Jehan Alain: Choral Dorien (1938 Revised Version)

[@mattw322]

I played this back in college! Wow, I really cool piece on the right organ and with the right stops and voicing. You go, Alain!!!

[@jrbflymeful]

I adore this piece. It also gives me the goosebumps. But I adore it when we are receiving the holy Eucharist. It puts me at peace, and love with the Lord. They have been playing it the last few Sunday masses at St. Columba Cathedral in Youngstown, Ohio. I can’t get enough of this piece. Blessed be God forever!

[@topologyrob]

This is magical and melts me

[@AndreasEustathopoulos]

This piece - and hence your performance - gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it.

[@jrbflymeful]

Lately every time we receive communion, this plays at my cathedral. It’s ethereal, and holy, and gives me goosebumps too, for all the right reasons. Blessed be God. And to you.

[@youtube_user]

It works on our rather small village organ, too! I guess, I am going to shock the churchgoers with this. They are not used to that kind of music. Your channel really is exciting!

[@ГеоргТалисманов]

Просто нет слов , можно слушать бесконечно

[@youtube_user]

What a wonderful piece! Thank you for posting.

[@TheRealFilipiano]

Did anybody else notice the interesting chiasmus in the time signatures throughout the piece? (9/4 | 6/4 | 9/4 | 6/4 | 9/4 | 12/4 | 9/4 | 6/4 | 9/4 | 6/4 | 9/4 | 12/4 | 9/4 | 6/4 | 9/4 | 6/4 | 9/4) What's more, there's also multiple small chiasmi within the chiasmus. I wonder if Alain did that on purpose - definately intriguing.

[@russedav5]

His genius it too great to fathom/comprehend, an aspect of his great faith seen in the following inscription for his greatest work, Litanies: «Quand l’âme chrétienne ne trouve plus de mots nouveaux dans la détresse pour implorer la miséricorde de Dieu, elle répète sans cesse la même invocation avec une foi véhémente. La raison atteint sa limite. Seule la foi poursuit son ascension.» Jehan Alain (1911-1940). When the Christian soul can find no new words in its distress to implore the mercies of God, it repeats without ceasing the same invocation [i.e.=Litany] with vehment faith. Reason attains its limits. Alone Faith pursues the ascent. Jehan Alain (1911-1940).

[@clairekitty4106]

Probably, because this piece is in arch form, so it has a culminant point being there the 12/4 Well seen!

[@alisabirula5039]

Such a beautiful piece, thank you!

[@AndreasEustathopoulos]

Especially since I've downloaded it and I listen to this almost every day. Keep up the - excellent - work.

[@daveaustin4538]

Thank you for posting the score :)

[@rwvansomeren7846]

A question and a comment: Question: Who is playing this piece, and on what organ? Comment: Ages ago, when I was taking music theory, I learned that the Phrygian scale was the scale that went (for simplicity's sake) from E to E on a piano keyboard, without using any of the "black keys." The Dorian scale was the scale that went from D to D on a piano keyboard, without using any of the "black keys." Looking at the score for this piece, one sees it is obviously built on the Phrygian scale. The final cadence is a Phrygian cadence -- see the half step in the bass from F down to E. This half step from F to E in the bass is also found throughout the piece -- starting right in the first measure -- and this emphasizes the Phrygian modality of the composition. This piece is published with another one called Choral Phrygien which is built on the Dorian scale, and centered around D. Am I missing something here? How did the modes and/or the titles of the pieces get switched? Perhaps the terms Dorian and Phrygian meant something different to Jehan Alain? Thanks to anyone who can explain this to me.

[@Sytarie]

Hope I'm not too late but here's an answer. :-) What's important to recognize a mode isn't the beginning/ending note itself but the intervals between each of the seven notes in the scale. In a typical "all white" dorian mode, you would get these number of half steps : DEFGABCD // D2122212 In this case, Alain does not use a D based dorian mode : he's transposing in E. However it still retains its phrygian characteristics. It is the placement of the semi-tones that gives the mode its colour. EF#GABC#DE // E2122212 Those modes can be tricky to recognize because the piece uses a little bit of chromaticisms and accidentals such as b flat, but usually it's easier if you use the "count semitones technique".

[@johnstag1391]

Commovente

[@DiegoFerri]

beautiful ! sehr schön !

[@mrSymphonic]

That's it, then! Glad to hear you've obtained the magnificent Notre-Dame de Metz sample set!

[@disdonc6012]

Can someone tell me what these vertical lines mean in - for example - measure 15 and the horizontal line over some notes - for example in measure 23?

[@BaumwolleB]

The vertical lines are called Caesura, they indicate a short pause which length isn't counted. The bar over over a note's head is called a Tenuto. A note with a Tenuto should be played just a tiny bit longer than usual to accent it.

[@sathya999]

It's not important. Just that I hear differences in those measures from the score and other performances. Listen carefully to another performance and yours in measure 3. And contrary to the careless comment of fanny0820, the bass is really fine to these ears. There must be some nice sounding motos where he/she lives.

[@sathya999]

Now that I have the Metz and am working on this piece I understand what I was hearing. The F above middle C in the Recit Gambe has an unusual timbre compared to the other notes. It's not a big deal. Can probably be tuned. I can only hear it in your recording where you are playing only on the Recit.

[@sathya999]

I'll figure it out when I have my organ in a month or so. Then I'll get back to you. It's just that I hear a difference from the other presentations on youtube of the same piece in those two measures. It's really not important. I like the whole performance, and contrary to the comment by fanny0820, the bass is fine for these ears!

[@mrSymphonic]

No problem, those are welcome! ;)

[@mrSymphonic]

Thanks! I'm not sure what you mean... I played exactly as it's written here. I actually played from an Éditions Combre score, but the notes are basically the same as here. Maybe it's the pedal part?

[@JimAlfredson]

What recording is this, please?

[@MrDomi77]

Un peu trop rapide dommage

[@mullistannen]

Konn ana füin wias dem Alain gonga is wia a des liad gschriebn hot?

[@mrSymphonic]

It was definitely not indicated by J. Alain.

[@AndreasEustathopoulos]

Does not A (in the upper voice) come too early after G, or maybe B too late at bar 31? I think rubato should be avoided in that part. This is not a critique, just a goodhearted observation :)

[@AlainLeboeuf]

dommage que la basse fasse "moto" ,autrement l'expression y est .

[@sathya999]

I very much like your rendition of this beautiful piece. I notice that you do something different from the score in several measures (3 and 8) which I like. Can you tell me what you play there? The right hand plays one ascending note followed by a descending note, while the score is different. This is NOT a critique, since I enjoy the end result.

[@MrDomi77]

Trop rapide dommage.

[@lanonyme]

La pédale écrase toutes les autres parties . . . .

[@djmotise]

He or she is not holding the note values properly. And the pedal is so often not together with the manuals. And the whole thing plods along.

[@simonlawford4589]

piffle

[@mikkrikk]

The organist at a church in Washington DC played everything with such amazing precision. Unfortunately, her music sounded as if it was being played by an automaton. No feeling.