Jehan Alain

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Jehan Alain

Jehan Ariste Alain (born February 3, 1911 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye , Yvelines department , † June 20, 1940 in Petit-Puy near Saumur , Maine-et-Loire department ) was a French organist and composer .

Life

Jehan Alain's father Albert Alain (1880–1971) was an organist, composer and organ builder and had studied organ with Alexandre Guilmant and Louis Vierne . Jehan Alain's brother Olivier (1918-1994) and his two sisters, Marie-Odile (1914-1937) and Marie-Claire (1926-2013) also became musicians.

Alain received his first piano lessons from Augustin Pierson, the organist of the Saint Louis Cathedral in Versailles , as well as organ lessons from his father, who had built a four-manual house organ in his family's living room. At the age of 13, Jehan Alain represented him as organist at the Catholic parish church in St. Germain-en-Laye.

From 1927 to 1939 Alain studied at the Conservatoire National Superieur in Paris, where he received first prizes in harmony, fugue, counterpoint, organ and improvisation. His teachers included André Bloch , Georges Caussade , Jean Roger-Ducasse , Paul Dukas and Marcel Dupré . In 1936 he won the first prize of the Amis de l'Orgue in Paris for his three-movement suite for organ.

In 1935 Alain was appointed organist at St. Nicolas de Maisons-Laffitte , where he worked for four years. In addition, he played regularly at the Temple Israëlite in the Rue Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth 3rd arrondissement in Paris , where in 1938 the only known sound recording of him, a six-minute organ improvisation, was made.

After the declaration of war in September 1939, Alain was called up for military service and died on June 20, 1940 in a skirmish near Saumur , two days before the armistice in Compiègne was signed. He left behind his wife Madeleine Payan (1912–1975), whom he married in 1935, and three children (Lisa, Agnès and Denis).

Honors

  • Jehan Alain was posthumously awarded the Croix de guerre
  • In memory of his fallen friend Alain, Maurice Duruflé composed his Prelude et Fugue sur le nom d'Alain , which turns his name into motivic material.
  • Jean Langlais remembered Jehan Alain with the sentence “Chant héroïque” from his Neuf pièces of 1942/1943.

plant

Alain's compositional work was influenced not only by the musical language of Claude Debussy and Olivier Messiaen , but also by Far Eastern music, dance and philosophy, the newly awakened interest in music from the 16th to 18th centuries and jazz .

Alain’s catalog raisonné includes more than 140 compositions. He wrote music for piano and orchestra as well as vocal and chamber music. But he owes his fame above all to his works for organ.

Catalog raisonné

The designation JA (Jehan Alain) with a corresponding number comes from Alain himself, it is not chronological and similar to an order in opus numbers.

