Maurice Duruflé plays Prélude et Fugue sur le nom d'Alain (Recorded 1953)

[@fieldfullofthistles]

Heard this played live at Leeds Minster on Friday 12th May by Antony Gritten. We were in Leeds to see Joe Bonnamassa at Leeds Arena that night. This just happened to be on as we walked into town. My God. It was brilliant. Live it sounds like something from heaven. It was better than the concert we had paid 130 quid for! And it was free. The sound doesn't come through anywhere near as good on yt and headphones vs live. Anyway love it!

[@kevinoconnell6848]

Extraordinary to hear this wonderful work played by the composer. A precious posting!

[@franckranaivo666]

💞🇻🇦✝️🇲🇬💞DIEU ACCUEILLEZ💮🌸 DANS VOTRE PARADIS💐🌿 L'ÂME IMMENSÉMENT CATHOLIQUE💮🇻🇦💞⛑💞🇲🇬💮 DU MAÎTRE MAURICE DURUFLE💞💮⛑🌸🌿🥰💞🇻🇦💮💐🎶🇨🇵💒🌸🎶🌿💞💮🙋‍♂️ !!!

[@TheJohn1567]

When Dupre went on Tour There was only One Person he entrusted his organ class to and it was Maurice Durufle!

[@jmdujardin]

c'est émouvant d'écouter , interpré par le compositeur lui-même , cet hommage de Maurice Duruflé à son confrère Jehan Alain, de 9 ans son cadet et mort prématurément "au champ d'honneur" en 1940. Merci pour cet enregistrement!

[@Highinsight7]

one of my THE favorite organ works of ALL TIME!

[@denekaraus8592]

Well, this explains why people tend to play the piece fast. His exposition is super-fast - about 2 minutes shorter than it's generally played. It seems to flow from his fingers as it did to paper with his pen....

[@Skoogorganist]

Is it really? It sounds very similar to other recordings that I've heard. It's also very close to his own metronome mark.

[@nicholashalbert5599]

actually most people perform the piece under the tempo of quarter equals 92.

[@MGJS71]

This performance is in a very dry acoustic - a more resonant space would probably require a different tempo.

[@jenesuispassanslavoir7698]

Duruflé was an absolutely meticulous composer riddled with doubt and painfully perfectionist. I’m not sure anything “flowed” from his pen 😂

[@Helga2408]

What a pleasure to hear the piece played by the composer! Thank you for posting!

[@Highinsight7]

I didn't even know this existed... what a JOY to find!!!

[@franckranaivo666]

💐💞🌺🏵🌿🥰🇻🇦✝️🇲🇬💮😇🦁🌸😉😌💞🌺💐🏵🌿🌸🪅🇻🇦⛑🇲🇬✝️🇲🇬🥰🌐💮🌿🌺🏵🇻🇦🦁🦊😇🌸🇻🇦😌💐💞🌺💐💞🌺💞🪅⛑🥰🌺🙋‍♂️

[@Iczerman-hl2zt]

His 2nd wife played the Prelude better than him.. A touch slower, more relaxed tempo. When she played the Litanies theme, it was slower to highlight the theme which made it contrast with the rest of the prelude.

[@Helga2408]

I have a question. Has Duruflé ever recorded his Suite Op. 5? If so, could anybody upload this recording as well? PLEASE!!!!!

[@Highinsight7]

NO... he was NEVER happy with the Toccata... wouldn't even allow his students to play it... (HIS wife... however did play it... a LOT!)

[@makotojames-organandharpsi1195]

Pretty sure he only recorded the Prelude...

[@andre26071955]

@@Highinsight7 But not in his presence...

[@Highinsight7]

@@andre26071955 I would imagine THAT'S true... !!! TO bad... it would be nice to have heard his thoughts about it... she would have spoken of it...

[@JapanPop]

I have a recording of Durufle playing the prelude and sicilienne, but definitely no tocatta. Found the vinyl in NYC’s old Tower Annex 25 years ago. I think the vinyl got destroyed in a move, but I have a digital copy somewhere. Will have to locate.

[@burmesecolourneedles4680]

This is absolutely wonderful to find, many thanks for uploading these amazing 1953 recordings. May I ask please, what was the source? An LP, private recording or broadcast recording?

[@SuperRechercheur]

too much (youngster´s) english comments here! And especially for you: it´s the time of count basie, ellington and miles davis! It is not "cold", it´s fresh!

[@md95065]

Amazing! Where did you find this?

[@nilslarsson887]

Very interesting to hear this interpretation of the composer himself! But its all about the relation between tempo and technical control. In this aspect I find the tempo far too fast. There are some mistakes in both the prelude and fugue. And the poetic phrasing in the prelude doesn’t exist. Very cold. But, the work is absolute wonderful!

[@davebarclay4429]

I agree. Personally I think this is the greatest piece of organ music not composed by Bach but although the performance is a valuable historic document it definitely shows that composers aren't always the best interpreters of their own work. I have known and adored this piece for over 50 years and the best performances I have ever heard are by Lisa Hummel and Thomas Ospital both on KZbin

[@johanbrand8601]

@@davebarclay4429 Very true. I don't appreciate Dupre's interpretations of his own works either. Strange how it works. They composed all these pieces, but someone else masters it.

[@burmesecolourneedles4680]

@@davebarclay4429 Wow, 100% Lisa Hummel and Thomas Ospital's interpretations for me too, and I'm extremely choosy. I have the impression in this recording that it wasn't the easiest organ.

[@Jonathan_Moene]

Durufle was a perfectionist above perfectionists and certainly one if not the greatest organist ever. To say he plays his own works wrong is laughable. Even though as you say slower tempo sounds good as well this is the intended tempo he himself probably changed many times to find that this is superior.

[@rbaltimo]

This is when Durufle was still actively playing before his wife took on the more difficult repertoire

[@WAX6428]

Such a ridiculous, stupid, and insulting comment. It was an automobile accident that nearly killed them both and you have the gaul to disparage this man's name with such arrogance.

[@burmesecolourneedles4680]

@@WAX6428 Ron is at least partly right, this happened long before their accident, Durufle himself commented about the fact that he preferred his wife to play the more technical pieces and he the more sensitive pieces in their touring recitals.

[@disdonc6012]

The recoding is very bad. A lot of distortion.