Stéphane Marie-Eugène Reuchsel (21 July 1900 – 22 September 1988) was a French

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

, a specialist of Chopin and

Liszt Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

Biography

Born in Lyon, a descendant of an illustrious family of musicians of German origin, he was Amédée Reuchsel's (1875–1931) son. He studied piano,

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

and

music composition Musical composition can refer to an original piece or work of music, either vocal or instrumental, the structure of a musical piece or to the process of creating or writing a new piece of music. People who create new compositions are called c ...

at the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

, where he won the First prize. He won the First Prize in piano at the age of 16. After completing his studies, he was engaged as a soloist in renowned orchestras of Paris: the

Concerts Colonne The Colonne Orchestra is a French symphony orchestra, founded in 1873 by the violinist and conductor Édouard Colonne. History While leader of the Opéra de Paris orchestra, Édouard Colonne was engaged by the publisher Georges Hartmann to lead a ...

Orchestre Lamoureux The Orchestre Lamoureux () officially known as the Société des Nouveaux-Concerts and also known as the Concerts Lamoureux) is an orchestral concert society which once gave weekly concerts by its own orchestra, founded in Paris by Charles Lamoureu ...

Pasdeloup Orchestra The Pasdeloup Orchestra (also referred to as Orchestre des Concerts Pasdeloup) is the oldest symphony orchestra in France. History Founded in 1861 by Jules Pasdeloup with the name Concerts Populaires, it is the oldest orchestra still in existen ...

.Jean-Daniel de Germont, ''Le Rayol - Le Canadel'', éd. Equinoxe, 1999, p. 147. Since then, he gave numerous recitals in Europe, America and North Africa, where marshal Lyautey gave him the best reception. After the Second World War, Reuchsel continued his international tours: West Africa, Equatorial Africa, Madagascar, Reunion Islands and Mauritius, etc. At the same time, he performed in all the major Parisian theatres: Châtelet, Édouard VII, Mogador, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Erard, Gaveau, Pleyel, Palais de Chaillot during the "Grandes Nuits musicales", etc. Between two tours, Reuchsel used to come to his villa "Croknotes", built in 1927 at Rayol by architect Édouard Mas. The house, close to the sea, opens widely on this last one. One of the peculiarities of the villa is that it has an organ in the living room, with a wind tunnel in the basement. There are also two concert pianos, one of which was given at the Town Hall of Rayol-Canadel. Reuchsel also trained students, such as composer Jean-Patrick André born in 1954. Reuchsel died in 1988. He is buried in the Rayol-Canadel cemetery. On his tomb, a medallion recalls the motto of his life: "Music was our secret, our ideal, our joy of life."

Distinctions

* Officier of the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

, *

Ordre de l'Etoile Noire Chevalier ribbon

Chevalier of the

Order of the Black Star The Order of the Black Star (''Ordre de l'Étoile Noire'') was an order of knighthood established on 1 December 1889 at Porto-Novo by Toffa, future king of Dahomey (today the Republic of Benin). Approved and recognised by the French government on ...

Works

For piano

* 3 ''Bourrées'', Paris, Billaudot.