  • 1929
    • JA 21 - Togo, for piano [June 1929]
    • JA 7bis - Berceuse sur deux notes qui cornent, for organ [August 1929]
    • JA 3 - Etude sur un thème de quatre notes, for piano [November 1929]
    • JA 8 - Chanson triste, for piano [1929]
  • 1930
    • JA 9 - Ballade en mode phrygien, for organ or piano [January 1930]
    • JA 2 - Thème et cinq variations, for piano [February 1930]
    • JA 14 - Lamento, for organ [February 1930]
    • JA 1 - Quarante variations, for piano [April 1930]
    • JA 17 - Des nuages ​​gris, for two pianos [June 1930]
    • JA 4 - Ecce ancilla Domini, for piano [August 1930]
    • JA 29 - Postlude pour l'Office de Complies, for organ [August 1930]
    • JA 130 - Adagio, for piano [12. August 1930]
    • JA 5 - Seigneur, donne-nous la paix éternelle (chorale), for piano [October 1930]
    • JA 7 - Etude de sonorité sur une double pédale, for piano [October 1930]
    • JA 10 - Etude sur les doubles notes, for piano [October 1930]
    • JA 20 - Pour le défrichage, for piano [December 1930]
    • JA 131 - Variations sur un thème donné de Rimsky-Korsakov , for four voices [December 1930]
    • JA 131A - Variations sur un chant donné de Rimsky-Korsakov, for organ [December 1930]
    • JA 131B - Variations sur un thème donné de Rimsky-Korsakov, for string quartet [December 1930]
    • JA 129 - Lettre à son amie Lola pour la consoler d'avoir attrapé la grippe, for piano [1930]
  • 1931
    • JA 12 - Petite rhapsodie, for piano [February 1931]
    • JA 16 - Mélodie-sandwich, for piano [23. February 1931]
    • JA 6 - Verset-Choral, for organ or piano [March 1931]
    • JA 11 - Lumière qui tombe d'un vasistas, for piano [April 1931]
    • JA 15 - Histoire sur un tapis, entre des murs blancs, for piano [May 1931]
    • JA 18 - Canons à sept, for two pianos [May 1931]
    • JA 13 - Heureusement, la bonne fée sa marraine…, for piano [10. August 1931]
    • JA 19 - Nocturne, soir du 22 août 31, for piano [22. August 1931]
    • JA 22 - En dévissant mes chaussettes, for piano [September 1931]
    • JA 23 - 26 September 1931, for piano [26. September 1931]
    • JA 24 - Dans le rêve laissé par la Ballade des pendus de François Villon , for piano [4. October 1931]
    • JA 143 - Pièces d'après François Campion, for organ [1931]
  • 1932
    • JA 25 - Choral et variations - Mythologies japonaises, for piano [1932]
    • JA 27 - Variations sur L 'Hymne Lucis Creator, for organ [January 1932]
    • JA 28 - Fugue en mode de fa, for organ or piano [1932]
    • JA 35 - O quam suavis est, for baritone [1932]
    • JA 36 - Le rosier de Mme Husson, for piano [March 1932]
    • JA 37 - Chant donné, for organ or piano [1932]
    • JA 61 - Canon, for piano and harmonium [1932]
    • JA 79 - Climat, for organ [March 1932]
    • JA 30 - Trois minutes: Un cercle d'argent, for piano or organ [1932]
    • JA 31 - Trois minutes: Romance, for piano or organ [1932]
    • JA 32 - Trois minutes: Grave, for piano or organ [August 1932]
    • JA 34 - Cantique en mode phrygien, for four mixed voices [September 1932]
    • JA 77 - Première danse à Agni Yavishta, for organ [13. October 1932]
    • JA 78 - Deuxième danse à Agni Yavishta, for organ [13. October 1932]
    • JA 33 - Petite pièce, for organ [December 1932]
    • JA 38 - Complainte à la mode ancienne, for organ [1932]
    • JA 132 - Chant nuptial, for baritone and organ [1932]
    • JA 132A - Chant nuptial, for baritone, bass, violoncello and organ [1932]
  • 1933
    • JA 26 - Variations chorales sur Sacris solemniis, for five mixed voices and organ [January 1933]
    • JA 64 - Premier Prélude profane (Wieder an), for organ or piano [February 1933]
    • JA 64A - Adagio en quintette, for string quintet [1933]
    • JA 65 - Deuxième Prélude profane (And now), for organ or piano [6. March 1933]
    • JA 39 - Chanson à bouche fermée, for four mixed voices [1933]
    • JA 133 - Fugue sur un sujet de Henri Rabaud, for four voices [1933]
    • JA 133A - Fugue sur un sujet de Henri Rabaud, for organ [1933]
    • JA 133B - Fugue sur un sujet de Henri Rabaud, for string quartet [1933]
    • JA 72 - Première Fantaisie, for organ [1933]
    • JA 80A - Prelude, for string quintet [1933]
  • 1934
    • JA 134 - Choral cistercien pour une Élévation, for organ [April 1934]
    • JA 66 - Intermezzo, for two pianos and bassoon [June 1934]
    • JA 66 bis - Intermezzo, for organ [March 1935]
    • JA 74 - Trois mouvements: Allegretto con grazia, for flute and piano [August 1934]
    • JA 74A - Intermède, for violoncello and piano [August 1934]
    • JA 74B - Trois mouvements, for flute and piano or violin and piano [1934]
    • JA 73 - Trois mouvements: Andante, for flute and piano [January 1935]
    • JA 73A - Trois mouvements: Allegro vivace, for flute and piano [1935]
    • JA 74C - Trois mouvements, for flute and organ [1975]
    • JA 71 - Le jardin suspendu, for organ [October 1934]
    • JA 69 - Suite: Introduction et variations, for organ [1935]
    • JA 69A - Andante con variazioni, for string quintet [1934]
    • JA 70 - Suite: Scherzo, for organ [1935]
    • JA 70A - Scherzo, for string quintet [1934]
    • JA 82 - Suite: Choral, for organ [1935]
  • 1935
    • JA 81 - Andante, for piano [January 1935]
    • JA 81bis - Largo assai, ma molto rubato, for violoncello and piano [1935]
    • JA 47 - Fantaisie pour chœur à bouche fermée, for three mixed voices [9. August 1935]
    • JA 57 - Fugue, for organ [1935]
    • JA 57A - Fugue, for piano [1935]
