LOUIS VIERNE’S PIÈCES DE FANTAISIE POUR GRAND ORGUE:

ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE HISTORY OF ORGAN MUSIC

by

Woosug Kang

Submitted to the faculty of the

Jacobs School of Music in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree,
Doctor of Music
Indiana University
May 2017
 Accepted by the faculty of the
Indiana University Jacobs School of Music,
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
Doctor of Music

Doctoral Committee

______________________________________
Massimo Ossi, Research Director

______________________________________
Christopher Young, Chair

______________________________________
Janette Fishell

______________________________________
Emile Naoumoff

March 27, 2017

ii
 Preface
Louis Victor Jules Vierne (1870–1937), the Organist of Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris,

was a virtuoso organist and a world-renowned performer. His organ music, especially his Six

Symphonies pour Grand Orgue, is widely regarded as the pinnacle of the French Romantic organ

repertoire. Having studied with Charles Marie Widor (1844–1937) and having been inspired by

César Franck (1822–1890), Vierne studied, developed, and contributed to the renaissance of

French organ music at the turn of the 20th century.

Between 1926 and 1927, Louis Vierne composed Pièces de Fantaisie pour Grande

Orgue, displaying his most mature writing style. He performed Pièces de Fantaisie pour Grande

Orgue and his Six Symphonies pour Grand Orgue frequently during his concert tours such as his

tour of America in 1927. On June 2, 1937, the last set of Pièces de Fantaisie along with his

recently published work, the Triptyque, was programmed for what ultimately became his final

recital. Vierne passed away on the organ bench during this concert.

Even following his death, Vierne’s Pièces de Fantaisie stands as a unique collection in

organ literature, as it offers varied inspirations; some pieces derive from the French tradition of

writing with musical titles that relate to the Baroque era, some pieces are poetic, and some pieces

are visual. The general assumption is that “they are mostly impressionistic nature paintings.”1

Hermann J. Busch and Martin Herchenroeder state that the “impressionistic spirit is clearly

perceptible,” and “the nearly blind Vierne shows a frequent, striking affinity for visual

1
Chris Woodstra, Gerald Brennan, and Allen Schrott, eds. All Music guide to Classical Music. (San Francisco:
Backbeat Books, 2005), 1456.

iii
impressions.”2 These assumptions lead to many related questions. For instance, was Vierne an

admirer of Claude Debussy (1862–1918)? Did Debussy directly influence Vierne? Were there

other impressionistic composers who influenced Vierne? Were certain pieces from this collection

intentionally written in an impressionist style, and if so, does that translate to the organ, an

instrument that is not well known for this particular style? Are there any other composers who

made an attempt using this unfamiliar, stylistic territory for the organ? Lastly, is the Pièces de

Fantaisie pour Grande Orgue one of the most misunderstood sets of organ music of its quality

and popularity due to such assumptions?

Debussy and Vierne were not dissimilar; they both trained at the Paris Conservatoire and

were simultaneously active in the city. However, there is no evidence that Vierne intended to

follow the musical language of Debussy or create impressionistic organ works. Vierne was

undoubtedly the leading French organ composer of his time, at the height of the French

Romantic era, and his music continued to pave the path for organ music’s presence in non-

liturgical concert venues. Pièces de Fantaisie successfully captures descriptive images relating to

secular topics, and it recalls musical titles from the Baroque era in a consistent manner. Although

many notable examples of Vierne’s merit as a composer for the organ are recognized in organ

symphonies, the 24 Pièces de Fantaisie is an excellent collection of concert pieces that deals

almost exclusively with secular topics.

The uniqueness of this collection has been historically overshadowed by comments

describing the majority of the collection to be impressionistic in style. This thesis will discuss the

impressionistic qualities in the collection, examine how impressionism was used in other organ

literature, find other works that precede this collection to determine if Vierne was following a
2
Hermann J. Busch and Martin Herchenroeder. Twentieth Century Organ Music (New York and London:
Routledge, 2012), 146.

iv
specific trend, investigate certain pieces from the collection in depth, highlight multiple

consistent musical languages by Vierne that make this collection connected to impressionistic

style, and distinguish qualities that appropriately fall under non-impressionism. The process of

placing this collection in the history of organ literature rather than defining it in an assumption is

imperative. The variety of influences shown in the whole collection makes Pièces de Fantaisie a

strong representation of Vierne, who expressed multiple styles of music throughout.

Chapter 1 will discuss Vierne’s life and work to investigate the artist’s inspiration and

musical training, with special attention given to the two major composers who have influenced

him. Chapter 2 will discuss the definition of impressionism and necessary criteria for defining an

organ piece as impressionistic. Chapter 3 will explore any possible connection between Vierne,

impressionism, and other composers who are known to employ a strongly impressionistic style.

Chapter 4 will discuss the work of Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877–1933), Vierne’s contemporary, who

has self-defined his pieces as having strong impressionistic characteristics. Chapter 5 will

describe collections of works prior to Pièces de Fantaisie. Chapter 6 will discuss musical

characteristics of individual pieces of the collection and explore the conclusion that the

collection stands as an unusual, yet, successful collection of organ literature for its time.

v
 Table of Contents

Preface……………………………………………………………………………………………iii

Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………………………vi

List of Musical Examples………………………………………………………………………..vii

List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………………...x

Chapter 1: Louis Vierne: His Life and Work .................................................................................1

Chapter 2: Impressionism………………………………………………………………………..11

Chapter 3: Impressionism and Vierne ……………………………….……………………...…..19

Chapter 4: Impressionism and Sigfrid Karg-Elert ………………………………………………26

Chapter 5: Concert Pieces for Organ before Pièces de Fantaisie ………………………….……37

Chapter 6: Pièces de Fantaisie and Its Musical Characteristics ………………………………...43

Chapter 7: Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………...81

Appendix: Organization (Suites and Movements) of 24 Pièces de Fantaisie …………………..84

Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………..86

vi
 List of Musical Examples

1. Louis Vierne, Clair de Lune, mm. 1–4, steady rhythm in A section

and melody in octatonic scale……………………………………………………………23

2. Claude Debussy, Clair de Lune, mm. 1–3, variety of rhythm,

prolonged chords ………………………………………………………………………...23

3. Louis Vierne, Clair de Lune, mm 58–60 with imitative chromatic pedal line
and 7th interval in the melody……………………………………………………………24

4. Sigfrid Karg-Elert, from Trois Impressions, Op. 72 no. 2, Clair de Lune,

mm. 1–4, opening melody on top line…………………………………………………...27

5. Sigfrid Karg-Elert, from Op. 96, The Reed-Grown Waters, mm 7–9, showing
numerous markings and changes in registration ………………………………………..29

6. Sigfrid Karg-Elert, from Op. 96, The Reed-Grown Waters, mm. 30–34, combination of
multiple stops in one chord ……………………………………………………………...30

7. Sigfrid Karg-Elert, from op. 96, The Reed-Grown Waters, mm. 21–22,
open 5th on first chord of m. 22 for ambiguity of major or minor ……………………...31

8. Sigfrid Karg-Elert, from Op. 96, The Sun’s Evensong, mm. 33–35, climatic moment led
by chromatic sequences ………………………………………………………………....32

9. Sigfrid Karg-Elert, from Op. 96, The Sun’s Evensong, mm. 16–18, melody…………...32

10. Sigfrid Karg-Elert, from Op. 96, The Sun’s Evensong, mm. 46–49, melody returning in
different time signature for consistency ………………………………………………...33

11. Sigfrid Karg-Elert, from Op. 96, The Sun’s Evensong, mm. 39–42,
non-resolved dissonance with extreme dynamics……………………………………….34

12. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 51, mm. 1–3,
alternating chords figure ………………………………………………………….….….45

13. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 53, Lamento, mm. 12–16,
melodic line inverted shown in the pedal line ………………………………………..…49

14. Maurice Duruflé, from Op. 5, Sicilienne, mm. 18–25, extensive bridge section showing
more fragments of the melody……………………………………………………...........52

15. Maurice Duruflé, from Op. 5, Sicilienne, mm 72–77,

vii
 hint of whole tone in the pedal…………………………………………………………...53

16. Maurice Duruflé, from Op. 5, Sicilienne, mm. 93–97…………………………………...54

17. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 53, Sicilienne, mm. 1–3.............................55

18. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 53, Sicilienne, mm. 24–26.........................55

19. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 53, Sicilienne, mm. 51–53.........................56

20. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 53, Feux Follet, mm. 1–3,
non-resolved chord and a pause.........................................................................................59

21. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Impromptu, mm. 1–4
(left hand)...........................................................................................................................62

22. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Impromptu, mm. 57–63
(ostinato pedal)...................................................................................................................62

23. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Étoile du Soir, mm. 7–10, repetitive
figures and lack of melody.................................................................................................64

24. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Étoile du Soir, mm. 11–14,
non-resolved dissonance followed by a pause ..................................................................64

25. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Fantômes, mm. 1–2 .............................65

26. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Fantômes, mm. 7–8 .............................66

27. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Fantômes, mm. 9–10 ...........................66

28. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Fantômes, mm. 25–27 .........................67

29. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Fantômes, m. 64-66 .............................67

30. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Fantômes, mm. 60–63 .........................68

31. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Fantômes, mm. 81–86 .........................69

32. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Sur le Rhin, mm. 113–118,
use of parallel chords.........................................................................................................72

33. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 55, Cathédrales, mm. 89–91,
wide range of sounds with the use of the pedal ................................................................75

34. Claude Debussy, La Cathédral Engloutie, mm. 72–73 .....................................................76

viii
35. Louis Vierne, from Pièces de Fantaisie, Op. 55, Cathédrals, mm. 82–84........................76

ix
 List of Tables

1. Clair de Lune (Moonlight) by Paul Verlaine, text and translation ...................................22

2. Hymne au Soleil (Hymn to the Sun) by Casimir Delavigne,

text and translation ............................................................................................................57

x
 Chapter 1: LOUIS VIERNE: HIS LIFE AND WORK

Louis Victor Jules Vierne (1870–1937), one of the most prolific organists and composers

of his generation, lived in France at the turn of the twentieth century during a time when the

country was experiencing rich cultural and artistic shifts. From 1881, when he was a student,

until his death in 1937, Vierne witnessed a mixture of exciting and tragic world events. Many

societies were formed during these turbulent times to provide intellectual and cultural

discussions that would generate new ideas. As the center of rich culture and civic pride, Paris

provided a fertile breeding-ground for musicians, artists, and writers. Film, jazz, machines,

advancement in modern technology, and everything associated with these advancements were all

thriving.

The community of organists and organ builders also went through one of the most

notable and monumental shifts during Vierne’s life. César Franck emerged as virtuoso and

composer while organ-building technology experienced a period of rapid development. Organ

literature in itself had been an essential part of France’s culture before the arrival of Franck. The

idea of improvisation still dominated liturgical use of the organ, and with the emergence of the

new technology came the new master organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (1811–1899). A

brilliant organ builder, Cavaillé-Coll defined the finest modern organs of his generation that

advanced many aspects of the instrument. No longer were the organs of France only for liturgical

use in the church a practice that limited organ pieces to be titled combination of organ

registrations such as Plein Jeu, Grand-Jeu. Even though the terminology was still widely used,

the definitions lacked the ability to cover new possibilities in registration or new types of

1
composition. As the advancement in organ building thrived, the growth of culture in the society

created a demand for more organ music for concert settings. This led to some organ music

developing without much substance; as a notable music scholar, François- Joseph Fétis (1784–

1871) criticized the quality of organ works of its time: “Organists are weak, and what they

produce is simply beneath criticism.”3

Organists such as Louis James Lefébure-Wély (1817–1869) created improvisations that

pleased the crowds, but his rebellious style drew a fair amount of criticism for a less-than-stellar

musical language used in improvisations even though this very style alone made him more

popular and in demand than César Franck (1822–1890). Louis Vierne created his own unique

style influenced by both César Franck and Charles-Marie Widor (1844–1937). Of the two, Widor

exercised more influence during Vierne’s training and professional career, even though Vierne

recalled Franck to be a musical inspiration at an early age.

César Franck’s importance can be measured by the significant role he played in French

organ music in general. Born in 1822, Franck showed great promise as a pianist, organist, and

composer. In 1872, he was appointed to teach organ at the Paris Conservatoire, a post for which

he was recommended by notable musicians including Theodore Dubois (1837–1924). Vierne

expressed Franck’s teaching on improvisation showing Franck’s great invention, rich polyphony

in harmony, melody, and form.4 Towards the end of his career he devoted himself to composing,

teaching at the Paris Conservatoire, and serving as organist of Sainte-Clotilde.

In 1868, Franck completed his Six Pièces pour Grand Orgue (Fantaisie in C Major

Op.16, Grande Pièce Symphonique Op. 17, Prélude, Fugue, et Variation Op. 18, Pastorale

3
Michael Murray, French Masters of the Organ (New Haven & London: Yale University Press, 1998), 15.
4
Rollin Smith. Louis Vierne: Organist of Notre-Dame Cathedral (Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press, 1999), 43.