For organ

* ''Promenades en Provence'', (1938–1973), three collections, Lemoine # Vieux Noëls Provençaux (Nuit de Noël à Saint-Tropez) # Les Grandes Orgues de la Basilique de Saint-Maximin # Tambourinaires sur la place des Vieux Salins # Nuages ensoleillés sur le Cap Nègre # Le Cloître de Saint-Trophime à Arles # Petit Cimetière et Cyprès autour de la vieille église de Bormes-les-Mimosas # Voiles multicolores au port de Toulon # Les Cloches de Notre-Dame des Doms en Avignon # Jour de fête aux Saintes-Maries de la Mer # Profil de la Porte d’Orange à Carpentras # Le Moulin d’Alphonse Daudet à Fontvieille # La Chartreuse de Montrieux au crépuscule # Visions à l’Abbaye de Sénanque: La Foi en Dieu – La Joie en Dieu * ''Évocation de Louis Vierne'',''Évocation de Louis Vierne''
on data.bnf.fr (1979) # Lent et large: La rosace ensoleillée scintille de mille feux colorés au-dessus du Grand Orgue # Très lent et douloureux: Son âme d’artiste chante l’espoir de sa délivrance des ténèbres # Très lent: La lumière géniale luit dans ses yeux d’aveugle * ''Huit Images de Provence'', (1984), Universal # Assauts de vagues aux rochers de l’Ile de Port-Cros # Balancements des barcasses colorées au Vieux Port de Saint-Tropez # Hallucinante évocation des Moines aux ruines de la Chartreuse de la Verne # L’Étoile Radieuse de Moustiers Sainte-Marie # Humble petit oratoire à l’ombre d’oliviers séculaires # Coucher de Soleil sur les majestueuses Tours du Château de Lourmann # Douceur des Champs de Lavande fleurie # Coup de Mistral en Garrigue Provençale * ''Six Pièces de Concert, en hommage à la mémoire d’Aristide Cavaillé-Coll'' (1985/86), Universal # Prélude en style fugué double # Intermède (Obsession d'un thème) # Quiétude et Espérance # Joies et Enthousiasmes # Recueillement et Béatitude # Final en style Toccata * ''Bouquet de France'' (1986/87), Universal # Le pauvre Laboureur (version Bressanne) # Rossignolet du Bois joli (version Bressanne) # La Fille aux Oranges (version Niçoise) # Le Retour du Marin (version de l’Ouest) # Là-haut sur la Montagne (Pastourelle d’Alsace) # Douce Merveille (Noël Strasbourgeois de 1697) # Voici le joli Mois de Mai (version Dauphinoise) # Ma Mère m’envoie-t-au Marché (version de l’Ouest) # Berceuse (du pays d’Auvergne) # V’là la Saint-Martin (version Bressanne) * ''La Vie du Christ: Évocations d’après l’Évangile de Saint Luc'' for Grand-Organ (1987) Universal, 2006 # L’Annonciation (Luc 1, 31) # La Nativité (Luc 2, 6-7) # Le Baptême (Luc 3, 21-22) # La Prophétie accomplie (Luc 4, 20-21) # Les Béatitudes (Luc 6, 20) # La Pécheresse pardonnée (Luc 7, 47 et 50) # La Tempête apaisée (Luc 8, 24-25) # La Multiplication des Pains (Luc 9, 16-17) # La Transfiguration (Luc 9, 32 et 35) # La Parabole de la lumière (Luc 11, 33 et 36) # La Grâce de Dieu (Luc 17, 21) # Les Enfants jouent près de Jésus (Luc 18, 16-17) # L’Aveugle (Luc 18, 35-42) # L’Entrée à Jérusalem (Luc 19, 37-38) # La Cène (Luc 22, 19) # Le Crucifiement (Luc 23, 33) # La Résurrection (Luc 24, 5-6) # La Promenade à Emmaüs (Luc 24, 30-31) # L’Ascension (Luc 24, 50-51) # Le Crucifiement (Luc 23, 33) # La Résurrection (Luc 24, 5-6) # La Promenade à Emmaüs (Luc 24, 30-31) # L’Ascension (Luc 24, 50-51)

Discography

Éditions Lade
Recordings of the main organ works of the Reuchsel family.
France Orgue
Discography established by Alain Cartayrade.
Pro Organo
''Promenades en Provence'' complete, recorded at St Louis' Cathedral, St Louis, Missouri.
Resonus Classics
''La Vie du Christ'' and ''Bouquet de France'' complete, recorded at St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh.

Listening

YouTube

Pierre Labric Pierre André Labric (born 30 June 1921) is a French organist, pedagogue and composer. Biography Born in Conches-en-Ouche in Eure, Normandy, Labric studied the organ at Rouen Conservatory under Marcel Lanquetuit, and at the Paris Conservatoire ...

plays 2 excerpts from the ''Promenades en Provence'': 4. ''Nuages ensoleillés sur le Cap Nègre'', and 3. ''Visions à l'abbaye de Sénanque'' (3rd part), on the Cavaillé-Coll organ of the Abbatiale Saint-Ouen of

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...

.
YouTube
Julien Girard joue ''La Chartreuse de Montrieux au crépuscule'', No 12 of the ''Promenades en Provence'', on the Casavant organ of the église Saint Pierre-Claver, Montréal.
YouTube
''La Grâce de Dieu'', from ''La Vie du Christ'', by Fritz Anders on the St. Gabriel the Archangel Episcopal Church organ, Cherry Hills,

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, Colorado.

References

External links

Eugène Reuchsel
on Naxos

on Classical Archives

on Forgotten records {{DEFAULTSORT:Reuchsel, Eugene Musicians from Lyon 1900 births 1988 deaths Conservatoire de Paris alumni French male composers 20th-century French male classical pianists French classical organists French male organists 20th-century French composers French composers of sacred music Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur 20th-century organists Male classical organists