    • JA 58 - Laisse les nuages ​​blancs, for soprano or tenor [1935]
    • JA 60 - Foire, for voice and piano [1935]
    • JA 62 - De Jules Lemaître, for organ or piano [1935]
    • JA 63 - Fantasmagoria, for organ or piano [1935]
    • JA 67 - Choral dorien, for organ [1935]
    • JA 68 - Choral Phrygia, for organ [1935]
    • JA 75 - Prelude, for organ [1935]
    • JA 76 - Nocturne, for piano [1935]
    • JA 80 - Suite monodique: Animato, for piano [1935]
    • JA 89 - Suite monodique: Adagio, molto rubato, for piano [1935]
    • JA 89bis - Andante, for organ [1935]
    • JA 116 - Suite monodique: Vivace, for piano [1935]
    • JA 116A - Vivace, for harp [undated]
    • JA 87 - Prelude, for piano [1935]
    • JA 87A - Prélude et fugue, for piano [1935]
  • 1936
    • JA 86 - Berceuse, for piano [17. April 1936]
    • JA 88 - Chanson tirée du "chat-qui-s'en-va-tout-seul", for soprano [1936]
    • JA 91 - Tarass Boulba, for piano [October 1936]
    • JA 117 - Deuxième Fantaisie, for organ [1936]
  • 1937
    • JA 119 - Litanies , for organ [15. August 1937]
    • JA 119A - Litanies, for two pianos [undated]
    • JA 84 - Quand Marion…, for piano [1937]
    • JA 85 - Nous n'irons plus au bois…, for piano [1937]
    • JA 90 - Complainte de Jean Renaud, for four mixed voices [1937]
    • JA 92 - Final pour une sonatine facile, for piano [1937]
    • JA 93 - Suite facile: Barcarolle, for piano [1937]
    • JA 94 - Invention à trois voix, for flute, oboe and clarinet [1937]
    • JA 94A - Invention à trois voix, for flute and organ [1937]
    • JA 95 - Vocalise dorienne, for soprano and organ [March 1937]
    • JA 95A - Vocalise dorienne - "Ave Maria", for soprano and organ [1937]
    • JA 98 - O salutaris, a cappella, for two equal voices [1937]
    • JA 99 - Idée pour improviser sur le Christe eleison, for piano [1937]
    • JA 100 - Idée pour improviser sur le deuxième Amen, for piano [1937]
    • JA 118 - Variations on un thème de Clément Janequin [1937]
    • JA 120 - Trois danses: Joies, Deuils, Luttes, for orchestra [1937]
    • JA 120D - Sarabande, for organ, string quintet and timpani [1938]
    • JA 120 bis - Danse funèbre pour honorer une mémoire héroïque, for organ [1938]
    • JA 120A - Trois danses: Joies, Deuils, Luttes, for organ [1937–1940]
    • JA 120C - Trois danses: Joies, Deuils, Luttes, for two pianos [1944]
    • JA 120B - Trois danses: Joies, Deuils, Luttes, for orchestra [1945]
  • 1938
    • JA 122 - Tantum ergo, for two unequal [sic!] Voices and organ [18. January 1938]
    • JA 136 - Mass modale en septuor, for soprano, alto, flute and string quartet or organ [6. August 1938]
    • JA 135 - monody, for organ or piano [8. September 1938]
    • JA 135A - Monody, for flute [1938]
    • JA 138 - Aria, for organ [November 1938]
    • JA 138A - Aria, for flute and organ [1938]
    • JA 83 - O salutaris, dit de Dugay, for four mixed voices [1938]
    • JA 96 - Faux-Bourdon pour le Laudate du VIème ton, for three equal voices [1938]
    • JA 97 - Le petit Jésus s'en va-t-à l'école, for piano [1938]
    • JA 101 - Noël nouvelet, for three mixed voices [1938]
    • JA 101 A - Noël nouvelet, for organ [undated]
    • JA 112 - Que j'aime ce divin Enfant, for three mixed voices [1938]
    • JA 112A - Que j'aime ce divin Enfant, for two equal voices and organ [1938]
    • JA 113 - D'où vient qu'en cette nuitée…, for two equal voices and organ [1938]
    • JA 113A - D'où vient qu'en cette nuitée…, for four mixed voices [1990]
    • JA 114 - Le Père Noël passera-t-il?, For one voice [1938]
    • JA 115 - Transcription du Récit de Nazard de Clérambault , for flute and organ [1938]
    • JA 121 - Marche de Saint Nicolas, for two Clairons, drum and organ [1938]
    • JA 121A - Marche des Horaces et des Curiaces, for two Clairons, drum and organ [1938]
    • JA 124 - Mass grégorienne de mariage, for one voice and string quartet [1938]
    • JA 125 - Messe de Requiem, for four mixed voices [1938]
    • JA 126 - Fragment de la cantate de JS Bach  : Schallet, you songs , for two trumpets and organ [1938]
    • JA 127 - Allegro du Concerto en sol majeur (sic) de Handel , for two trumpets and organ [1938]
    • JA 128 - Concerto en si bémol majeur de Handel, for two trumpets and organ [1938]
    • JA 137 - Prière pour nous autres charnels, for tenor, bass and organ [1938]
    • JA 137 A - Prière pour nous autres charnels, for orchestra [1946]
    • JA 139 - L'année liturgique israélite, for organ [1938]
    • JA 140 - Tantum ergo, for soprano, baritone and organ [1938]
  • 1939
    • JA 123 - Tu es Petrus, for three mixed voices [1939]
    • JA 141 - Salve, virilis pectoris, for soprano, tenor and organ [1939]
    • JA 142 - O salutaris, for soprano and organ [1939]
  • Undated works
    • JA 40 - Une scie, for piano
    • JA 41 - Il pleuvra toute la journée, for piano
    • JA 42 - Sur le mode ré, mi, fa…, for piano
    • JA 43 - Adagio, for violoncello and organ
    • JA 44 - Amen, for piano
    • JA 45 - Un très vieux motif, for piano
    • JA 46 - Post-scriptum, for two pianos
    • JA 48 - Théorie, for piano
    • JA 49 - Le gai liseron, for piano
    • JA 50 - Sonata, for piano
    • JA 51 - Mephisto, for piano
    • JA 52 - La peste, for piano
    • JA 53 - exposure
    • JA 54 - subject
    • JA 55 - Comme quoi les projets les plus belliqueux…, for piano
    • JA 56 - Le bon Roi Dagobert, for piano
    • JA 59 - Histoire d'un homme qui jouait de la trompette dans la forêt vierge, for piano