2
Op.19, Prière Op. 20, and Final Op. 21). This is one of the most rare collections of compositions

published during that period that are still widely performed. Since Felix Mendelssohn-

Bartholdy’s (1809–1847) time no such organ works enjoyed such popularity and respect from

critics as Franck’s compositions. For the organ, they represented a significant leap in mainstream

compositional trends. Franck’s symphonic conception influenced an array of organists,

generating a new approach to composition and gaining the respect of other composers. In the Six

Pièces pour Grand Orgue he demonstrated many different types and styles of organ music. The

piece “Prière” (“prayer”), with a highly condensed texture that focused on sonorous melodies,

exemplifies the composer’s style. Franck’s “Grand Pièce Symphonique” is the most notable

organ work in symphonic style; and it influenced Widor and Vierne as shown in their later organ

symphonies, which are important contributions to French organ repertoire. Franck’s cyclical

structures bring cohesiveness to the whole work. Franck moved from organ improvisation to

formal composition and opened impressive new avenues for composition. Because of this, he

became a central source influence on organists such as the young Vierne.

Louis Vierne was born in 1870 in Poitiers, France, and was sickly and nearly blind,

conditions he dealt with his entire life. He underwent frequent operations on his eyes. Early in

his life Vierne discovered he was musically gifted. With the support of his father, Henri Vierne,

and his uncle, Charles Colin, he studied Braille and entered the Institute for Blind Children. His

first exposure to the organ was at Saint-Maurice in Lille, which made a deep impression on him

and led to his studies in organ. His uncle, Charles Colin, supported him every step of the way,

and Vierne expressed his gratitude to him in Mes Souvenirs. This early education at the Institute

for Blind Children opened doors for the young Vierne to achieve his goal of entering the Paris

Conservatoire to study with Franck. His uncles Charles shared music of Mozart, Beethoven, and

3
Schuman with young Vierne prior to the Institute for Blind Children, and they also helped young

Vierne to be familiar with improvisation on the organ.5 At the Institute for Blind Children,

Vierne was taught the basic school curriculum as well as violin, and he played in the orchestra.

He then worked with different teachers, such as Victor Paul, Louis Lebel, Albert Mahaut, and

Adolphe Marty, all who influenced Vierne in different areas of musical growth.

Franck’s playing inspired Vierne’s career. In his meeting with Franck in 1886, Vierne

speaks of his memory of the master’s performance: “It was too beautiful and I didn’t want it ever

to stop”6

Clearly encouraged by his encounter with Franck, he studied with diligence. In 1890, he

began his musical training with Franck at the Paris Conservatoire. Vierne’s dream was short-

lived, as Franck passed away one month after he began studying under him. Charles Marie

Widor, who had taken the post as the organist of the church of St. Sulpice, Paris and was known

for his virtuosity, took over Franck’s class. Vierne, along with his colleague Charles Tournemire

(1870–1939), found both inspiration and challenges under the new guidance.7

Widor was born in Lyon, and his family was good friends with the organ builder

Cavaillé-Coll. He received his organ training from Nicholas Lemmens (1823–1881) in Brussels

and from him, he developed what was considered a phenomenal technique. Widor’s background

influenced his technique, which became an integral component of his teaching at the Paris

Conservatoire. As a successor to Franck at the Conservatoire, Widor also showed his

compositional prowess, especially through his monumental 10 Symphonies pour Grand Orgue.

5
Smith, 9.
6
Smith, 22.
7
Smith, 61.

4
His use of the organ extended what Franck had begun and is now commonly known as the

“revival” of French organ music—a role that Vierne inherited.

Widor, according to Vierne, was a very different teacher from Franck, not only in

appearance and age, but also in overall character and approach. Franck represented a paternal

figure, whereas Widor was described as much more strict and cold. Despite this, Widor’s playing

and his approach to music soon inspired and motivated Vierne, who recalled Widor’s speech in

his first class:

In France we have neglected performance much too much in favor of improvisation. This
is not only wrong, it is nonsense. To improvise in the artistic sense of the word, one must have
ideas, certainly; but that is not sufficient. In order not to be false to one’s thoughts, in order to
translate them exactly with all the variety, complexity, and flexibility required for their
development, the organist must possess an instrumental technique capable of playing any
figuration at any tempo. Improvisation is spontaneous composition; it can be accomplished only
with profound knowledge and assiduous practice of all the resources offered by the manuals and
pedal board of the organ…8
This experience left a life-long impression on Vierne, as his music also followed this

principle mentioned above. Vierne’s fellow-student at the time, Charles Tournemire,

commented: “Vierne, particularly, thoroughly assimilated Lemmens’ pure technique transmitted

by Widor; in addition, his gifts as an improviser and composer were not late in manifesting

themselves in various already flamboyant works. In class, he was the absolute submissive vis-à-

vis his maître, to whom he was extremely devoted. That explains [Widor’s] great influence on

his early works.”9 Vierne also admits that Widor’s approach helped him improve his technique

and approach music with a sense of direction. Vierne explains that Widor emphasized elements

of technique such as posture, hand position, legato playing, staccato, and impeccable pedal

technique that equals the ability of the fingers. Widor also focused on the stylistic aspect of

8
Smith, 55.
9
Smith, 68.

5
playing in his classes, emphasizing the study of music from earlier times, such as that of Ludwig

Van Beethoven (1770–1827), Joseph Haydn (1732–1809), and J.S. Bach. Through these studies,

Widor believed organists could improvise in a manner that would result in better structure and a

more complete musical form, rather than having only musical ideas dominate and shadow the

overall structure. Widor himself stated: “What! You’ve played the Beethoven sonatas and never

had the curiosity to wonder how they were constructed? Why, that’s the mentality of a parrot, not

of an artist. It must stop.”10

Both Franck and Widor clearly saw the Vierne’s potential at a young age, and they

encouraged him to aim for greatness through hard work. Widor said, “You certainly have a great

future as a virtuoso and musician if you continue to work with the same ardor.”11

In Mes Souvenir, Vierne discussed Widor’s focus on the construction of the overall

composition, as well as the development of thematic ideas, rhythmic variations of the theme, and

thematic variations that could tie the whole piece together. Until 1907, Vierne always went to

Widor for advice on compositions on which he was working, suggesting the heightened level of

respect, friendship, and trust they shared. The pedagogical influence Widor had on Vierne is

continually reflected in his own compositions.

When Widor accepted the role of head of the chair of composition at the Paris

Conservatoire, he retired from teaching organ classes, and Félix Alexandre Guilmant (1837–

1911) became his successor. Widor told Vierne that, should Guilmant succeed him, he would

gain tremendous skill working as Guilmant’s assistant.12 Because of Guilmant’s rigorous concert

career and demanding schedule, Vierne actually spent a substantial amount of time teaching

10
Smith, 67.
11
Smith, 85.
12
Smith, 117.

6
Guilmant’s classes. If the time spent with Widor was what gave Vierne the foundation of his

compositional technique, the period of working for Guilmant as a teaching assistant gave him

time to mature as a teacher. The two experienced a collegial relationship, while Vierne also

enjoyed Guilmant’s appreciation of diverse styles of musical language. Guilmant was active as

an editor and a musicologist, and he performed works by old masters, J.S. Bach, and early

French composers.13 He influenced organists of Vierne’s generation by studying Renaissance

and Baroque treatises and making these sources available. Vierne perceived Guilmant’s own

music as “constrained by outdated scholastic formulas.”14 During this time, Vierne interacted

with such musicians as Marcel Dupré, Joseph Bonnet, Maurice Duruflé, and Nadia Boulanger.

One of the earliest instances of Vierne commenting on Debussy’s work (in this case, Pelleas et

Melisande) dates from this period. In his comments, Vierne does not discuss the word

“impressionism” at all, even though he discussed the appreciation of diversity in Guilmant’s

style and how it has “baffled” the younger generation of students.15

Vierne refers to this time period in Mes Souvenirs with utmost fondness when he alludes

to the students in Guilmant’s class, in particular Joseph Bonnet, for whom Vierne expresses great

admiration as an organist. Some of Bonnet’s organ works also demonstrated similar

compositional ideas to Vierne’s compositional collections. His Op. 5 12 Pièces, which was

published in 1909, before Vierne’s 24 Pièces en style Libre, and his Op. 5, Op.7, and Op. 12 are

more technically demanding than Vierne’s Pièces en style Libre since they were written for

Grand-Orgue,and not possible to be performed on the harmonium as Vierne’s 24 Pièces en style

Libre was. Bonnet’s works, however, lack high regard by current organists and are thus seldom
13
Michael Murray. French Masters of the Organ: Saint-Saëns, Franck, Widor, Vierne, Dupré, Langlais, Messiaen
(New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1998), 130.
14
Smith, 119.
15
Smith, 119.

7
performed. Variations de Concert, Op. 1, one of the most famous works by Bonnet, was praised

for being virtuosic-firework with passages that created rousing moments while demanding

technical proficiency from the performer. His other organ works suffered from overuse of

double-pedaling that added little value to the compositions with some unsophisticated

counterpoint.16 Despite Bonnet’s current lack of popularity, there is evidence that Vierne

respected him as a musician and as a virtuoso organist. Bonnet’s Op. 5 definitely is an earlier

effort by an organist to create a collection of concert-style organ pieces.

In May 1900, Vierne began his formal post as the “Organist of the Chapter of the

Metropolitan Basilica of Notre Dame de Paris.”17 Vierne was reluctant to take on the position;

because it was known that the church was not wealthy, the post would not pay well. Also, Vierne

was assisting Widor at St. Sulpice at the moment, which was known for its massive organ, but

Vierne commented on the beauty and power of the organ at Notre Dame: “….what nobility!

What intensity! What freshness in the timbres of each stop; a marvel of regulation, of proportion,

of distinction.”18 Cavaillty! Wh had rebuilt the instrument in 1868; his concept of the instrument

changed from the original proposal and it increased to 86 stops on five manuals and the pedal,

producing a wider dynamic range for the organ and making possible the dynamics later featured

in Vierne’s music, especially in Pimusic, Fantaisie.19 The inaugural concert featured three

organists who influenced Vierne: Widor, Franck, and Guilmant. Eventually, Cavaillé-Coll was

frustrated by Vierne’s predecessor, Eugred Sergent (1829-1900), as he used lackluster stop

16
Harvey Gaul, “Bonnet—Bossi—Karg-Elert: Three Aperçus,” Musical Quarterly, 4, no. 3 (July 1918): 357.
17
Murray, 132.
18
Smith, 217
19
Scott Cantrell, “Louis Vierne. His Life and Works,” The American Organist (November 1980): 48.

8
combinations20, and Widor recommended Vierne as the interim. Eventually, Vierne took on the

post permanently, and he dedicated his time and resources to maintaining the organ.

Although his professional career seemed successful with his appointment to Notre Dame,

Vierne’s personal life was blighted by financial hardship and a succession of appalling personal

tragedies. Vierne faced continuous health woes with his eyes, multiple surgeries, and even an

accident that broke his leg and nearly ended his career. These difficulties, combined with a

broken marriage were fueled by financial problems and the loss of his son and brother in World

War I. He frequently had to leave his post for extended periods of time to go to Switzerland for

eye surgeries. By the time he returned to Paris in 1920, Vierne was financially strained and in

poor health, which lasted until his death in 1937 on the organ console of the Notre-Dame organ.

Vierne’s grave was placed in the cemetery close to several other notable French composers,

including Franck, Guilmant, and Vincent d’Indy (1851–1931).

In regard to any impressionist influence, the important aspect of Vierne’s training and

career is that there is no evidence it was part of his educational system. The system did, however,

highlight classically defined musical structures. His harmonic language developed over his

career, and at its peak became highly chromatic. His approach to formal structure, as well as his

compositional language, however, remained somewhat conservative compared to what other

composers were experimenting with at the time. For example, Igor Stravinsky’s (1882–1972)

avant-garde Rite of Spring in 1913, premiered ten years before Vierne’s 1st Suite from 24 Pièces

20
Cantrell, 45

9
de Fantaisie, and it is an example of how Stravinsky pushed the boundaries of musical language

during early 20th century. Vierne, however, acknowledged the musical boundaries he had

acquired, and he continued his development within the strong foundation of his musical training,

writing for the aesthetics of the organ rather than challenging the ideas that were taught to him.

The term “impressionism,” therefore, needs to be clearly defined in order to distinguish which

pieces from the collection are indeed impressionistic in style, and which are not, in order to

highlight nuances and reduce single classification.

10
 Chapter 2: IMPRESSIONISM

The roots of the term “impressionism” can be traced to the late 19th-century French

community of visual artists, notably the painter Claude Monet. His painting Impression, Sunrise

(1873) is one of the first recognized impressionistic pieces of art. The definition of

impressionism in art has been debated over the years, and one common definition suggests that it

is more about the image that comes to the viewer’s mind, not a specific trait that can be defined

by a theory or formula.21 In other words, the basic idea of impressionistic painting is to focus on

an overall impact rather than fine attention to lines and clearly defined forms. This definition

provides clarity and is readily understood more in the world of fine art world than in music.

