Louis Vierne: Le Dernier Romantique - Organ concert with chamber music

Louis Vierne (1870 - 1937) was an outstanding personality of the late 19th and early 20th century. His importance as the famous organist of Notre-Dame in Paris and renowned organ professor often overshadowed his great work as a creative composer.

Despite his severe visual impairment, Vierne graduated from the "Conservatoire de Paris" with honors and was later appointed titular organist of Notre-Dame. His concert tours through Europe, Switzerland and the USA made him world-famous as an organ virtuoso. His tragic death occurred during a concert in Notre-Dame, when he played his last piece "Stèle pour un enfant défunt".

As a composer, Vierne continued the tradition of this genre with his six organ symphonies and took it to its peak. He drew inspiration from Franck, Widor, Mendelssohn and Schumann. Wagnerian traits can also be recognized, especially in the 5th Symphony, which he composed in Switzerland in 1923. The music critic Monsieur Croche, alias Claude Debussy, was impressed by Vierne's music and praised his second symphony to the skies.

With the concert series "Louis Vierne: Le Dernier Romantique", Stéphane Mottoul takes us into the concertante symphonic tradition of Notre Dame de Paris at the beginning of the 20th century. In addition to the organ symphonies, the String Quartet Op. 12 and the Rhapsody for Harp Op. 25 will be presented for the first time in Lucerne. Vocal pieces such as the famous "Angelus" are also part of the program.

The deliberate combination of organ and chamber music allows for a multifaceted experience and emphasizes the versatility of Vierne and his music. Impressionist program music is the focus of this concert series in the Hofkirche.

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Concert 1|5 VIERNE & RACHMANINOW, Thursday, April 25, 2024, 8.00 pm

PROGRAM

Sergei Rachmaninov (1873 - 1943)
Prelude Op. 3 No. 2 in C sharp minor

Louis Vierne (1870-1937)
String Quartet Op. 12
Lento à quatre temps - Allegro agitato - Intermezzo - Andante quasi adagio - Finale

Louis Vierne
2ème Symphonie pour Orgue Op. 20
Allegro - Chorale - Scherzo - Cantabile - Finale
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Concert 2|5 VIERNE & WAGNER, Thursday, May 16, 2024, 8.00 pm

PROGRAM

Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883)
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg - Overture

Louis Vierne (1870-1937)
Rhapsody for Harp Op. 25

Louis Vierne
3ème Symphonie pour Orgue Op. 28
Allegro Maestoso - Cantilène - Intermezzo - Adagio - Final
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Concert 3|5 VIERNE & WAGNER, Thursday, July 4, 2024, 8.00 pm

PROGRAM

Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883)
Isolde's Liebestod - Tristan and Isolde

Louis Vierne (1870-1937)
Stances d'amour et de rêve
Les chaînes - Chanson de mer - Ressemblance - Le galop

Louis Vierne
Piece de style libre Op. 51
XI: Divertissement - XIX: Berceuse - XXI: Carillon

Louis Vierne
Les Angelus Op. 57
Au Matin - A Midi - Au Soir

Louis Vierne
4ème Symphonie pour Orgue Op. 32
Prélude - Allegro - Menuet - Romance - Final
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Concert 4|5 VIERNE - 5ème Symphonie, Thursday, September 19, 2024, 8.00 pm

PROGRAM

Louis Vierne (1870-1937)
Marche triomphale pour le centenaire de Napoleon I Op. 46

Louis Vierne
5ème Symphonie pour Orgue Op. 45
Grave - Allegro molto marcato - Tempi di scherzo ma non troppo vivo - Larghetto - Final
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Concert 5|5 VIERNE - 6ème Symphonie, Thursday, October 17, 2024, 8.00 pm

PROGRAM

Louis Vierne (1870-1937)
Pièces de Fantaisie, Suite No. 1, Op. 51
Prelude

Louis Vierne
Pièces de Fantaisie, Suite No. 3, Op. 54
Fantômes - Impromptu

Louis Vierne
6ème Symphonie pour Orgue Op. 59
Introduction et Allegro - Aria - Scherzo - Adagio - Final
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Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.

Concert introductions: 7.15 pm in the organ loft.
Seat reservation: [email protected]

Box office from 19:00

Bei Fragen zu Tickets: [email protected]