bibliography

  • Wilibald Gurlitt , Carl Dahlhaus (ed.): Riemann Music Lexicon. In three volumes and two supplementary volumes. Alain, Jehan. 12th completely revised edition. 1. Personal section A – KB Schotts-Söhne, Mainz 1959, p. 17 (first edition: 1882).
  • Wilibald Gurlitt , Carl Dahlhaus (ed.): Riemann Music Lexicon. In three volumes and two supplementary volumes. Alain, Jehan. 12th completely revised edition. 4. Personal section A – KB Schotts-Söhne, Mainz 1972, p. 10 (first edition: 1882).
  • Marie-Claire Alain : Notes critiques sur l'œuvre d'orgue de Jehan Alain. A. Leduc, Paris 2000, ISBN 2-85689-057-1 .
  • Aurélie Decourt: Jehan Alain. Biography, correspondance, dessins, essais. Éditions Comp'Act, Chambéry 2005, ISBN 2-87661-362-X .
  • Bernard Gavoty: Jehan Alain, musicien français (1911–1940). Avec un choix de lettres et de dessins inédits. Albin Michel, Paris 1985, ISBN 2-7307-0261-X (reprint of the Paris 1945 edition).
  • Wilhelm Hafner: The organ work of Jehan Alain (1911-1940) and his relationship to French organ music of the 20th century. Verlag Körner, Baden-Baden 2000, ISBN 3-87320-592-0 (also dissertation, University of Vienna 1997).
  • Helga Schauerte : Jehan Alain (1911–1940), the organ work. A monographic study (Cologne Contributions to Music Research; Vol. 137). G. Bosse, Regensburg 1983, ISBN 3-7649-2289-3 .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Alain, Jehan
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Alain, Jehan Ariste (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French organist and composer
DATE OF BIRTH February 3, 1911
PLACE OF BIRTH Saint-Germain-en-Laye
DATE OF DEATH June 20, 1940
Place of death Petit-Puy near Saumur