Impressionism in music is often most closely associated with Claude Debussy, despite

the discontent with the term by Debussy. Debussy used the word “equisse” (“sketches”) when he

described his work La Mer. This term “sketches” creates an association with visual art and artists

such as Claude Monet (1840 –1926) and Paul Cézanne (1839–1906), who were well-known

impressionist painters. However, Debussy criticized the term in itself: “I am trying to do

something different from what the imbeciles call ‘impressionism,’ a term which is as poorly used

as possible, particularly by the critics.”22 Debussy’s opinion exemplifies misunderstandings of

the term impressionism at the time as well as the struggle to properly define the term with an

emergence of new types of sounds.

21
Margaret Samu. "Impressionism: Art and Modernity," Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History (New York: The
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–); available from http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/imml/hd_imml.htm
(October 2004); accessed September, 2011.
22 Simon Treszise, The Cambridge Companion to Debussy (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2003),
102.

11
 Debussy was criticized by the Academy of Fine Arts for his work Printemps, a suite for

female voice and orchestra, for lacking clarity and design and favoring the color.23 Many of the

impressionistic musical traits that were received negatively by the musical community were not,

however, Debussy’s innovation. For example, the use of plagal cadences, melodic lines without a

distinction of being major or minor, extended use of parallel chords, chromatic sequences, and

sevenths and ninths in harmonic language (all things often found in Debussy’s music) were not

new elements of composition, but rather a culmination of usage by different composers. Franz

Liszt (1811–1886) was known to use chromatic sequences in his organ music as well as

unresolved dissonance and parallel chords in his piano work, Nuages Gris.24 Also, Liszt was

connected to program music, a genre of music that describes extra musical concepts without

using sung words.25 Program music is connected to narrative, a poetic and emotional aspect of

music, and it can easily be confused with impressionism. Impressionism is rooted in visual arts

and impressions aim to evoke a mood or an atmosphere.26 Impressionistic composers inherited

ever-developing musical languages to create those atmospheres. Unresolved dissonances, for

example, mentioned above in his Nuages Gris, was a sign that suggested Liszt used harmonies

that were pointed towards impressionism.27 Debussy implemented ideas he was exposed to into

his own musical language and they became representative characteristics of his music. Debussy,

along with other composers of his generation, was searching for his own unique sound, and

23
Stefan Jarocinski, Debussy. Impressionism & Symbolism (London: Eulenburg Books, 1976), 11.
24
Donald J. Grout, A History of Western Music (London: Norton & Company, 1980), 583.
25
“Program Music,” Grove Dictionary Online; available from:
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxyiub.uits.iu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/22394?q=program+music&s
earch=quick&source=omo_gmo&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit; accessed September 30, 2016.
26
Grout, 673.
27
Grout, 583.

12
despite the heavy influence of Wagner in French music, he and Franck found a new way to

expand their musical ideas.

César Franck and Claude Debussy

During his time at Paris Conservatoire, Debussy became impressed by his sight-reading

teacher, Albert Lavignac (1846–1916). Most of the teachers were musically conservative, but

Lavignac proved to be different. He was younger than the others and well known for his

vigorous sight-reading instruction, which brought fame to a number of his Paris Conservatoire

students.28 Lavignac introduced Debussy to the music of Richard Wagner (1813–1883), whose

approach to harmony excited the two so much that they spent many hours studying his works

together. From 1887 to 1893, Wagner’s operas were at the height of their fame in Paris and thus

were performed regularly.

César Franck is the most likely figure who bridges the distance between Vierne and

Debussy; Franck was a teacher of Debussy as well as Vierne. Franck influenced Debussy as he

was exploring his own compositional identity. Debussy mentions Franck as a figure who showed

great respect to French culture and its music. Debussy enjoyed a liberal approach to the rules of

harmony and counterpoint, such as the use of consecutive fifths, while he studied under Franck,

even though the Conservatoire would not approve. The other influence of Franck on Debussy is

the use of cyclic structure, as seen in Debussy’s Printemps, whereby the first theme in

Movement I comes up again at the end of Movement II, connecting the two together. Such

variations in theme are typical of Franck’s compositional technique, as shown in his Symphony

28
Erik Fredrick Jensen, Debussy (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press 2014), 12.

13
in D minor (1888), which is predominantly structured cyclically with heavy chromaticism.29

Another of Debussy’s works, Fantasie for Piano and Orchestra, has a single theme that is cyclic

in nature; and the use of the piano is closely related to the orchestra part rather than standing on

its own. Franck’s 1885 Variations Symphonique is similar, whereby the piano part is closely

related to the orchestra part, exhibiting a cyclic nature and lyrical motto theme.

Debussy was constantly challenging his professors and exploring his own unique

compositional sound; in contrast, Vierne expressed more admiration than frustration with his

teachers, as he states “I have never heard that could compare with Franck’s improvisation from

the point of view of purely musical invention.”30 If Debussy was a character who pushed the

boundaries, Vierne could be described as one who worked within the boundaries and used his

musical skills to improve his own music language within what he has been taught. During their

time in the Paris Conservatoire, Vierne and Debussy took different paths to their development as

composers. For Vierne, this time shaped a strong foundation of his compositional language. For

Debussy, it was a time to explore his own sound, pushing the boundaries set by those who came

before him. Debussy employed exotic harmonies such as whole tone and pentatonic scales,

which resemble harmonic languages from Eastern Asia. He also used timbre and coloring of

orchestra, as well as modes and dissonances that do not resolve. Impressionist technique features

blurring of contours and the avoidance of sharp outlines.31

29
“Franck Cyclical,” Grove Online Dictionary, available from:
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxyiub.uits.iu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/27254pg2?q=franck+cyclica
l&search=quick&pos=10&_start=1
30
Smith, 43.

31
Grove Dictionary Online “impressionism”,accessed September 22, 2016

14
Impressionism and the Organ

Impressionism is defined as a musical style designed to create descriptive impressions by

suggesting moods through rich and varied harmonies and timbres.32 The romantic organ has vast

flexibility in its dynamic range, unlike any other classical instrument. It is naturally suited to

create multiple lines where musical ideas can be overlapped, favoring texture and overall impact

of sound over the clarity of musical ideas, similar to well-known impressionistic paintings which

exhibit vague lines and blurred images. Generous acoustics, combined with high-quality

instruments built by experts such as Cavaillé-Coll, have the potential to create certain moods

aurally in a way that reinforces the impression given by titles. The performance of transcriptions

of many orchestral works on large symphonic organs highlights the instrument’s versatility and

suitability for musical compositions that require a wide variety of colors. Sigfrid Karg-Elert, a

contemporary of Vierne’s, represents composers for organ from Germany. Organ works by

Karg-Elert show a variety of compositional styles, though he claims some of his organ works are

not performed often due to being impressionistic in style. In contrast Vierne rarely used the term

as a description of his works.33

If the general conception of the majority of Vierne’s Pièces de Fantaisie suggests an

impressionistic style, the collection needs to be discussed within the concept of visual art and

http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxyiub.uits.iu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/50026?q=impressionism&se
arch=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit
32
Donald J. Grout, A History of Western Music. (London, Norton & Company, 1980), 673
33
Harvey Grace, “A Karg-Elert Festival; A Talk with the Composer,” The Musical Times, 71, no. 1048 (June 1,
1930): 501-504

15
how it compares to organ music. It would be a hasty conclusion to decide that titles such as

“Clair de lune” (“Moonlight”) or “Feux Follets” (“Will-o’-the-Wisp”) make the whole collection

impressionistic without highlighting impressionistic musical elements. Vierne is successful in

evoking an atmosphere throughout his music in this collection, but there are other elements that

make this whole collection unique in organ literature.

In visual art, the definition34 of impressionism includes following elements:

• immediate capture of a momentary scene;

• use of pure color;

• loose brush strokes;

• subject matter found in ordinary times;

• capturing of movement in time; and

• creating a visual impression of the subject matter more than finer details.

Musical elements shown below should be present in combination with elements from

above if the piece is to be considered impressionistic in style:

• exotic scales such as whole tone scale, pentatonic or octatonic scale35;

• extended use of parallel chords progression36;

• non-resolved dissonant chords37;

34
Samu, Margaret. "Impressionism: Art and Modernity". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/imml/hd_imml.htm (October
2004) Accessed September, 2011

35
“Impressionism,” Grove Dictionary Online.
36
“Impressionism,” Grove Dictionary Online.
37
“Impressionism,” Grove Dictionary Online.

16
 • use of modes;

• tonality without distinction of major or minor;

• chromatic sequences; and

• dynamic range specific to the wide range of dynamics and colors only an orchestra can

create.

Some of these qualities are musical idioms that have developed from earlier periods and

been carried over from program music. In order to fulfill the requirement of being an

impressionistic piece, the work needs to evoke emotion or an atmosphere using the musical

elements mentioned above. These qualities are necessary criteria in order to define the collection

of Pièces de Fantaisie by Vierne. He uses a combination of these elements, but some works also

exhibit a strong influence from earlier periods and program music in Pièces de Fantaisie while

containing the musical elements mentioned above. The correct combination of these musical

elements, along with how the work evokes emotion or atmosphere, will determine whether the

work is impressionistic, programmatic, or from a different influence altogether.

17
 Chapter 3: IMPRESSIONISM AND VIERNE

“Mr. Vierne’s Symphony is truly remarkable; it combines abundant musicianship with

the cleverest use of the instrument’s special sonority. Old J.S. Bach, the father of us all, would

have been pleased with Mr. Vierne.”38 This particular praise from Debussy, which is his only

documented comment on Vierne’s music and focuses on the latter’s Symphonie pour Orgue No.

2 Op. 20, is not directed to his new and innovative musical language but to the musical integrity

and understanding of the organ evident in Vierne’s work. At this point in his career, Vierne was

fully immersed in the idea of symphonic form. However, he was also surrounded by the rich

culture of Paris, not only in music, but arts and literature. Vierne played a major role in the

musical arts through his work in the Paris Conservatoire and his work at Notre Dame Cathedral.

Debussy’s comment shows that composers around the time of Vierne recognized Vierne as a fine

composer. Likewise, Vierne was also was aware of vastly more artistic influences than just

organists and organ composers due to the rich culture of Paris and his connection with the Paris

Conservatoire. Also, like every musical style, impressionism evolved over time. Post-Debussy

composers, such as Albert Roussel (1869–1937), reconciled freedom of harmonies and timbre

with more organized musical structure.39 Roussel had a connection to another student of Franck’s

from the Paris Conservatoire, Vincent d’Indy. These relationships and influences also reflect

what Vierne was exposed to.

Different from other instruments, the organ was originally built for and mainly used in

liturgical settings with specific expectations regarding musical language. Also, the building and

38
Claude Debussy, “Musique,” Gil Blas, February 23, 1903, 2.
39
“Impressionism,” Grove Dictionary Online.

18
maintaining of the instruments was susceptible to the economic disruptions brought on by

circumstances, such as wars, since the associated costs far exceeded those of other musical

instruments. The French Revolution, for example, affected the development of organ building; as

many organ companies closed, and many instruments went unmaintained. Pipes were melted and

used as bullets while others were vandalized. Since there was lack of work for organ builders,

not many organs survived this period. This resulted in a clear break from earlier French organ

style building. It was not until Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, who built major organs in St. Sulpice,

Sainte-Clotilde and Notre Dame, Paris, that organs began to show strong signs of change from

the older classical design. Cavaillé-Coll brought in key elements in construction, such as:

• increased wind-pressure for the upper register of reed pipes so it would balance with the

lower register;

• a pedal board that had longer length notes, so it allowed legato playing;

• mechanics (“Barker-lever”) that enabled instrument to produce greater wind-pressure for

louder sound without extra weight on the keys;

• more effective swell shutters for dynamic changes;

• expanded compass on manuals; and

• pipes such as Harmonic flute, which is double in length, and open flute, creating big

sound.

All these contributions allowed composers to be more expressive, by making possible the

use of crescendo and decrescendo, the addition of multiple stops at once, the ability to change

stops in groups, and the use of the expanded dynamic range of the instrument.

Organ composers, who were also organists themselves, usually developed a strong

musical language suitable for the instrument, which did not coincide with some radical trends of

19
musical compositions during the time. Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky was premiered in 1913

with much controversy, 10 years before Vierne composed Pièces de Fantaisie. The lack of

avant-garde organ compositions around this time reflects the fact that organ building was finally

enabling the performance of an expressive romantic style. Composers were still exploring the

romantic potential of these instruments, and this movement reaches its peak with composers such

as Vierne. It was only with such figures as Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992), that more modern

compositional styles were introduced.

