Short bio Louis Vierne
Birthday:
1870 in Poitiers, France
Died:
1937 in Paris, France
Active:
1890s - 1930s
Genre:
Classical
Period:
20th Century, Post-Romantic
Full biography Louis Vierne
Louis Vierne was a French composer who lived from 1870 to 1937. He is primarily known for his contributions to the field of organ music, where his works are considered some of the most challenging pieces to perform. His legacy is tied to the Notre-Dame Cathedral where he was the principal organist for over thirty years.
Vierne was born blind and was raised in poverty. Despite these challenges, he showed a keen interest in music from an early age. Vierne received his formal education at the Paris Conservatory, where he studied under renowned composers such as César Franck and Charles-Marie Widor.
In 1900, Vierne became the chief assistant to Widor, who himself had been the chief organist at Notre-Dame. Vierne quickly became known for his virtuosic organ skills, and soon after, he was offered the position of principal organist at Notre-Dame.
During his tenure at the cathedral, Vierne composed several significant works, including his six symphonies for the organ. These works display his immensely refined musical language and his mastery of the instrument. In addition to his organ compositions, Vierne also composed chamber music, choral pieces, music for orchestra, and songs.
Despite his success and his status as a respected composer, Vierne suffered several personal tragedies in his life. His wife left him, and his three children died young. He struggled with illness throughout his life and ultimately died while performing on the organ at Notre-Dame.
Vierne's contributions to the world of music are significant, and his work remains highly regarded by organists and music enthusiasts alike. His compositions are known for their striking harmonies and complex musical structures, often featuring intricate counterpoint and rhythmic complexity. Today, his music continues to inspire and challenge organists worldwide, as well as music lovers who appreciate the beauty and complexity of his compositions.
Compositions featuring Louis Vierne
| # | Name | Duration | Genre | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Requiem Mass for organ, Op. 62 | 32:10 min | Choral | 1936 |
| 2 | Ballade du désespéré, for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op. 61 | 15:47 min | Vocal Music | 1931 |
| 3 | Les Angélus for voice & organ, Op 57 | 11:51 min | Vocal Music | 1930 |
| 4 | Symphony No. 6 for organ in B minor, Op. 59 | 38:33 min | Keyboard | 1930 |
| 5 | Improvisations (3) for organ | 10:29 min | Keyboard | 1929 |
| 6 | Soirs Etrangers for cello & piano, Op 56 | 25:34 min | Chamber Music | 1928 |
| 7 | Pièce de fantaisie ("Carillon de Westminster") for organ, Op. 54/6 | 6:48 min | Keyboard | 1927 |
| 8 | Pièces de fantaisie, for organ, Suite 3, Op. 54 | 35:28 min | Keyboard | 1927 |
| 9 | Pièces de fantaisie, for organ, Suite 4, Op. 55 | 35:18 min | Keyboard | 1927 |
| 10 | Pièces de fantaisie, for organ, Suites 1 - 4, Opp. 51, 53, 54 & 55 | 135:49 min | Keyboard | 1927 |
| 11 | Pièces de fantaisie, for organ, Suite 1, Op. 51 | 24:26 min | Keyboard | 1926 |
| 12 | Pièces de fantaisie, for organ, Suite 2, Op. 53 | 32:06 min | Keyboard | 1926 |
| 13 | Poèmes de l'Amour, for voice & piano, Op. 48 | 37:48 min | Vocal Music | 1924 |
