Louis Vierne (1870–1937) raised the organ symphony to its stylistic zenith. One of his pupils, Marcel Dupré, was the teacher of Thierry Escaich, the co-editor of this complete edition.
Vierne’s “Symphony” No. 4 is one of the most important works in the organ repertoire. Until now it was thought to have originated during the three months of summer 1914.
However, the editor has discovered a letter from Vierne, dated 23 June 1914, that disproves any connection with events of war. As a result, the work has been chronologically reclassified, leading to its fresh assessment and interpretation – see the detailed Foreword in this new edition for further information.
The registration of this seminal work in the organ literature is in parts reminiscent of César Franck’s “Chorale in B” minor.
In general terms, Franck’s influence was already singled out by reviewers of the first performance.
- Detailed trilingual preface (Fr/Eng/Ger) with a full account of the work’s genesis and notes on performance practice
- Comprehensive Critical Commentary (Fr/Eng/Ger)
- New source material
- Many illustrations and facsimile pages