Clair De Lune: A Symbolic Title in Impressionism

“Clair de Lune” is one of the better-known pieces in 24 Pièces de Fantaisie. The title and the

inspiration of the piece is possibly derived from a poem by Paul Verlaine (1844–1896) (table 1).

Other composers were inspired by Verlaine’s poem as well; Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924), wrote

Songs, Op. 46, for voice and piano (1887) before Debussy’s famous piano solo work (1890).

Another parallel factor is that both “Clair de Lune” by Debussy and Vierne are in ABA structure.

In Vierne’s “Clair de Lune,” the B section incorporates a more contrapuntal texture than the B

section by Debussy. In the A section of the piece, Vierne uses undulating eighth or sixteenth

notes continuously accompanying the melody, or melodies, and has forward movement at all

times. This rhythmic feature gives a sense of phrasing and direction for the piece, whereas, in

contrast, “Clair de Lune” by Debussy shows ambiguity of rhythm by moving from triple to duple

time. Vierne does not break away from the steady rhythmic pattern throughout the entire piece.

Table 1. Clair de Lune (Moonlight) by Paul Verlaine, text and translation.

20
 French English
Votre âme est un paysage choisi Your soul is a chosen landscape
Que vont charmant masques et Where charming masqueraders and
bergamasques bergamaskers go
Jouant du luth et dansant et quasi Playing the lute and dancing and
almost
Tristes sous leurs déguisements Sad beneath their fanciful disguises.
fantasques.

Tout en chantant sur le mode mineur All sing in a minor key

L'amour vainqueur et la vie opportune, Of victorious love and the opportune
life,
Ils n'ont pas l'air de croire à leur They do not seem to believe in their
bonheur happiness
Et leur chanson se mêle au clair de And their song mingles with the
lune, moonlight,

Au calme clair de lune triste et beau, With the still moonlight, sad and
beautiful,
Qui fait rêver les oiseaux dans les That sets the birds dreaming in the
arbres trees
Et sangloter d'extase les jets d'eau, And the fountains sobbing in ecstasy,
Les grands jets d'eau sveltes parmi les The tall slender fountains among
marbres. marble statues.

21
 – 4, steady rhythm in A section and melody
Example 1. Louis Vierne, Clair de Lune, mm. 1–
in octatonic scale.

Example 2. Claude Debussy, Clair de Lune, mm. 1–3, variety of rhythm, prolonged chords.

Even though they share the same key signature, this factor is hardly significant, as Vierne

uses highly chromatic passages—a common harmonic language shown in Pièces de Fantaisie.

The melodic lines do not share many similarities either, given Vierne begins the melody with

octatonic scale (example 1) combined with chromaticism throughout. There are similarities in

both pieces despite the fact the “Clair de lune” by Vierne has more consistent rhythmic activity.

Considering the fact that there is no sustaining pedal for the organ, there is a need to apply the

22
technique of “over-legato”, or “Tutti tenuti”, where the performer holds notes longer than written

to mimic the effect of a sustaining pedal. Franz Liszt used this technique in his organ works,

especially when a broken chord was used.4041 The over-legato can be used on the melodic line of

“Claire de lune” – this will be the case if there is not much natural reverberation in the

performing space in the first place. The octatonic scale at the beginning is a clear element of the

style, and the hint of whole tone scale in the B section is also an element of the impressionist

style. Also, parallel chords are used at the end of the piece, and Vierne is consistent in use of

these chords throughout the collection. There are chromatic sequences and non-resolved

dissonances.

Example 3. Louis Vierne, Clair de Lune, mm 58–60 with imitative chromatic pedal line and
7th interval in the melody. (m. 59-60)

40
Laukvik, Jon. “Historical Performance Practice In Organ Playing: The Romantic Period, Part 2”. Stuttgart: Carus
Verlag, 2010. 69
41
Laukvik, 69

23
 The main melody maintains its characteristics with a less chromatic line that is built with

big leaps followed by descending lines, while countermelodies maintain chromaticism

throughout. “Clair de Lune” shows certain elements of impressionistic style, and it includes a

variety of tone colors that are aurally pleasant, evoking of mood and emotion related to the title

of the poem. This leads to a conclusion that it is impressionistic in style. There is a strong sense

of atmosphere in this piece and Vierne succeeds in highlighting the strength of the organ through

the undulating rhythmic idea and mixture of string and flute.

24
 Chapter 4: IMPRESSIONISM AND SIGFRID KARG-ELERT

There is no significant organ composer who comments on the term “impressionism” as

much as Vierne’s contemporary Sigfrid Karg-Elert. Although he is not French like Vierne, Karg-

Elert speaks of his organ pieces as impressionistic in style.42 Organ music in impressionistic style

composed by Karg-Elert gives a clear comparison to Pièces de Fantaisie by Vierne. Karg-Elert’s

views and music help shed light on what elements of the impressionist style and aesthetics are

shown in Pièces de Fantaisie. A composer known for variety in his organ works, Karg-Elert

wrote chorale-based, religiously inspired organ works in a similar spirit to his German

predecessors, as well as a number of impressionistic works. He also experimented in many

different genres of music—songs, solo piano works, and choral works—unafraid to break

boundaries by using daring and bold musical languages. Karg-Elert sought to express images

evoked by nature through using constant shifts in texture and by extensive use of the organ for its

registration and dynamic range. Also the lack of melodic lines in many movements in a way that

stays true to comparison with visual impressionistic artists.

Before comparing “Clair de Lune” by Karg-Elert with those of Debussy and Vierne, it

should be noted that as a performer, Karg-Elert did not have the same fame as a concert organist

as Vierne. For both Vierne and Debussy, their “Clair de Lune” melody is dominant, with thinly

textured accompaniment. Karg-Elert introduces his melody in the opening phrase as Debussy

and Vierne did. However, when repeated it quickly changes its shape into sequences of 7th

42
Grace, 502.

25
chords without direction, and does not show its original phrase again throughout the whole piece

and instead reappears in varied forms.

Example 4. Sigfrid Karg-Elert, from Trois Impressions, Op. 72 no. 2, Clair de Lune, mm. 1–
4, opening melody on top line.

Karg-Elert follows the style of Debussy, with less rhythmic movement from the

beginning of the piece, whereas Vierne uses undulating rhythmic ideas that offer more non-

distinct, blurry effects as sound continues on the organ. Vierne also follows the same ABA form

as Debussy. Karg-Elert, however, shows a freer approach to this work, where phrases are

irregular and lead to non-resolved 7th and 9th chords. Karg-Elert also uses such running scales,

as shown in example 4, that lead to blurry effects if the acoustic of the room is ideal. Compared

with some of the movements from Karg-Elert’s Seven Pastels from Lake Constance, his “Clair

de Lune” is more organized and uniformly constructed, even though, when it is compared to

music by Vierne, it shows a much higher level of intentional ambiguity. There are more

impressionistic traits shown in his Seven Pastels from Lake Constance.

26
Seven Pastels from Lake Constance

The first basic element needed in impressionistic paintings is the topic; subjects seen in

ordinary lives, some related to the landscape or nature, and/or capturing the immediate scene. By

using the word “pastel,” borrowed from visual arts in his title, Karg-Elert highlights his intention

to depict images through these pieces. Titles included in his collections are:

1. The Soul of the Lake;

2. Landscape in the Mist;

3. The Legend of the Mountain;

4. The Reed-Grown Waters;

5. The Sun’s Evensong;

6. The Mirrored Moon; and

7. Hymn to the Stars.

Unlike his Op. 72 no. 2, “Clair de Lune,” this collection explores the most daring colors

by exploring unusual registrations on the organ, breaks from rhythmic definition with constant

tempo changes, and shows even more extreme dynamic range than “Clair de Lune,” including

more dissonant harmonic languages. Differences between Vierne’s Pièces de Fantaisie and the

Seven Pastels from Lake Constance by Karg-Elert include the range of detailed tempo markings

and the variety of coloring of sounds chosen by both composers. Karg-Elert’s score of the Seven

Pastels from Lake Constance includes numerous tempo and registration markings, an effort by

the composer to create the natural flow of music in order to achieve the idea of “painting the

picture” through sound. In “The Reed-Grown Waters,” one can find such directions as poco

accel and piu mosso almost every two or three measures at the beginning of the music.

27
Example 5. Sigfrid Karg-Elert, from Op. 96, The Reed-Grown Waters, mm 7–9, showing
numerous markings and changes in registration.

Changes of registration or manuals are frequently suggested by Karg-Elert; the score

requires a performer not only to have a solid technique and understanding of the organ, but also

to have ears and experience that will be a guide to the colorful registration that the composer

desired using different instruments. The combination of some stops are dictated by the composer

in detail, such as shown in “The Reed-Grown Waters,” where from measure 6 to 9 he instructs

three different solo sounds, resembling the multiple colors in an orchestra.

28
Example 6. Sigfrid Karg-Elert, from Op. 96, The Reed-Grown Waters, mm. 30–34,
combination of multiple stops in one chord. (mm.33-34)

“The Reed-Grown Waters” begins with a melody that also recurs at the end of the piece,

giving it the illusion of being in the ABA structure. However, the lack of consistency in musical

ideas can only define the returning of the melody as an echo to the beginning, not in use of any

structural elements of the piece. This piece is filled with unresolved dissonances at the end of

phrases, one of the musical elements of impressionistic style. In addition, some chords are of

ambiguous mode (major or minor) (first chord of m. 22 in example 7). The melody begins on an

F# minor chord; however, it is an E minor harmonic scale. The rhythmic ideas from measure 3–4

are more present throughout the piece than in the opening melody. There are hints of parallel

chords, but these are not used extensively as in Vierne’s “Clair de Lune.” With unusual effects

such as the right hand playing the same chord staccato while the left hand is playing legato on

different manual, one can practically see the water dripping, as in example 5. The very last chord

of the piece is an ambiguous dissonant that lacks resolve, combined with instruction on

29
registration to create a shimmering effect. This execution does not define the key of this piece

aurally considering the combination of the registration suggested (example 6).

Example 7. Sigfrid Karg-Elert, from op. 96, The Reed-Grown Waters, mm. 21–22, open 5th
on first chord of m. 22 for ambiguity of major or minor.

“The Sun’s Evensong” begins with a melodic idea that has more consistent repetition

than “The Reed-Grown Waters” throughout the piece, and Karg-Elert begins with the sense of a

steady rhythmic pattern. This piece evokes the powerful sun, especially in the middle section

with its built-up dynamics. The opening melody is repeated more often than in “the Reed-Grown

Waters,” and the movement is chromatic throughout. There is a clear lack of contrapuntal ideas

and a constant change in tempo until Fastoso (“Stately”) as it successfully captures the image of

the Sun before it sets. There are many chromatic sequences throughout, especially leading up to

the Fastoso section, and Karg-Elert uses 7th and 9th chords throughout the piece.

30
Example 8. Sigfrid Karg-Elert, from Op. 96, The Sun’s Evensong, mm. 33–35, climatic
moment led by chromatic sequences.

Karg-Elert then uses presto decrescendo, rarely seen in organ music even with its wider dynamic

range at the time (example 11).

Example 9. Sigfrid Karg-Elert, from Op. 96, The Sun’s Evensong, mm. 16–18, melody.
(mm. 17-18)

31
Example 10. Sigfrid Karg-Elert, from Op. 96, The Sun’s Evensong, mm. 46–49, melody
returning in different time signature for consistency. (mm.48-49)

The piece “In the Mirrored Moon” exhibits more extreme use of figures, such as a dense

chord with glissando markings and staccatos. Karg-Elert was very specific about the effect he

desired through articulation. He continues with his extreme directions and tempo markings, such

as quasi adagissimo in 6/16 time signature and dense texture throughout the piece, until it ends

with a very vague chord that has the clashing of G and Ab, consistent with non-resolved

dissonance of the impressionistic style and similar to Pièces de Fantaisie.

In many ways, Karg-Elert uses impressionistic musical elements discussed in chapter 2.

The titles express landscape images and they are matched with highly dense texture that blurs

any sense of direction, while he uses non-resolved dissonances, chromatic sequences, extreme

dynamics, tonality that is to difficult to distinguish from major to minor, and modes.

Example 11. Sigfrid Karg-Elert, from Op. 96, The Sun’s Evensong, mm. 39–42, non-

resolved dissonance with extreme dynamics. (mm.41-42)

32
 The Seven Pastels from Lake Constance is a rare collection in which the composer openly

uses the word impressionistic to describe his own organ works.

In contrast to this collection, Vierne chose a very limited number of stops in “Clair de

Lune” despite shifting through different manuals. The manual changes are the only significant

differentiation in color and combination, as he does not introduce much contrasting color

throughout the piece. This same technique is true of many of the character pieces in Pièces de

Fantaisie. Karg-Elert avoided complicated registration changes in his “Clair de Lune” while

Seven Pastels from Lake Constance shows his extreme use of registration changes, unlike

Vierne. Debussy’s “Clair de Lune” was written for piano, which does not have coloring options

in a same manner as the organ. However, the atmosphere of the piece is constant, aside from the

movement in the middle section, which is similar to Vierne's “Clair de lune”. Vierne takes much

more subtle, but active, rhythmic movements in the accompaniment, where Debussy lets the

resonance of the piano ring out with slower moving rhythmic ideas. This illustrates that these

composers wrote to the strengths of their instruments—the use of sustaining pedal and natural

33
shifts in the resonance of the piano and an undulating accompaniment to create the forward

motion for the organ.