| 14 | Symphony No. 5 for organ in A minor, Op. 47 | 41:21 min | Keyboard | 1924 |
| 15 | Marche triomphale du centenaire de Napoléon 1, for organ, brass & timpani, Op. 46 | 7:45 min | Chamber Music | 1921 |
| 16 | Silhouettes d'enfants, Op 43 | 10:44 min | Keyboard | 1920 |
| 17 | Les Djinns, symphonic poem with voice | 11:00 min | Orchestral | 1919 |
| 18 | Nocturnes (3), Op. 35 | 19:24 min | Keyboard | 1917 |
| 19 | Quintet for 2 violins, viola, cello & piano in C minor, Op 42 | 32:23 min | Chamber Music | 1917 |
| 20 | Eros, symphonic poem for voice & orchestra, Op. 37 | 12:28 min | Vocal Music | 1916 |
| 21 | Preludes (12), Op 36 | 42:14 min | Keyboard | 1914 |
| 22 | Psyché, symphonic poem for voice & orchestra, Op. 33 | 8:10 min | Vocal Music | 1914 |
| 23 | Symphony No. 4 for organ in G minor, Op. 32 | 35:02 min | Keyboard | 1914 |
| 24 | Pièces (24) en style libre, for organ, Op. 31 | 97:44 min | Keyboard | 1913 |
| 25 | Messe Basse, for organ, Op. 30 | 23:31 min | Choral | 1912 |
| 26 | Stances d'Amour et de Rêve, for voice & piano, Op. 29 | 17:34 min | Vocal Music | 1912 |
| 27 | Symphony No. 3 for organ in F sharp minor, Op. 28 | 28:49 min | Keyboard | 1912 |
| 28 | Airs de danse, for piano | Keyboard | 1911 | |
| 29 | Sonata for cello & piano in B flat minor, Op. 27 | 23:38 min | Chamber Music | 1910 |
| 30 | Rhapsody for Harp, Op 25 | 10:31 min | Chamber Music | 1909 |
| 31 | Vocalise-Étude à Monsieur A.L. Hettich, for voice & piano | 4:14 min | Vocal Music | 1907 |
| 32 | Sonata for violin & piano in G minor, Op. 23 | 34:47 min | Chamber Music | 1906 |
| 33 | Symphony No. 2 for organ in E minor, Op. 20 | 34:00 min | Keyboard | 1903 |
| 34 | Ave Maria, Op 3 | 2:04 min | Choral | 1901 |
| 35 | Ainsi parlait Zarathoustra: poem for piano, Op 49 | 4:56 min | Keyboard | 1900 |
| 36 | Le Glas, Op .39 | 7:13 min | Keyboard | 1900 |
| 37 | Messe Solennelle in C sharp minor, Op. 16 | 23:03 min | Choral | 1900 |
| 38 | Pieces (2) for piano, Op 7 | 4:38 min | Keyboard | 1900 |
| 39 | Solitude: poem for piano, Op 44 | 23:30 min | Keyboard | 1900 |
| 40 | Suite bourguignonne, Op 17 | 22:00 min | Keyboard | 1900 |
| 41 | Symphony No. 1 for organ in D minor, Op. 14 | 37:41 min | Keyboard | 1899 |
| 42 | Mélodies (3), for voice & piano, Op. 18 | 5:52 min | Vocal Music | 1897 |
| 43 | Prélude Funèbre for organ in E, Op. 4 | 4:43 min | Keyboard | 1896 |
| 44 | Allegretto for organ in B minor, Op. 1 | 4:43 min | Keyboard | 1894 |
| 45 | Largo and canzonetta, for oboe & piano, Op. 6 | 6:20 min | Chamber Music | 1894 |
| 46 | Mélodies (3), for voice & orchestra, Op. 11 | Vocal Music | 1894 | |
| 47 | Pieces (2) for cello (or viola) & piano, Op. 5 | 5:53 min | Chamber Music | 1894 |
| 48 | Verset fugué sur "In exitu Israël", for organ | 1:40 min | Keyboard | 1894 |
| 49 | Tantum ergo, Op 2 | 2:59 min | Choral | 1891 |
| 50 | Adagio for organ | 6:47 min | Keyboard | - |
| 51 | Air à danser, for piano | 2:51 min | Keyboard | - |
| 52 | Allegretto, for organ | Keyboard | - | |
| 53 | Andantino for organ | 3:38 min | Keyboard | - |
| 54 | Ave verum, for chorus & organ, Op. 15 | 4:46 min | Choral | - |
