Musicians - Jehan Alain

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	Musicians - Jehan Alain

Jehan Alain (February 3, 1911, Saint-Germain-en-Laye - June 20, 1940, Saumur) was a French organist and composer.

Biography

Jehan Alain was born at Saint-Germain-en-Laye on 3rd February 1911.

His father, Albert Alain, taught him the organ and he studied the piano under his teacher Augustin Pierson, the organist of Saint-Louis at Versailles. Later, his studies at the Paris Conservatiore, between 1927 and 1939, included harmony, with André Bloch, fugue and counterpoint, with Georges Caussade. He studied the organ with Marcel Dupré taking first prize for improvisation in 1939. His studies in composition with Paul Dukas and Roger-Ducasse won him the Prix des Amis de l'Orgue in 1936 for Suite for organ Op. 48 consisting of - Introduction, Variations, Scherzo and Choral.

He wrote choral music, including Requiem mass (1938), chamber music, songs and three volumes of piano music. But, it is for his organ music that he is best known. His compositions are influenced by his contemporary Olivier Messiaen and by Claude Debussy.

He was appointed organist of Saint-Nicholas de Maisons Lafitte in Paris from 1935-39. He also played regularly at the Rue Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth synagogue.

During World War II, Alain joined the army, where he was a motorcycle courier with the Eighth Motorised Armoured Division. He was killed in action on 20th June, 1940 at Petit Puy, near Saumer.

Marie-Claire Alain, the internationally renowned organist, has recorded all her brother's organ works as well as the complete organ music of J.S. Bach.

Maurice Duruflé wrote a musical tribute to Jehan Alain with his work for organ Prélude et Fugue sur l'nom A.L.A.I.N.

Music

Although Alain is primarily remembered for his organ music, his compositions included choral works with orchestra, chamber music, piano pieces and vocal music as the following list of his main compositions shows. They are arranged chronologically:

1929-38
*Three volumes of piano music
1929
*Berceuse sur deux notes qui cornent for organ: This very effective piece was written around two continuosly sounding notes - C# and D# - caused by broken pallet springs under the pipes. He wrote it as a lullaby (berceuse) possibly for his little sister Marie-Claire, who was three at the time.
1930
*Ballade en mode phrygien for organ
*Postlude pour l'office des complies for organ
1932
*Petite pièce for organ
*Grave for organ
*Lamento for organ
*Première Fantasie for organ
*Variations sur le Lucis Creator for organ
*Cantique en mode phrygien (choral) in 4 parts
*Chansons in 4 parts (choral)
1933
*Deux préludes profanes for piano, later for organ
1934
*Le Jardin suspendu for organ
*Choral cistercien for organ
*Intermezzo for two pianos and bassoon
*Deux danses à Agni Yavishta
*Andante varié for string quintet
*Suite monodique for piano
*Climat for organ
1935
*Choral phrygien for organ
*Choral Dorian for organ
*Prélude et Fugue for organ
*Fantasie in 4 parts (choral)
*Complainte de Jean Renaud
*Intermezzo (Le Fileuse) version for organ
*Laisse les nuages blanc (song)
*Trois Mouvements for flute and piano
1936
*Deuxième Fantasie for organ
*Variations sur un thème de Clément Janequin for organ
*Suite Op.48 for organ
*Chanson (song) words by Rudyard Kipling
1937
*Litanies for organ: Probably his best-known work. Written in anguish over the death of one of his sisters in a mountain climbing accident. Parts of this work come from another, unpublished piece called "Phantasmagoria"
*O Salutaris (choral) unaccompanied 2 part
*Tu es Petrus (choral) 3 part
*Invention for wind instruments
*Ave Maria (song) with organ
*Trois Danses for piano (later orchestrated)
1938
*Monodie for organ
*Aria for organ
*Noël (choral) in 3 parts
*Que j'aime ce divin enfant (choral) 3 parts
*D'où vient qu'en cette nuictée... (choral) 2 part
*Tantum ergo (choral) 2 part
*Messe grégorienne de marriage for chorus and string quartet
*Messe de Requiem
*Messe brève for soprano, chorus and instruments
*Prière pour nous charnels for voices and orchestra
1939
*Trois danses (version for organ)

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