While Karg-Elert succeeds in meeting many musical elements of impressionistic style in

his organ works, his music did not enjoy the success of Vierne’s Pièces de Fantaisie. Karg-Elert

himself commented, “My organ works are very little played in Germany. The excuse made is

that I write with English organs in view, so my music is not convenient for German instruments.

But the real reason, I think, is that my style makes far less appeal to Germans … too often

impressionistic and in concert style.”43 As seen on Seven pastels of Lake Constance, his ideas for

creating tone colors and atmosphere stretches the technical boundaries of the organ. He truly

succeeds in creating the “blurry outlines of the painting”44 throughout his music, whereas Vierne

succeeds in finding structure within his impressionistic language. Also, Vierne was a respected

organist who understood the range of technical possibilities of the organ, but the ideal effect and

tone colors demanded by Karg-Elert were often more challenging in performance. The fact that

Vierne understood the organ and its possibilities and technical challenges enables performers to

interpret his works with a more authentic style to the composer’s intentions. For organ works to

be performed on various instruments, intention has to be clear, as not every organ has same

registration options. Additionally, they all have individual characteristics that depend on the

maker and the origin of the style in which the instrument is built. Vierne showed clear

instructions with his intentions, even though not as detailed as Karg-Elert. Pièces de Fantaisie

offers a variety of styles as well as adaptability to the performer, making it a more successfully

performed collection that incorporates secular topics.

43
Grace, 502.
44
“Impressionism,” Grove Online Dictionary.

34
 Similar efforts are shown by composers such as Jehan Alain (1911–1940) exhibited in his

works, such as Le Jardin Suspendu (“The Hanging Garden”), that reflect secular topics and also

a musical style from the earlier period, in this case, Chaconne. However, there is no collection of

pieces that has the variety of titles of Pièces de Fantaisie that includes impressionistic,

programmatic, and strong ties to the earlier styles in one collection. The next chapter will discuss

other concert pieces in collections by composers such as Joseph Bonnet, who wrote “Elfes” and

“Clair de Lune,” mixed with pieces with more generic titles in 12 Pièces, Op. 5, Op. 7, and Op.

10.

35
 Chapter 5:
CONCERT PIECES FOR ORGAN BEFORE PIÈCES DE FANTAISIE

Joseph Bonnet (1884–1944) was respected by Vierne as a performer, which is evident in

Vierne’s Mes Souvenirs. He considered Bonnet as one of the elite organists in France, employing

great technique with mature musicianship in his playing. To Vierne, “he [Bonnet] is one who has

preserved the purest Guilmant tradition.”45

Bonnet was a son of an organist and quickly drew attention from fellow organists at the

Paris Conservatoire. Although he was recognized for his performances, his organ works were

popular for only a short time. His pieces were published before Pièces de Fantaisie, and

considering their lack of technical difficulties (aside from some fast-tempo pieces and double

pedal passages) they are more comparable to Vierne’s 24 Pièces en Style Libre than to Pièces de

Fantaisie. Bonnet wrote a “Clair de Lune” for the organ, which lacks both the impressionistic

quality and the compositional interest of the pieces by Vierne and Debussy. “Clair de Lune”

begins with D major, which remains throughout the piece as the tonal center. The music does not

feature chromaticism, unresolved dissonances, use of modes, or extended parallel chords;

moreover, it has strong rhythmic direction and clarity of structure. These elements weaken its

relationship to impressionistic style. From his 12 Pièces, Op. 7, “Elfes” outshines many others,

as it successfully captures the mischievous character of elves in a scherzo-like piece. There are

similarities to Vierne’s “Naïades” in rapid scales that effectively evoke the playful character of

the title. Even though “Naïades” features more chromaticism and other impressionistic musical

45
Smith, 149.

36
elements, they both also successfully avoid sharp contrasts or edges, thus creating more a blurred

image close to the concept of visual arts in impressionistic style.

Vierne’s 24 Pièces en Style Libre, Op. 31

Louis Vierne wrote 24 Pièces en Style Libre in 1913, the same year Joseph Bonnet wrote his

Pièces Op. 5 and Op. 7, which contained 12 pieces each with a mixture of titles. Vierne states

that the collection is written for either harmonium or the organ, and they were calculated to be

performed during ordinary duration of the Offertory.46 They have only two staves instead of the

three used commonly in organ scores. 24 Pièces en Style Libre can be seen as the precursor to

Pièces de Fantaisie. The collection was to be played not only on the organ, but also on the

harmonium, following examples of some mid-19th Century French composers, including

L’Organiste by César Franck. Contemporaries of Vierne wrote pieces with titles that used “style

libre,” (“free style”), such as Charles Tournemire. According to Bernard Gavoty, Vierne

succeeded through these in creating a musically satisfying collection.47 Some of the works

written in Vierne’s Pièces en Style Libre foreshadow his Pièces de Fantaisie, even though the

scale, technical difficulty, and lack of prominent pedal illustrate that this collection is not as

historically important to organ literature as Pièces de Fantaisie.

The collection was written in 1913, followed by the second collection in 1914.

1. Préambule

2. Cortège

3. Complainte

46
Louis Vierne, 24 Pièces en style libre (Paris: Henry Lemoine).
47
Smith, 531.

37
 4. Épitaphe

5. Prélude

6. Canon

7. Méditation

8. Idylle Mélancolique

9. Madrigal

10. Rêverie

11. Divertissement

12. Canzona

13. Légende

14. Scherzetto

15. Arabesque

16. Choral

17. Lied

18. Marche Funèbre

19. Berceuse

20. Pastorale

21. Carillon sur la Sonnerie du Carillon de la Chapelle du Château de Longpont (Aisne)

22. Élégie

23. Épithalame (Wedding Poem)

24. Postlude

38
 As Vierne stated, the lengths were carefully considered in order to accommodate use in a

worship service as a part of the liturgy, showing that Vierne was interested in a pragmatic

approach to the liturgical context contrasting that of Pièces de Fantaisie.

The fact that Vierne showed interest in the sound of bells is shown by one of his best-

known works, “Carillon on Westminster” from Pièces de Fantaisie, and also “Carillon sur la

Sonnerie du Carillon de la Chapelle du Château de Longpont (Aisne)” from Pièces en Style

Libre. There is a precedent of using bells as inspiration to the composition was shown by French

composers as early as the 17th Century, such as “Les Cloches” by Nicholas Bégue (1630–1702),

who was a teacher of the renowned French organ composer Nicholas DeGrigny (1671–1703).

“Les Cloches” is included in An Anthology of Early French Organ Music collected by Joseph

Bonnet,48 which shows an interest the composers exhibit in studying the music of the past.

Maurice Ravel (1875–1937) commemorated the greatness of early French composers such as

François Couperin with pieces such as Le Tombeau de Couperin, an example of composers

searching for connections from earlier composers. François Couperin made extensive use of

extra musical ideas in composing as he notes in his preface to Pièces de Clavecin49, he had

subjects in mind when he was composing these pieces.

In Pièces de Clavecin there are some other titles that carry vague imageries, such as “Les

Barricades Mistérieuses” (The Mysterious Barricades). Couperin goes on to write titles such as

“Les Chérubins, ou l'Aimable Lazure” (The Cherubim or the Friendly Lazure) and “Le

Rossignol-en-Amour” (The Nightingale in Love).

48
Joseph Bonnet, An Anthology of Early French Organ Music (New York: H.W Gray Co., 1942).
49
François Couperin, Pièces de Clavecin, book 1 (London: Augener Ltd., 1888).

39
 Vierne wrote collections of piano works that display an array of interesting titles as well.

This is an indication that Vierne was fully aware of many different inspirations that surrounded

him. His 3 Nocturnes, Op. 34, have these titles “La nuit avait envahi la nef de la cathédrale” (The

night had invaded the nave of the cathedral), “Au splendide mois de mai lorsque les bourgeons

rompaient l'écorce” (The splendid month of May when the buds broke bark), and “La lumière

rayonnait des astres de la nuit, le rossignol chantait” (The light radiated from the stars of the

night, the nightingale sang). These piano works that were written prior to Pièces de Fantaisie

display full use of the piano compass, the maximum use of tonal quality of the piano, and yet

maintain similar chromaticism shown in his organ works. Vierne’s extensive use of titles clearly

reflects a long-standing tradition in French music, not only for the keyboard but also for the flute

and other instruments. In addition it shows his preference for evoking highly suggestive imagery

with a propensity toward impressionistic elements.

During the Baroque era in France (17th Century), the keyboard instrument was frequently

used for suites. With the exception of “Clair de lune”, as discussed earlier in Debussy’s Suite

Bergamasque, three of the four pieces indicate more Baroque and classically associated titles.

Ravel employs more classical structure for its firm structure and distinct rhythms reflected in his

works such as Le Tombeau de Couperin (1917) and Menuet antique (1895).50 Couperin used the

term “Ordre” for works larger than a suite, and his harpsichord book shows his interests in suites,

50
Grout, Donald. J A History of Western Music, Third Edition, (W.W. Norton Company, Inc, 1980) 678

40
more dance-like pieces. This later leads to more character based pieces as mentioned above51.

There is a clear transition in Pièces de Fantaisie whereby Vierne moves from more classically

inspired titles into more imaginative titles.

51
Grove Online Dictionary “Ordre”
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxyiub.uits.iu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/20418?q=Ordre&search=qui
ck&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit

41
 Chapter 6:
PIÈCES DE FANTAISIE AND ITS MUSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Pièces de Fantaisie is structured as a collection of four suites that each contain six pieces.

Some have obvious image-inspired titles, such as “Clair de Lune” and “Sur le Rhin” but there are

also pieces with simpler musical titles, such as “Prelude” and “Toccata.” These are common

titles seen often in other organ works:

1. Titles based on general musical terms from the earlier musical periods: Prélude,

Intermezzo, Toccata, Andantino, Impromptu, Sicilienne, Caprice, Aubade,

2. Titles that are inspired by specific texts: Requiem Aeternam, Clair de Lune, Fantômes

3. Titles that are inspired by images: Marche Nuptiale, Hymne au Soleil, Feux Follets,

Étoile du Soir, Sur le Rhin, Cathédrales, Naïades, Gargouilles et Chimères

4. Exceptions: Carillon de Westminster and Les Cloches de Hinckley (based on pre-existing

tunes), Résignation (based on an emotion), Dédicace (Dedication), Marche Nuptiale

Vierne organized the whole collection into four suites. The First Suite, Op 51, was

written in 1926, while Vierne was in Paris. The second Suite, Op. 53, was copyrighted in 1927,

the same year as the third Suite, Op. 54, and the fourth suite, Op. 55. The first and second suites

were written at a time when Vierne was involved with tours to America, as two of the works

from the second suite are dedicated to those who worked for the American organ company,

Skinner Organ Company.52 The third and fourth suites were composed in Luchon, and Vierne’s

connection to England is shown in these suites, such as his concert in Hinckley, UK, in 1925.

52
Smith, 553.

42
First Suite (Op. 51), 1926

The first suite refers back to a suite from the Baroque era with titles that lack characters

or images. A suite is considered to be a selection of pieces meant to be presented in a single

performance, and the four times Vierne that performed it, he played it as a complete set.53

Prélude

The whole collection begins with a “Prélude.” It is in C major, like Bach’s first Prelude

from the Well-Tempered Clavier, and it is the only piece in the collection that begins in the tonic.

This piece begins with an almost minimalist figure, but quickly Vierne inserts a melody in the

pedal. The main figure that begins the piece is in a cluster of 7th chords, combined with a hint of

whole tone scale—both characteristics often seen in impressionistic pieces. The 16th-note

figurations rarely stop offering a blurry effect; they are held together with the pedal melody. The

registration begins with warm tones; a mixture of two flute stops, and the solo on the pedal with

a string stop combined with the sound of an oboe. The 16th-note figures combined with the 7th

chords offer a hint of whole tone scale. The title “Prelude” can be interpreted as in “free-style”

writing; however, the term was also used to form a first movement of a suite. 54

53
Smith, 554.
54
“Prelude,” Grove Dictionary Online; available from:
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxyiub.uits.iu.edu/subscriber/article/opr/t237/e8118?q=Prelude&search=quic
k&pos=3&_start=1#firsthit; accessed January 23, 2017

43
Example 12. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 51, mm. 1–3, alternating chords

figure.

Andantino

“Andantino” shows a departure from the series of 7th chords of the “Prelude” and more

variety of harmonic language heavily centered on chromaticism. “Andantino,” a well-known

tempo marking, is used as a title of musical pieces as “Prelude” has been in the past. There is no

strong indication of being a character piece. “Prelude,” “Andantino,” and the next piece,

“Caprice,” are all musical titles without any specific visual or literary links.