| 55 | Baudelaire Poems (5) for voice & piano, Op. 45: No. 1, Recueillement | 4:29 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 56 | Baudelaire Poems (5) for voice & piano, Op. 45: No. 2, Réversibilité | 2:57 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 57 | Baudelaire Poems (5) for voice & piano, Op. 45: No. 3, Le Flambeau vivant | 3:42 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 58 | Baudelaire Poems (5) for voice & piano, Op. 45: No. 4, La Cloche fêlée | 3:30 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 59 | Baudelaire Poems (5) for voice & piano, Op. 45: No. 5, Les Hiboux | 3:45 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 60 | Berceuse, for organ | 4:06 min | Keyboard | - |
| 61 | Carillon de Longpont | 4:21 min | Keyboard | - |
| 62 | Claire de lune, for organ, Op. 53/5 (from Piéces de Fantasie) | 8:51 min | Keyboard | - |
| 63 | Communion, Op. 8 (Communion) | 4:00 min | Keyboard | - |
| 64 | Cortège, for organ | 3:14 min | Keyboard | - |
| 65 | Elevation for organ | 2:29 min | Keyboard | - |
| 66 | Epitaph for organ | 3:59 min | Keyboard | - |
| 67 | Extase!, Op. 13 | 3:16 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 68 | Final de la 1ère Symphonie, for organ | 7:10 min | Keyboard | - |
| 69 | Final, for organ | 6:58 min | Keyboard | - |
| 70 | Greek Poems (4) for voice & piano, Op. 60: No. 1, Offrande à Pan | 2:37 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 71 | Greek Poems (4) for voice & piano, Op. 60: No. 2, Le Repos | 2:47 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 72 | Greek Poems (4) for voice & piano, Op. 60: No. 3, Offrande à Kypris | 4:31 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 73 | Greek Poems (4) for voice & piano, Op. 60: No. 4, Chanson pour Avril | 1:58 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 74 | Hymne au soleil, for organ (from 24 Pièces de Fantaisie), Op. 53/3 | 5:24 min | Keyboard | - |
| 75 | Impromptu, for organ | 3:13 min | Keyboard | - |
| 76 | Les Roses Blanches de la Lune, for voice & piano | 5:05 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 77 | Maestoso for organ in C sharp minor | 5:31 min | Keyboard | - |
| 78 | Marche Episcopale | 3:39 min | Orchestral | - |
| 79 | Meditation | 4:25 min | Orchestral | - |
| 80 | Naïades, for organ (from Pièces de Fantaisie), Op. 55/4 | 4:47 min | Keyboard | - |
| 81 | Nocturnes (3) for piano, Op. 35: No. 1, La nuit avait envahi la nef de la cathédral... | 9:57 min | Keyboard | - |
| 82 | Nocturnes (3) for piano, Op. 35: No. 2, Au splendide mois de mai, lorsque les bourgeons rompaient l'écorce... | 5:53 min | Keyboard | - |
| 83 | Nocturnes (3) for piano, Op. 35: No. 3, La lumière rqyonnair des astres de la nuit, le rossignol chantait... | 7:55 min | Keyboard | - |
| 84 | Pieces (2) for piano, Op. 7: No. 1, Impression d'Automne | 2:30 min | Keyboard | - |
| 85 | Pieces (2) for piano, Op. 7: No. 2, Intermezzo | 2:07 min | Keyboard | - |
| 86 | Pieces (24) in Syle Libre, for organ: Prelude | 3:39 min | Keyboard | - |
| 87 | Poème for piano & orchestra, Op.50 | 22:26 min | Concerto | - |
| 88 | Prelude for organ in F sharp | 3:27 min | Keyboard | - |
| 89 | Preludes (12) for piano, Op. 36: No. 1, Prologue (Maestoso) | 3:04 min | Keyboard | - |
| 90 | Preludes (12) for piano, Op. 36: No. 2, Tendresse (Andante) | 4:03 min | Keyboard | - |
| 91 | Preludes (12) for piano, Op. 36: No. 3, Pressentiment (Agitato) | 3:18 min | Keyboard | - |
| 92 | Preludes (12) for piano, Op. 36: No. 4, Souvenir d'un jour de joie (Allegro molto appassionato) | 2:14 min | Keyboard | - |
| 93 | Preludes (12) for piano, Op. 36: No. 5, Nostalgie (Andante con moto) | 4:09 min | Keyboard | - |
