on Antiphons (Vepres Du Commun) by Marcel Dupre, Opus 18 (1920), dedicated to Monsieur C. J. in remembrance of his sympathetic visits to the Grand Organ of Notre Dame, Paris, in 1920. Dupre was substituting for Louis Vierne at the time, and this piece definitely shows the influence of his teacher. I love to listen to and play this piece because of its powerful ability to awaken remembrance and sacred or meaningful values in our lives. It need not necessarily be experienced as religious, though that is its theme and setting. This collection of 15 Pieces is also called Feasts of the Virgin Mary. The full title of this piece is "I am Black but Comely, O Ye Daughters of Jerusalem." Marcel Dupre was one of the foremost organ masters and teachers of the 20th Century. This is my favorite piece of his.

E. Power Biggs recorded this piece, probably in the 1950s, at the Busch-Reisinger Museum on the Aeolian-Skinner organ built in 1937 by G. Donald Harrison, though I'm not sure. I got this recording from an out-of-print and forgotten LP entitled "French Organ Music." It is NOT the same record as "A Festival of French Organ Music" issued in 1961 by Columbia on a different organ, though it contains some of the same pieces. Biggs hosted a national radio program of organ music in the 1940s and 50s and issued many LP recordings and sheetmusic editions of organ music.

See my website of organ favorites with links at
http://philosopherswheel.com/ericorgan.html

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Marcel
• Dupre
• Antiphon
• Three
• Virgin
• Mary
• Vespers
• Vepres
• Communion
• French
• Organ
• E.Power
• Biggs
• Louis
• Vierne
• Aeolian-Skinner
• Harrison
• Notre
• Dame
• remembrance
• nostalgia
• peace

[gerdi911]

zu schnell gespielt!!

[Sinatra70]

Thanks for posting this; the recording was actually made at St. Paul's Chapel at Columbia University in 1937.

[Sesquiltera]

I used to play this when I was about 14, because it wasn´t so difficult. My mother didn´t like organ music, but this piece she found very nice I remember.

[ilovechopinprelude]

this is such a wonderful piece of music. I love this work. It just seems to me like this piece is taken a little to fast. It is lacking the "timelessness" required. THOUGH, it is amazing!