Unresolved dissonance is used along with a strong sense of chromaticism throughout the

piece. The registrations are soft as in “Prelude,” and parallel chords are used extensively. There

are no extreme dynamics shown in this piece, and the title suggests a traditional musical title

based on a musical tempo. Vierne shows hints of impressionistic musical languages:

chromaticism, parallel chords, or non-resolved dissonances in this piece.

Caprice
44
 The term “Caprice,” or in music “Capriccio,” was used for centuries related to madrigals

and other keyboard works.55 Capriccio pieces are usually lively, and the triple rhythm in this

piece gives a more lively atmosphere than the previous two pieces. A melody is clearly stated

and the music shows variations of the melody. There is a hint of parallel chords at the beginning,

but Vierne opts for complex chromatic lines after introducing the melody. The piece has a less

impressionistic musical language, but with Vierne’s mature chromaticism the piece contains

harmonic ambiguity. So far, there is a strong sense of classical influence with titles that lack in

character throughout the collection and a stronger connection to the classical genre.

Intermezzo

The term “intermezzo” was used to describe works performed in between acts of larger

works, another example of a more classical title that lacks character. “Intermezzo” is also used in

the Symphonie pour Orgue III, Op. 28, written in 1911. There Vierne uses a whole tone scale,

and the rhythm in the Intermezzo from the Symphonie features triplets but both remain in ABA

form. Vierne still shows the hint of impressionistic style through non-resolved dissonances and

the use of parallel chords. The first four pieces in the collection, however, show a combined

influence of classical ideas, not visual and character-based topics.

Requiem Aeternam

55
“Capriccio,” Grove Dictionary Online; available from
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxyiub.uits.iu.edu/subscriber/article/opr/t114/e1159?q=capriccio&search=qui
ck&pos=2&_start=1#firsthit; accessed on September 30, 2016

45
 The title of the piece is based on a liturgical text, and considering it is dedicated to his

deceased brother René Vierne (1878-1918), the source of inspiration for Vierne is clear. There is

no presence of Gregorian chant in this piece, which suggests that it is not for liturgical use,

despite the title. As the organist of Notre-Dame Cathedral, Vierne knew the text and the chant of

the Requiem used in the liturgical setting. The fact he did not use the chant as the source of

melody and only presented the title, nor any other texts of the mass setting, means Vierne was

inspired by the text and the tragedy of losing his brother during World War I. There is a sense of

ostinato at the beginning, and there is a hint of parallel motion in the chords. The form is not

rounded as seen with “Prelude” and “Andantino,” but it is the first step away from titles being

expressed in more classical musical terms. Instead, it is created to evoke a sense of atmosphere

throughout the piece related to them. The melody from the beginning on the pedal part comes

back towards the end, which reflects the text, where it repeats its first two lines.

Grant them eternal rest, O Lord,

and let perpetual light shine upon them.

A hymn becomes you, O God, in Zion,

and to you shall a vow be repaid in Jerusalem.

Hear my prayer;

to you shall all flesh come.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,

and let perpetual light shine upon them.

Marche Nuptiale

46
 This wedding march is in ABA form with a majestic character, utilizing 7th chords and

displaying parallel harmonies as seen in earlier pieces in the collection. It contrasts the previous

piece in terms of mood and the variety of registrations. There is a hint of mixolydian, which is

difficult to define as a mode given the abundant chromaticism in the line. In addition the piece

presents non-resolved dissonances.

Second Suite, Op. 53, 1927

Vierne continues to use titles that are associated with earlier periods in music, but there

are also more image-based titles in this Suite as the number of character pieces in Orders by

Couperin also grew. Vierne’s preference for classical musical structure is evident here, as all six

pieces are either in ABA or ABABA form. The harmonic language shows more chromaticism

than the first suite.

Lamento

As we have seen in “Caprice,” we see another title that has a relationship to earlier

musical genres. “Lamento” was associated with a descending tetrachord bass that is

accompanied with mournful text mainly used in the Baroque era and opera genre.56 This piece

begins with a single melody that gives the idea it will be in F minor. However, chromaticism is

present throughout the piece. The uncertainty of its tonality is present with constant use of

56
“Lamento,” Grove Dictionary Online; available from:
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxyiub.uits.iu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/15904?q=Lamento&search=
quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit; accessed September 15, 2016

47
dissonant chords and non-resolved dissonances. The melodic idea, which is introduced at the

beginning, is present throughout the piece and unifies it.

Example 13. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 53, Lamento, mm. 12–16, melodic
line inverted shown in the pedal line. (mm. 15-16)

Section B begins with a more recitative-like line that has a strong 7th interval in the

melody. His original melody does contain combined elements of a 7th and chromaticism. Vierne

reorganized them, and with a different rhythmical structure, he created a sense of cohesiveness.

With a glimpse of its original melody mixed together with flowing rhythmic ideas, section B

offers different characteristics that are never far from section A. This piece ends in C major, and

Vierne uses chromaticism and repetition of his melodic idea to reach the end. Despite the use of

chromaticism, the hint of parallel chords, which was seen often in the first collection, is not seen

in this piece.

Sicilienne

48
 “Sicilienne” is also another musical term from the Baroque era, and it is described as an

aria type. 57 This piece is in the 6/8 time signature and has a nature of variations, where the

theme is used with varied accompaniments. It is not difficult to find parallels between this and

“Sicilienne” by Maurice Duruflé from his Suite, Op. 5, which was completed in 1933. Suite, Op.

5, by Duruflé is seen as one of the most well-known organ works. The three movements, use of

the title “Suite,” and the titles of movements “Prelude,” “Sicilienne,” and “Toccata” show

similarity to Vierne’s Pièces de Fantaisie, and thus the association to the Baroque era. Duruflé’s

“Sicilienne” has multiple sections with less chromaticism than Vierne’s “Sicilienne,” which fits

the subjective distinction of impressionistic style on expressing a “pleasing variety of tone

colors.” The general texture of Vierne’s “Sicilienne” is less dense than “Sicilienne” by Duruflé,

and the latter contains more impressionistic idioms.

Maurice Duruflé, a student of Vierne, described him: “… he had much more classic

mind, more rational: thus, the study of fugue with him took on a rigorous form. …Free

improvisation had to be equally disciplined both in the exposition of the themes and in the

management and length of the developments.”58 Considering Vierne’s description of Duruflé’s

music and how Vierne’s music contrasted Duruflé’s, Vierne obviously had more of a classically

minded approach to his music. Vierne said of Duruflé’s music;

“ His (Duruflé) music attracts attention by its absolute freedom, by its complete rejection of any

system displayed arbitrarily for its own sake, by its great depth of thought and by a solid

57
“Sicilienne,” Grove Dictionary Online; available from
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxyiub.uits.iu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/25701?q=Sicilienne&search
=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit; accessed September 25, 2016
58
James E. Frazier, Maurice Duruflé, The Man and His Music (Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press,
2007), 32.

49
construction that in no way hampers its emotional expansion nor its attention to detail. This

reveals intense inner life expressed in the most adequate means with rare sensitivity. His

sometimes-daring modernism is fully justified by the nature of the emotions he means to

translate. That is infinitely rare.”59

Contrasting to “Lamento,” which carries a more recitative character, Vierne’s “Sicilienne”

exhibits structured phrasings. Both pieces begin with a distinctive introduction of the melody and

both pieces have the melody return at the end with more complexity. In addition, an active

accompaniment is another similarity. However, Duruflé shows more complex variations of

texture and form than Vierne.

Example 14. Maurice Duruflé, from Op. 5, Sicilienne, mm. 18–25, extensive bridge section
showing more fragments of the melody.

59
Smith, 195.

50
Example 15. Maurice Duruflé, from Op. 5, Sicilienne, mm 72–77, hint of whole tone in the
pedal.

51
 Duruflé’s hint of a whole tone scale on the pedal line (example 15) and the whole

harmonic language is much less chromatic than Vierne’s “Sicilienne” and Duruflé uses frequent

pauses (example 16) that stall its rhythmic momentum.

Example 16. Maurice Duruflé, from Op. 5, Sicilienne, mm. 93–97.

52
 The hint of a whole tone scale is accompanied by non-resolved dissonances, phrases that

are difficult to distinguish whether they are in major or minor. Vierne introduces his melody at

the beginning of the piece, and it recurs in complete form three times with different

accompaniment as shown in examples 17, 18, and 19.

Example 17. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 53, Sicilienne, mm. 1–3.

53
Example 18. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 53, Sicilienne, mm. 24–26.

Example 19. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 53, Sicilienne, mm. 51–53.

54
 Even though both pieces can be described as ABA form, Duruflé shows more fragments

of sections that are filled with harmonic ambiguity, non-resolved dissonances, and hints of exotic

scales such as whole tone to display a stronger impressionistic style. Vierne displays a more

classical form of “Sicilienne” with a defined ABA structure than Duruflé. There are less hints of

impressionistic style, such as non-resolved dissonances and parallel chords, as shown in his

earlier collection.

Hymne au Soleil (Hymn to the Sun)

This piece is first piece in Suite no. 2, inspired through a poem by Casimir Delavigne

(1793–1843) (table 2). Many other composers have also used “Hymn to the Sun.” Lili Boulanger

(1893–1913), for example, set this text for a soloist and choir with the piano.

55
 The poem captures an ordinary scene of sunrise, which expresses impressionistic

elements in visual arts. Vierne begins the piece with fortississimo to depict the power of the sun.

Fortississimo creates great contrasts to his subito piano instructions throughout the piece, one of

the signs of impressionistic style that is rarely seen until this point in the collection. Along with

extreme dynamics, Vierne shows a hint of parallel chords, which was absent in the prior two

pieces of the collection. Before retuning to the A section, the alternating chords figuration seen

in “Prelude” returns (example 12) and a rhythm creates constant dissonances leading to tonal

ambiguity. Vierne does not show many non-resolved dissonances. There are moments, however,

where a single note in unison halts the rhythmic activity of the piece, creating a similar effect of

non-resolution, and anticipation of the next phrase.

Table 2. Hymne au Soleil (Hymn to the Sun) by Casimir Delavigne, text and translation.

French English
Du soleil qui renaît bénissons la Let us bless the power of the reborn
puissance. sun.
Avec tout l'univers célébrons son With all the universe let us celebrate
retour. its return.
Couronné de splendeur, il se lève, il Crowned with splendor, it rises, it
s’élance. soars.
Le réveil de la terre est un hymne The waking of the earth is a hymn of
d'amour. love.
Sept coursiers qu'en partant le Dieu Seven rushing steeds that the God
contient à peine, scarcely holds back
Enflamment l'horizon de leur brûlante Ignite the horizon with their
haleine. scorching breath.

O soleil fécond, tu parais! Oh, vivid sun, you appear!

Avec ses champs en fleurs, ses monts, With its fields in bloom, its
ses bois épais mountains, its thick forests,
La vaste mer de tes feux embrasée, The vast sea set ablaze by your fires,
56
L'univers plus jeune et plus frais, The universe, younger and fresher,
Des vapeurs de matin sont brillants de With morning vapors are glistening
rosée. with dew.

Feux Follets (Will-o’-the-Wisp)

The title “Will-o’-the-Wisp” can easily be seen as the most descriptive in the collection

so far, as its inspiration stems from a natural phenomenon. There are folk stories surrounding it

in Europe, often associated with spirits of the dead or mischievous fairies. Will-o’ –the-wisp, a

light shown floating over the marshes during the night, known as “ignis fatuus” in Latin, is part

of the folklore of cultures all over the world. In Europe, it was generally understood that these

lights were spirits that would lure travelers to their doom. It is also an expression of a person

who is difficult to find, or an object that is difficult to catch.

Example 20. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 53, Feux Follet, mm. 1–3, non-
resolved chord and a pause.

57
 The structure is in ABABA form, and Vierne shows more freedom in rhythmic gestures

with pauses that are filled with non-resolved dissonances (example 20). Through this he captures

the atmosphere of uncertainty one would expect on lights that flicker from a distance. The

musical pauses after the key signature indicates a B minor at the end of the piece, but there is no

way for the listener to get a sense of its strong tonal center throughout section A. The transition

from section A to section B is built with only short pedal notes followed by silence, depicting the

image of spotty lights in a haze and silence is the darkness that appears where the light recedes.

Section B begins with a melody accompanied by the triplet rhythm and short pedal notes on off-

beats, symbolizing flickering lights in a haze. Throughout the whole A section, there is strong

ambiguity in tonality with the constant use of dissonances combined with extreme chromatic

sequences. Vierne brings a strong image of the title in his clear description using the elements of

impressionistic musical idioms.

Clair de Lune

The piece has been extensively discussed on page 21.

