Édouard Commette
Édouard Commette (12 April 1883, in
Place Édouard Commette at the foot of the hill on which the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière is built is named in his honour.[2] A student of Charles-Marie Widor and Victor Neuville,[3] his recordings were known worldwide,[4] and he was also known as a composer of accessible and tuneful organ music in his own right.[5]
Biography
Born in Lyon in the center of the silk manufacturing district where his father was an exporter, Edouard studied
He took up his post at
Critical reception
A critic from the now-defunct site Gramophone once opined, "Edouard Commette is a notable performer of the old school. He does not keep as steady a beat as I would like in the B minor and D minor Fugues, and not everyone will approve of his tendency to slow up slightly in order to point a fugal entry... I find M. Commette's rubato convincing enough in the non-fugal movements, and he gives a noble account of the B minor and Dorian preludes."[7]
Compositions
- Pieces (6) for Organ: Offertoire sur des noëls; Fughetta; Allegretto; Adoration; Aspiration religieuse; Scherzo (Bornemann, 1914)
- 14 pièces brèves pour orgue (Durand, 1926)
- Deux méditations pour orgue (Hérelle, 1947)
- Sur le lac
- Toccata in G
Known recordings
- J. S. Bach on the Cathedral Organ of Saint Jean De Lyon, France. Angel RecordsLP, 35368.
- Orgues et organistes français du Xx° siècle (1900–1950) •
Léon Boëllmann : Menuet et Toccata de la Suite gothique Eugène Gigout : Toccata Gabriel Pierné : Prélude Felix Mendelssohn : Allegro Molto de la 6° Sonate
- J. S. Bach : BWV 147, 582, 588, 578, 622, Je veux te dire adieu.
– Lyon St-Jean – Disque Columbia-FCX 498, 1955 (dq 88)
- J. S. Bach : BWV 565, 562, 542, 645, 615, Préludes mi, ut, la min.
– Lyon St-Jean – Disque Columbia-FCX 497, 1955 (dq 85)
- J. S. Bach : BWV 539, 537, 532, Chorals 605, 625, 637, 638, 727.
– Lyon St-Jean – Disque Columbia, 1956 (dq 92)
- J. S. Bach : BWV 534, 536, 546, 542, 533, 543, Chorals 614, 629.
– Lyon St-Jean – Disque Columbia, 1957 (dq 103)
- J. S. Bach : BWV 553, 554, 555, 556, 557, 558, 559, 560, 531, 547.
– Lyon St-Jean – Disque Columbia, 1958 (dq 113) (42)
- J. S. Bach : BWV 538, 566, 535, 544.
– Lyon St-Jean – Disque Columbia, 1961 (68)
- J. S. Bach : BWV 646, 651, 658, 661, 667, 669, 670, 671, 680, 734, 737.
– Lyon St-Jean – Disque Columbia, 1962 (77)
- César Franck : 3 Chorals, Pièce héroïque.
– Lyon St-Jean – Disque Columbia-FCX 496, 1955 (dq 88)
- Felix Mendelssohn : Marche nuptiale. Richard Wagner : Marche de Tannhauser.
– Transcriptions de E. Commette. – Lyon St-Jean – Disque Columbia-ESBF 176, 1957
Scores
References
- ^ Jean-Marie Mayeur, Xavier de Montclos Dictionnaire du monde religieux dans la France contemporaine Volume 6 – Page 124 1994 "COMMETTE Edouard – Organiste et compositeur (Lyon 12.04.1883– 21.04.1967). Son père, courtier en soierie, étant souvent en voyage, Edouard fut mis très jeune en pension, au lycée de Bourg-en-Bresse. Son professeur de piano, l'organiste ..."
- ^ Lonely Planet Western Europe Page 360 Ryan Ver Berkmoes, Oliver Berry, Geert Cole – 2009 "Footpaths wind uphill but the funicular departing from place Édouard Commette is the least taxing way up; a return ticket costs €2.20. Crowning the hill is the 27m-high Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière "
- ^ Daniel Paquette Aspects de la musique baroque et classique à Lyon et en France 1989 "Elève de Widor et de Victor Neuville au Conservatoire de Lyon, Edouard Commette (1883–1967) devint rapidement (1904) organiste de la cathédrale de Lyon ; il eut le mérite de brûler toutes les musiques de sa jeunesse (Théodore Dubois, ..."
- ^ L'Orgue Issues 265–268 Association des amis de l'Orgue – 2003 "Par ailleurs, depuis qu'Edouard Commette (1883–1967) fit, le premier, sa réputation mondiale par le disque, jamais on n'avait enregistré tant de musique d'orgue (Ars Musicae tient à jour le Guide de la musique d'orgue enregistrée depuis ..."
- ^ Organists' Review Volume 84, Issues 329–332 Incorporated Association of Organists – 1998 "Edouard Commette (1883–1967) was organist of Lyons Cathedral for 52 years and known for his accessible and tuneful music. His delightful Scherzo makes a perfect overture to the programme."
- ^ "The Pipe Organ in the Christchurch Town Hall, New Zealand". NZORGAN.COM. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
- ^ "Gramophone Resources and Information". www.gramophone.net. Archived from the original on 2012-03-03. Retrieved 2020-10-16.