Vingt-Quatre Pièces pour harmonium ou orgue
- Year
- 1934
- Instrumentation
- Harmonium or organ
- Duration
- circa 38'
- Publisher
- Henry Lemoine, Hérelle, Philippo, Combre
- Premiere
- by Jean Langlais mainly (3,6,7,12,13), by Olivier Messiaen (9)
1er Cahier (n°1 to XII) published by Hérelle (France) in 1939.
1. Prélude modal - 2. Hommage - 3. Arabesque - 4. Fugue - 5. Paraphrase sur "Salve Regina" - 6. Noël avec variations - 7. Choral - 8. Ricercare - 9. Scherzetto - 10. Toccata - 11. Prière pour les morts - 12. Hommage à Fr.Landino
In a letter to Jean Langlais, PAUL DUKAS wrote, on September 7, 1934 :
"24 Pieces for harmonium! It is a symbolic number like that of a dozen oysters, not 22 not 25 nor 23 or the house crumbles! Franck had already covered this long trail, sometimes, one must admit, a little bit too quicky. You shall reach your objective, dear friend, and, I hope you will be well rewarded for your efforts on behalf of this strange instrument for which, in my opinion, you composed for with your heart and soul, the droning timbre of said instrument strangely affects the spine. I am sure that you shall find a way to ennoble its too easy mystic character..."
CORRECTED ERRORS in the PRINTED SCORE
1 - PRELUDE MODAL: p.1, bar 10, 1rst beat, the indication R (Swell) is on the E, not later, like bar. 2, p.2
p.2, bar 3-4, Bflat right hand has to be tied to the F#, alto, following bar // p. 2, bar 7, add rall. at the end of the bar // p. 2, bar 8, the first a# right hand, is a quarter note.
Tempo recommended for the organ: Andante, quarter note= 50
2 - HOMMAGE: p.3, bar 2-3, left hand, the G whole note is tied to the following bar // bar 6, the D, whole note, is natural for both hands // p.3, bars 17 and 21, the stops changes are for the 1rst beat.
p.4, bar 15, 3rd beat, the # is on the C, not on the D.
Tempi recommended for the organ: Piu vivo, bar 11, quarter= 77;
Bar 17, Tempo primo, quarter= 46; bar 21, Piu vivo, quarter= 77.
3 - ARABESQUE: p.6, bar 14, left hand, C# should be tied to the C# next bar // p.6, bars 21-22, left hand, the legato sign is for the
G# , not for the F.
p.7, bars 21-22, Connect the F, left hand, 4th beat, with the upper F of the next chord, right hand.
Tempi recommended for the organ: Andantino, quarter,= 68. Piu vivo, quarter doted= 75
4 - FUGUE: p.8, bar 16, 3rd beat, alto, the C# has to be tied to the C# 1rst beat bar 17 // p.8, bar 18, right hand, 2nd beat, the rest is not a quarter rest but a eighth rest. The eighth rest is lacking, alto part, beat 3 // p.8, bar 24, left hand, the 3rd eighth note should be a B, not a G#.
p.9, bar 18-19, a quarter rest is lacking on the 2nd beat.
p.10, bar 21, fist beat, right hand, G#, quarter note, is lacking. It is tied with the preceding G#. The sign legato is not between G# and E as indicated.
Tempo recommended for the organ, Andante, quarter= 67.
6 - NOEL AVEC VARIATIONS: p.13, tempo, doted quarter note=65, not 58. 3rd Variation, p.16, tempo: quarter note= 72 (not 58). Coda, p.17, tempo, doted quarter= 65, not 58.
7 - CHORAL: p.18, tempo, Maestoso, quarter note= 69, not 52 // Variation I: Adagio, quarter= 51, not 42.
p. 19, Variation II, Andante, quarter= 100, not 66 // p.19, bar 14, soprano, add a eighth rest to the chord, like bars 4, 8 and 11.
p.20, Variation III, Allegro, tempo: quarter note= 106, not 88.
9 - SCHERZETTO, p.25, bar 2, the theme begins with an E eight note, not quarter. p.26, bar 4, right hand, the F is not dotted, but goes to the E left hand.
10 - TOCCATA, p.12, tempo, quarter note= 61, not 56 // p.12, bar 8, the indication G.O. mf is lacking.
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