58
Toccata

The term toccata is also used earlier in the musical periods, mainly on keyboard

instruments to show the virtuosity of the performer.60 The term would be one of the most

familiar for Vierne, as an organist, and it shows his deep understanding of various musical styles

from the Baroque era. This was a common idea for French composers, as Maurice Ravel made

use of movements from the Baroque era as well. After three pieces in the collection use strong

Nature-based titles, Vierne brings back the pattern of using earlier musical ideas for the title. It is

in ABA form, and it shows the dexterity and skill of the performer for being written in an

awkward Bb minor. There are hints of non-resolved dissonances and strong chromatic sequences;

but these are not used as impressionistic idioms but as showcase of harmonic progressions by

Vierne.

Third Suite, Op. 54, 1927

After including three nature-based titles in the previous collection, Vierne chose titles of the

Third Suite that are more varied in their topics, with one of the most peculiar pieces of all four

suites, “Fantômes,” which has a spoken narrative.

60
“Toccata,” Grove Dictionary Online; available from:
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxyiub.uits.iu.edu/subscriber/search_results?q=toccata&button_search.x=0&b
utton_search.y=0&button_search=search&search=quick; accessed September, 17, 2016

59
Dédicace

This piece uses Vierne’s chromatic writing as a foundation of the harmonic language. It

begins with a chromatic line in the melody, and the whole piece brims with complex harmonic

language within its ABABA structure. It was dedicated to Rodman Wanamaker, the son of the

owner of the department store in Philadelphia, as he was known to be a great patron of music.

This piece contains hints of impressionistic idioms as we have seen in earlier pieces in the First

Suite. It has sudden changes in dynamics, some non-resolved dissonances, and extreme

chromatic sequences. However, in contrast to other works with more imaginative titles, this piece

does not evoke strong emotions or strong images to the listener as seen in “Prelude” and

“Toccata.”

Impromptu

This is one of the most well-known and often-played pieces from the whole collection,

along with “Carillon de Westminster.” “Impromptu” epitomizes the title with its improvisatory

character, and also goes back to Vierne’s pattern by using musical ideas from earlier periods as a

title. “Impromptu,” loosely meaning “improvised,” begins with quick 16th-note figurations that

do not give a sense of a tonic key, and this lack of tonal center lasts throughout most of the piece.

Hence the style creates a very spontaneous atmosphere. The quick 16th notes shown in the left

hand presents a strong sense of non-resolved dissonances, adding to the spontaneity of the piece

(example 21). It is in ABABA form, where the B section has a contrasting texture of

homophonic writing moving above the pedal note figures in half steps creating an ostinato effect

that contrasts the left hand of section A (example 22).

60
Example 21. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Impromptu, mm. 1–4 (left
hand).

Example 22. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Impromptu, mm. 57–63
(ostinato pedal).

The last section can be translated as a return of the A section in F Major with a short

coda. Vierne is consistent in his use of tierce de picardi throughout the collection. This creates a

sense of relief at the end of these pieces after the use of chromatic sequences that are strongly

present within. This piece depicts the sense of improvisation, and even with abundant hints of

non-resolved dissonances, it has more qualities of a scherzo movement of a symphony.

61
Étoile du Soir (Evening Star)

The title of the piece depicts the image of stars in the evening, associated with the

romantic planet Venus, a common source of the romantic image. “Harmonies du Soir” by Karg-

Elert, which also evokes evening imagery, features colorful orchestra-based registrations and

sections filled with many manual changes to accommodate those different colors. There are hints

of whole tone scales, and the whole piece carries an ambiguous atmosphere. Vierne begins his

piece with gradual diminuendo and sequenced fragments of a melody. The musical figures of

16th notes move in parallel motion and present non-resolved dissonances. Vierne delays his use

of chromatic sequences until a later part of the piece, and there is a sense of melody in section B.

His canonic idea between the melody and the pedal resembles the B section in “Clair de Lune.”

There is an extensive use of parallel chords, chromaticism, non-resolved dissonances, and also a

weak distinction of tonality throughout the piece, especially in section A. The presence of

impressionistic idioms is strong in this piece.

Example 23. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Étoile du Soir, mm. 7–10,
repetitive figures and lack of melody.

62
Example 24. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Étoile du Soir, mm. 11–14,
non-resolved dissonance followed by a pause. (mm.13-14)

Fantômes

Fantômes is not only a unique piece in the whole Pièces de Fantaisie pour Grande

Orgue, but arguably it is one of the most unique organ works in all of organ literature. By having

the option of inviting narrators to speak the following texts and assigning them to musical ideas,

it becomes a musical theater of sorts. Vierne gives numbers to different characters, and these are

shown in the score. They are consistent with the musical ideas they represent each time they

appear:

1. The Evoker: "Who then prepares the future …?"

Example 25. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Fantômes, mm. 1–2.

63
 2. The young esthete: "It's me … I'm free!"

Example 26. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Fantômes, mm. 7–8.

64
 3. The old pedant: "It's me … I keep the tradition!"

Example 27. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Fantômes, mm. 9–10.

4. The “Le Nègre”: "The future is the dancer."61

Example 28. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Fantômes, mm. 25–27.

61
The term is of course no longer used in modern times due to being offensive, but it was a common term during
the time of Vierne.

65
 5. The monkey: "The future is fantasy …" (syncopated rhythm with pseudo grace

note melody)

Example 29. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Fantômes, m. 64-66.

6. The beggar, who plays the barrel organ: "It is the misery … ‘Solo Mio’”

66
Example 30. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Fantômes, mm. 60–63.

7. Fate: "He is nowhere and everywhere.”62

Example 31. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Fantômes, mm. 81–86.

62
Louis Vierne, 24 Pièces de Fantaisie (Paris: Henri Lemoine, 1927).

67
 Amazing aspects of this piece are not only the theatrical elements, but the use of extreme

chromaticism that evokes a harmonic language so advanced that it sounds close to the language

of the much later composer, Olivier Messiaen. In number 2, unison figurations related to the

young esthete are combined with a complex rhythm that shows resemblances to the bird call

figures we see in earlier pieces by Messiaen. Despite these similarities, much more falls in the

realm of traditional tonality with extreme chromaticism.

Vierne successfully captures the images of different ghosts in this piece, and the changes

in time signature reflect those images. The systematic approach of giving numbers to each

character makes this a very effective and yet very advanced piece for the organ repertoire of the

time. By having texts that draw a vivid image combined with assigned musical figures, this piece

is different from all other pieces in the collection. There are musical signs of impressionism,

such as non-resolved dissonances, sudden dynamic changes, and strong chromaticism. However,

this work uses written text that was designed to be available to the listener. This is not consistent

with the idea of impressionism, which evokes atmosphere rather than directly telling the

audience what their characters represent. As unique as this work is, it follows closer to the idea
68
of symbolism: musical elements that are connected to specific non-musical elements,63 in this

case, the text. A strong characterization with musical ideas assigned to them gives clarity to the

whole piece, telling a story, rather than evoking an atmosphere. “Fantômes,” as the most daring

work from the whole collection, pushes the boundaries of any organ work composed by Vierne.

The characters assigned are depicted literally through musical idioms set by Vierne, as seen in

the character The Beggar. Character no. 6 copies the sound of the barrel organ (example 30), and

because of the strict use of these characters and no transition within the music to connect them, it

lacks a traditional musical form as seen in the whole collection such as ABA or ABABA.

However, the appearance of the characters seems intentional, especially how “Fate” only appears

once and makes a definite statement concluding the whole piece. Vierne effectively pairs “the

monkey” and “the beggar” characters. The piece represents the word “fantaisie” in the title of the

whole collection, Pièces de Fantaisie, while Vierne shows how he economically organizes these

unique characters. There are other pieces composed by organists a generation later who connect

specific texts to musical ideas, such as Olivier Messiaen. However, there is no organ work daring

enough to depict secular texts and titles such as “ghosts.”

Sur le Rhin (On the Rhine)

Named after the Rhine River, “Sur le Rhin” reflects the tone and timber of the many

historical events on the river that date back as far as Roman times. “Sur le Rhin” is built in ABA

form where section A is built on powerful chords. Interestingly, Vierne used octave parallel

figures, which create very thick harmonies. This registration, he suggests, covers from 32’ pedals

63
“Symbolism,” Grove Dictionary Online; available from:
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxyiub.uits.iu.edu/subscriber/article/opr/t114/e6586?q=symbolism&search=q
uick&pos=2&_start=1#firsthit; accessed September 30, 2016

69
to 4’ on the manual. The slowly paced half-note chords pick up its movement, with quarter notes

illustrating the river’s different speed of flow, and Vierne was consistent with his parallel chords

in section A. Section B begins with more movement and Vierne contrasts by not using parallel

motions. The transition from section B to section A is done in pulsating repeated notes and

chords juxtaposed with parallel figures, while section A returns with mighty reed stops from the

Notre-Dame Cathedral Cavaillé-Coll organ. The texture is very simple. The idea of parallel

harmony, as used by Debussy, is enhanced by octave doubling of pedals and full chords until the

end of the music. This creates one of the loudest moments of the whole Pièces de Fantaisie.

Combined with parallel chords, extreme dynamics, and non-resolved dissonances, this piece is

indeed impressionistic in style. In contrast to “Fantômes,” the use of chromaticism and

dissonances are not as frequent, and the musical ideas are connected and organized in a more

traditional sense. This shows the variety of musical methods Vierne uses to capture the scene or

the image of the subject at hand.

Example 32. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 54, Sur le Rhin, mm. 113–118, use
of parallel chords.

70
Carillon de Westminster

Arguably the most famous piece from the whole collection, “Carillon de Westminster” is

an interesting piece with a well-known melodic source. It is not, however, exactly accurate to

“Westminster Quarters,” the well-known tune related to “Big Ben” in London. Henry Willis III,

the famous organ builder from England, said that through long-distance phone calls, he whistled

him the tune incorrectly or Vierne heard it inaccurately.

“Carillon de Westminster” and “Les Cloches de Hinckley” are two pieces that are

inspired by a pre-existing melody from this collection. The opening material of an 8th note, two

16th notes, and an 8th note figuration has become a well-known rhythmic figure through this

piece along with its famous melody. As seen in some other pieces in the collection, Vierne does

not stop the continuation of the rhythm but maintains the movement of the music throughout the

whole piece. The harmonic language is not as chromatic as other pieces in the collection. The

strong imagery associated with the chime of “Big Ben” depicts the image of one of the most

iconic sights in London; however, this piece lacks other impressionistic idioms. Its harmonic

language and development are more traditional than other pieces in the same collection such as

“Feux Follets,” “Fantômes,” or “Étoile du Soir.” Even during the development section, the
71
tonality of the piece is easy to distinguish; however it does not fall under the musical idioms of

impressionistic style. It successfully connects the piece to the image through its famous tune; this

piece is closer to the concept of Program Music since it represents the tune and the image of “Big

Ben.”

Fourth Suite, Op. 55, 1927

This suite contains more imaginative titles instead of traditional titles, which contrasts

with the First Suite. As Vierne embarks on this last suite, the titles become more descriptive of

emotional states or specific musical examples or incidents.

Aubade

In previous discussions, Vierne was discussed as showing evidence of his interest in

poems and literature, and “Aubade” also shows a similar link. “Aubade” is described as a “song

in the morning daybreak for lovers.” It shows strong ties to the Renaissance era as it was a

common theme for poetry. Vierne depicts the sweetness of the daybreak or the lovers in a 3/8

time signature. The main musical figure sequence rises consistently with staccato pedal point,

and it leads the audience to a tonic in Eb major (key signature is always vague, which is one of

idioms in impressionistic style), and then to section B, where a more lyrical single melody is

accompanied with mixture of chromatic lines. When the music returns to the A section, it is

almost identical to the beginning with the pedal point. The ending feels quite natural in settling at

Eb major, even though the tonality is vague throughout the piece. There are hints of parallel

chords, chromaticism, and vague tonality within the ABA form. The softer dynamics, dolce at

the beginning of the piece, and the gentle triple rhythm associate the piece with a love song.

72
Résignation

The meaning of Resignation is unwillingness to accept something inevitable. Vierne’s

personal hardship throughout his life could mean this piece is rather personal. This piece was

built with beautiful harmonies that remind listeners of more “choral” movements we hear in

organ symphonies. Vierne combines the main theme with an accompaniment that develops into a

more chromatic scheme as the theme is repeated. He contrasts those repetitions with section B in

the F major tonality. Vierne does not let go of his structural principal even in this emotionally

charged piece, as the piece is clearly in ABA form with hints of parallel chords, non-resolved

dissonances, and chromatic sequences.

Cathédrales

“Cathédrales” is often compared to “La Cathédrale Engloutie” (The Sunken Cathedral)

by Debussy just as “Clair de Lune” by Vierne is often compared to the same titled work by

Debussy. The opening has a very close relationship Debussy’s work: the repeated notes on the

piano, which are held on the organ and the use of parallel motions are obvious similarities.