| 94 | Preludes (12) for piano, Op. 36: No. 6, Par gros temps (Largo) | 2:27 min | Keyboard | - |
| 95 | Preludes (12) for piano, Op. 36: No. 7, Evocation d'un jour d'angoisse (Poco lento) | 5:54 min | Keyboard | - |
| 96 | Preludes (12) for piano, Op. 36: No. 8, Dans la nuit (Grave) | 3:54 min | Keyboard | - |
| 97 | Preludes (12) for piano, Op. 36: No. 9, Suprême appel (Allegro molto agitato) | 3:17 min | Keyboard | - |
| 98 | Preludes (12) for piano, Op. 36: No. 10, Sur une tombe (Molto lento e sostenuto) | 2:33 min | Keyboard | - |
| 99 | Preludes (12) for piano, Op. 36: No. 11, Adieu (Moderato piu tosto lento) | 4:40 min | Keyboard | - |
| 100 | Preludes (12) for piano, Op. 36: No. 12, Seul (Molto maestoso) | 4:54 min | Keyboard | - |
| 101 | Scherzetto for organ | 3:46 min | Keyboard | - |
| 102 | Silhouettes d'Enfants, for piano, Op. 43: No. 1, Valse | 1:29 min | Keyboard | - |
| 103 | Silhouettes d'Enfants, for piano, Op. 43: No. 2, Chanson | 1:27 min | Keyboard | - |
| 104 | Silhouettes d'Enfants, for piano, Op. 43: No. 3, Divertissement | 1:15 min | Keyboard | - |
| 105 | Silhouettes d'Enfants, for piano, Op. 43: No. 4, Barcarolle | 2:40 min | Keyboard | - |
| 106 | Silhouettes d'Enfants, for piano, Op. 43: No. 5, Gavotte dans le style ancien | 3:50 min | Keyboard | - |
| 107 | Solitude, for piano, Op. 44: No. 1, Hantise | 7:06 min | Keyboard | - |
| 108 | Solitude, for piano, Op. 44: No. 2, Nuit blanche | 3:26 min | Keyboard | - |
| 109 | Solitude, for piano, Op. 44: No. 3, Vision hallucinante | 8:05 min | Keyboard | - |
| 110 | Spleens et Détresses, for voice & piano, Op. 38: No. 1, Dans l'interminable ennui de la plaine | 3:43 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 111 | Spleens et Détresses, for voice & piano, Op. 38: No. 2, Un grand sommeil noir | 3:10 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 112 | Spleens et Détresses, for voice & piano, Op. 38: No. 3, Spleen | 2:42 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 113 | Spleens et Détresses, for voice & piano, Op. 38: No. 4, Promenade sentimentale | 3:55 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 114 | Spleens et Détresses, for voice & piano, Op. 38: No. 5, À une femme | 2:26 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 115 | Spleens et Détresses, for voice & piano, Op. 38: No. 6, Sérénade | 2:49 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 116 | Spleens et Détresses, for voice & piano, Op. 38: No. 7, Le Son du cor | 3:35 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 117 | Spleens et Détresses, for voice & piano, Op. 38: No. 8, Sapho | 2:02 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 118 | Spleens et Détresses, for voice & piano, Op. 38: No. 9, Les faux beaux jour | 5:08 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 119 | Spleens et Détresses, for voice & piano, Op. 38: No. 10, Marine | 1:46 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 120 | String Quartet, Op. 12 | 22:21 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 121 | Stèle pour un enfant défunt, for organ | 5:13 min | Keyboard | - |
| 122 | Symphony in A Minor, Op.24 | 39:03 min | Symphony | - |
| 123 | Toccata for organ in B flat minor | 4:03 min | Keyboard | - |
| 124 | Triptique for organ, Op. 58 | 13:42 min | Keyboard | - |
| 125 | Work(s) for Organ | Keyboard | - |
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