Louis Vierne - Solitude, Op. 44
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- Опубліковано 17 лис 2024
- Louis Vierne (1870 - 1937) - Solitude, poem for piano, Op. 44 (1918)
I. Hantise [0:00]
II. Nuit Blanche [5:30]
III. Vision Hallucinante [12:37]
IV. La Ronde Fantastique des Revenants [16:03]
Olivier Gardon, piano (1994)
Louis Vierne's Solitude is a suite for piano in four movements, typically lasting around 24 minutes.
Around 1916, Louis Vierne, who was born nearly blind, underwent an operation to address his deteriorating eyesight. The operation resulted in complications that led to an extended and unpleasant series of further treatments and operations lasting until 1918. During this period, he also contracted bronchitis, and upon recovery, he learned of his son Jacques Vierne's death in World War I, composing his Piano Quintet, Op. 42 in his son's memory. A few months later, his brother René was also killed in the war, resulting in the work Solitude.
Each movement of Solitude has an epigraph penned by Vierne himself:
I. Le souvenir des disparus hante le solitaire. (The memory of the lost haunts the lonely.)
II. Ô douleur, invisible compagne, tu veilles inlassablement près de celui dont tu as mis l'âme en deuil et déchiré le cœur. (O pain, invisible companion, you watch untiringly near the one whose soul you have placed in mourning and whose heart you have torn apart.)
III. Arrière! spectre sanglant, si tu n'es qu'une vaine image!... (Away! bloody spectre, if you are only a vain image!...)
IV. Troublés dans leur repos par les échos de la joie des vivants, les morts se lèvent et dansent aussi sous le clair de lune. (Disturbed in their rest by the echoes of the joy of the living, the dead also rise and dance under the moonlight.)
(source: fr.wikipedia.o...)
If you have or can provide better translations of the epigraphs, feel free to let me know, because these are just machine translated right now. *
It's really interesting to see that even in his piano writing, Vierne still thinks in three lines, with the bass following the two 'manuals' above, for the most part.
These French organ composers really knew how to pour out their souls.
Love always
He lost a son and brother in the space of a year, both to WW1 - his son killed himself, and his brother was killed at the front. This piece was written in memory of his brother, and you can hear how keenly he must have felt both losses.
Magnificent music. You can feel his hurt. .Fine recording and performance. This is not at all like his Organ works. His piano works deserve concert hall hearings.
These are wonderful - and thanks to the posting putting these into historical context. The first and last pieces were enough - I ordered the score - it might be too late for Samhain this year, but a haunting? Revenants? I’m all over this. Already learning Bortkiewicz’ “Le Misterieux inconnu.” What with these and Saint-Saens/Liszt Danse Macabre, there could be a recital here.
There are two things that always catch my attention when it comes to Louis Vierne: His strong roots in Chopin's harmonic language - imho more direct even than Debussy and Ravel- and striking similitude with Max Reger's work- they were contemporaries, but to my knowledge the two men never met. (Max Reger was dead for 2 years when Louis Vierne wrote this work). Also, while their organ works are mainstream repertoire nowadays, their piano works are rarely performed. Given the technical and interpretative challenges, no wonder, though.
These pieces are gems.One of the few organist composers who can compose for the piano.
What about Messiaen, or Franck?
Tournemire even
His German Counterpart Max Reger was another one.
I did say a few😀
17:22, 19:52-21:08 sublime