Parallel chords are used throughout the piece. The use of modes is one of the musical idioms in

impressionistic style that has not been strongly present in this collection but in contrast to his

highly chromatic writing, there are hints of modes in the piece.

Debussy uses the wide spectrum of the compass of the piano to build the climactic

moment that brings forth an image of a “sunken” or “engulfed” Cathedral with descending

73
figures leading to the loudest portion of the piece in C major. Vierne specifies the use of 32’ on

the pedal, along with his visits to low C on the pedal, the lowest note possibly played.

Example 33. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 55, Cathédrales, mm. 89–91, wide
range of sounds with the use of the pedal.

The form itself is difficult to distinguish in this piece at first; unlike most of his pieces,

which are clearly defined with a form, Vierne uses a more developed version of rondo form.

Vierne also uses rather unusual frequent octave doublings in this piece shown only with a strong

presence in “Sur le Rhin.” The use of doubling expresses a similarity to Debussy’s piece.

Interestingly, Vierne has the advantage of an organ with a larger dynamic range and bigger

compass of the sound by using the 16’ and 32’ on the pedal, and he utilizes the extreme

dynamics in this piece. Also, towards the end of the piece by Debussy, we see repetitive 8th note

figures (example 34). Vierne does a similar figuration on the organ, except he uses his harmonic

language of chromaticism and 8th note figurations to build up to the piece’s climactic moment.

74
Example 34. Claude Debussy, La Cathédral Engloutie, mm. 72–73.

Example 35. Louis Vierne, from Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 55, Cathédrals, mm. 82–84.

75
 Debussy wrote his preludes more than a decade before Vierne’s work on the suite began,

and this piece is a great example of how Vierne used Debussy’s musical idioms for the organ and

successfully captures the image and the title.

Naïades

One of the well-known pieces from the collection, “Naïades” or “water nymph” derives

from Greek mythology. Here Vierne connects to the mythology, and this raises the question of

how much Vierne found mythology interesting. Ample evidence of his interests in poems and

literature exists, but there is not much evidence of his interest in paintings.This would have a

more direct relationship to impressionism even though nymphs were a common theme for many

paintings. “Naïades” is thought to be a female mythical being known through local cults, which

is seen as a pattern through titles such as “Will-o’-the-Wisp”. “Naïades” is mostly well-known as

a nymph affiliated with running water. There are many different types of Nymphs, but they

usually represent beauty, jealousy, and the protector of running water. Vierne chose to depict

running water through unceasing scale figures. While this displays Vierne’s ability to portray the

characteristics of the nymphs and the scene, it also requires virtuosic technique.

It begins with chords that suggest water drops or mischievous gestures of the nymph

accompanied by virtuosic scales that depict running water. This pattern completes section A. In

section B, Vierne does not change the scale figure except that the staccato chords in section A

becomes more lyrical with smooth figures that depict a warmer character of the nymph. This

whole piece is in ABABA form; however, it is rather different in a sense that Vierne is not

making much effort to insert contrapuntal ideas as seen in his “Toccata,” “Gargouilles et

76
Chimères,” or “Feux Follet.” In these examples, imitative ideas are consistent in his writing. The

left hand and the pedal figurations are dissonances that do not show resolution, but constantly

lead to the next phrase. Chromaticism is dispersed in between phrases that show a strong tonality

throughout the piece. There is no use of modes and no extreme dynamics. However, Vierne does

display an extended use of parallel figures in the last section, and successfully depicts the title

through some impressionistic idioms.

Gargouilles et Chimères

Another piece based on Greek mythology, “Gargouilles et Chimères” is written to

express creatures of hideous figures, contrasting with “Naïades.” Notre-Dame Cathedral, with

which Vierne had a long association, was well-known for its gargoyles statues. These statues

were said to allegedly protect against negative forces, but Vierne, who worked at Notre-Dame,

knew that these structures were created to divert rain from the roof. Chimeras, also statues at

Notre-Dame, were mythological creatures that are hybrid of animals; they are know for breathing

fire. They did not have a specific function in the building unlike gargoyles. Both types of statues

share the idea of protecting the church, and they also share the fact that their images are

associated with the grotesque. The opening figures create an almost theatrical atmosphere to

depict the hideous figures found on the Notre-Dame Cathedral. The registration suggested by

Vierne, the clarinet and Quintaton (a narrow stopped flue (type of an organ stop with the twelfth

being prominent in harmonics), the use of fermatas, the contrasting textures in different sections,

and the sudden endings within these sections depict the title well. The use of chromaticism is

prominent throughout the piece, and its mixture with non-resolved dissonances adds to the

77
depiction of the title. Vierne uses a variation form, incorporating different sections of the music,

and the use of many fermatas and changes of musical idioms helps to depict the hideousness of

the well-known statues of Notre-Dame effectively.

Les Cloches de Hinckley

The last piece of the collection is written with the theme from the less well-known

carillon at St. Mary’s in Hinckley, England. Vierne supposedly was kept up by the ringing of the

carillon every three hours. The piece begins with pianissimo that leads to unusual triple forte in

dynamics showing an extreme range in dynamics. The whole piece begins with the effect of the

sound coming from a distance, or it is meant to be the musical depiction of the composer faintly

hearing the bells during sleep but more prominently as it awakes him. As seen in “Carillon de

Westminster,” the piece moves continuously without a pause in sound after the first four

measures, and the whole piece is more tonal that any other collections except earlier pieces from

the first suite. There is an obvious lack of chromaticism and the canonic writing between the

pedal and the manual on in the development section shows planning and structure that is

designed to build the piece with a direction. There is strong lack of impressionistic musical

idioms in this piece, even more so than in “Carillon de Westminster.”

Common Musical Elements in the Collection

There are patterns seen throughout the whole collection. As defined earlier, the titles are

in different categories: 1) traditional musical titles from the earlier musical era, mainly Baroque;

78
2) based on texts; 3) based on images; and 4) based on tunes or emotions. The impressionistic

musical idioms that are more present in the whole collection are 1) non-resolved dissonances; 2)

chromaticism; 3) use of parallel chords; and 4) difficulty in distinguishing tonality of the key.

There are extreme dynamics, lack of clear-cut formal structure, and a variety of tonal colors

related to registration and dynamics that are used depending on the titles. The extreme dynamics

are more present in pieces with titles that feature strong and majestic characters, and there are

pieces such as “Fantômes” that show complete reliance on the appearance of characters for its

structure. Every piece in the collection ends on a complete major or minor chord, mostly held for

a significant duration of time, regardless of whether the characteristics of the piece featured long

held major or minor chords. In the case of “Carillon de Westminster,” Vierne succeeded in

depicting an image to those who have a strong connection to “Big Ben” and the tune, but the

most performed piece of the collection does not qualify as an impressionistic piece.

79
 Chapter 7: CONCLUSION

Vierne was a prolific organ composer of the 20th Century, following such notables as

Franck and Widor. His main contribution to the literature is Six Symphonies pour Orgue, but his

24 Pièces de Fantaisie has not been considered as holding the same importance as the Six

Symphonies pour Orgue. As Vierne’s music gains more recognition and popularity, the unique

traits of 24 Pièces de Fantaisie contribute to its current status as authentic concert pieces. There

is no evidence that he showed much interest in the impressionistic movement, but Vierne left a

remarkable set of concert pieces that are varied in subject matter and yet unified in musical

aesthetics. This feat should be recognized as a notable accomplishment as there is no other

collection with the same qualities from this period.

Vierne’s life and musical training was discussed in order to highlight how Vierne was

influenced by his teachers. Vierne struggled with his eyesight from the time of his birth, which

makes his appreciation of visual subjects and relationship to the term impressionism with its

strong visual ties intriguing. He has demonstrated a thoughtful attitude within his work, resulting

in a structure and mature musical language shown in these compositions. The impressionistic

style in music was also discussed in the context of organ literature, as it is not a major style in

organ literature. Many of the well-known titles of impressionism were used, such as “Clair de

Lune,” to draw comparisons and contrasts between Debussy and Vierne. The chapter that

focuses on Karg-Elert shows how an organ composer could combine impressionistic elements in

his own style in contrast to Vierne and his Pièces de Fantaisie.

80
 “Naïades” and “Feux Follets” are concert pieces that capture listeners’ attention by

evoking the mood or atmosphere of the subject, which also contributed to the assumption shown

in the introduction. The pleasing variety of the tone and the ability to evoke mood and

atmosphere are all subjective criteria in an impressionistic style of music. The uniqueness of the

collection lies in how successfully Vierne combines musical criteria and subjective criteria

within one collection. Vierne stayed with his harmonic language with the same sense of structure

and form throughout most of his 24 Pièces de Fantaisie. The majority of the pieces have strong

formal structures, and Vierne’s intention of organization is expressed by having six pieces per

suite.

Pièces de Fantaisie stands as one of the most complex and musically fulfilling

collections of organ works from all French organ repertoire, especially as it was written for

secular concert settings combined with secular subjects in many pieces in the collection. There is

consistency in impressionistic musical elements presented in his pieces, but even in a piece that

lacks those musical elements, such as “Carillon de Westminster,” there is a strong connection to

the sight of London for those who are aware of the tune and “Big Ben.” The Pièces de Fantaisie

is economically built, while honoring the musical titles from the earlier periods as well as

programmatic and symbolic musical styles. Other impressionistic writing by composers such as

Karg-Elert, who had a clear intention of creating music in impressionistic style, incorporated

some impressionistic elements by purely creating a collection of impressionistic pieces; however

works by Karg-Elert lacks the variety of style Vierne is able to display. Other composers, such as

Joseph Bonnet, show the use of musical styles from the Baroque period in collections by using

titles such as “Prelude”, “Lamento”, and “Toccata”, as seen in Pièces de Fantaisie. These pieces

81
fail to make a whole collection as diverse in its topics and daring in musical language as Vierne

has done.

Impressionistic musical elements in Vierne’s Pièces de Fantaisie consist of the strong

presence of parallel chords, non-resolved dissonances, chromatic sequences, variety in tone

colors, and in some, appropriate to the subject, extreme dynamics. These elements together

effectively bring atmosphere and evoke emotions. Vierne achieved this without compromising

the harmonic direction and the sense of rhythm. There are no other organ collections from this

era with secular titles mixed with musical styles from the previous musical periods, or

imaginative titles that are visual as well as have the power to evoke atmosphere as Pièces de

Fantaisie. The consistency shown in his musical language, employed in a variety of musical

styles, created this unique and successful collection within the repertory of organ literature.

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 Appendix: Organization (Suites and Movements) of 24 Pièces de
Fantaisie.

24 Pièces de Fantaisie: Première Suite, Opus 51, 1926

1. Prélude (C major, Moderato, Form: Monothematic)

2. Andantino (A minor, Adagio, Form: Monothematic)
3. Caprice (D minor, Allegretto, Form: ABA)
4. Intermezzo (F major, Allº ma non troppo vivo, Form: ABA)
5. Requiem aeternam (G minor, tierce de Picardie; G Major, Lento ma non troppo, Form:
Monothematic)
6. Marche nuptiale (“Wedding March,” Bb major, Allº maestoso e marcato, Form: ABA)

24 Pièces de Fantaisie: Deuxième Suite, Opus 53, 1926

1. Lamento (C minor, Adagio quasi larghetto, Form: ABA)

2. Sicilienne (E minor, tierce de Picardie, E major, Allegretto moderato, Form: ABA)
3. Hymne au soleil (“Hymn to the Sun,” G major, Maestoso, Form: ABA)
4. Feux follets (“Will-o’-the-wisp,” B minor, Vivace, Form: ABABA)
5. Clair de lune (“Moonlight,” Db major, Adagio molto espressivo, Form: ABA)
6. Toccata (Bb minor, Allegro risoluto, Form: ABA

24 Pièces de Fantaisie: Troisième Suite, Opus 54, 1927

1. Dédicace (Ab major, Andantino espressivo, Form: ABACA)
2. Impromptu (F minor, tierce de Picardie, F major, Vivace, Form: ABABA)
3. Étoile du soir (“Evening star,” G# minor, Moderato non troppo lento, Form: ABA)
4. Fantômes (“Ghosts,” C# minor, Grave, Form: unclear)
5. Sur le Rhin (“on the Rhine,” Eb minor, tierce de Picardie, Eb major, Molto maestoso,
Form: ABA)
6. Carillon de Westminster (D major, Andante con moto, Form: ABA)

24 Pièces de Fantaisie: Quatrième Suite, Opus 55, 1927

1. Aubade (“dawn song,” Eb major, Allegretto, Form: ABA)
83
2. Résignation (F# major, Adagio molto sostenuto, Form: ABA)
3. Cathédrales (A major, Largo molto sostenuto, Form: unclear)
4. Naïades (“water nymphs,” B major, Allegretto non troppo vivo, Form: ABABA)
5. Gargouilles et Chimères (“Gargoyles and Chimera,” F# minor, Poco lento, Form: unclear)
6. Les Cloches de Hinckley (E major, Andante con moto, quasi allegro, Form: ABA)

84
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