The French organ school formed in the first half of the 17th century. It progressed from the strict polyphonic music of

Jean Titelouze Jean (''Jehan'') Titelouze (c. 1562/63 – 24 October 1633) was a French Catholic priest, composer, poet and organist of the early Baroque period. He was a canon and organist at Rouen Cathedral. His style was firmly rooted in the Renaissance vo ...

(c. 1563–1633) to a unique, richly ornamented style with its own characteristic forms that made full use of the French classical

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 ...

. Instrumental in establishing this style were

Louis Couperin Louis Couperin (; – 29 August 1661) was a French Baroque composer and performer. He was born in Chaumes-en-Brie and moved to Paris in 1650–1651 with the help of Jacques Champion de Chambonnières. Couperin worked as organist of the C ...

(c. 1626–1661), who experimented with structure, registration and melodic lines, expanding the traditional polyphonic forms, and

Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers (c. 1632, Paris – 13 November 1714) was a French organist, composer and theorist. His first ''livre d'orgue'' is the earliest surviving published collection with traditional French organ school forms (a collection by Loui ...

(1632–1714), who established the distinct forms and styles of what was to become the French organ tradition.

Characteristic forms and nomenclature

French organ composers cultivated four major genres: masses, hymns, suites and noëls. Noëls are variations on

Christmas carol A Christmas carol is a carol (a song or hymn) on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French ori ...

s, whereas the first three genres were all realized as collections of brief pieces in various characteristic forms. Such forms included the following: * Récit: a piece in which a single voice emerges soloistically above all others by means of special registration. The latter is usually indicated in the title, i.e. in a ''Récit de Cromorne'' the solo voice would be played using the cromorne stop. Cromorne, cornet, tierce, nasard, trompette and voix humaine are the most commonly encountered solo stops. The titles of such compositions frequently omit the word "récit" and simply indicate the registration (''Cromorne'', ''Cornet'', etc.) and/or the position of the solo voice. Typical combinations include the following: : ''Dessus de Cromorne'': the solo voice is in the

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

(dessus), played using the cromorne stop : ''Tierce en taille'': the solo voice is in the

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

(taille), played using the tierce stop : ''Basse de Trompette'': the solo voice is in the

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

(basse), played using the trompette stop * Dialogue: a piece which constantly alternates between two different registrations. A Dialogue sur les grands jeux would be alternatively played on the ''Grant orgue'' (Great) and the ''Positif''. *

Fugue In music, a fugue () is a contrapuntal compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject (a musical theme) that is introduced at the beginning in imitation (repetition at different pitches) and which recurs frequently in the c ...

: usually, three- or four-voice polyphonic pieces that adhere more or less strictly to the imitative style. The designation ''Fugue grave'' indicates a piece of a serious character, whereas the ''Fugue gaie'' (or ''gaye'') is its opposite. Rarely, four-voice fugal pieces bear the title ''Quatuor'' ("quartet").

Nicolas de Grigny Nicolas de Grigny (baptized 8 September 1672 – November 30, 1703) was a French organist and composer. He died young and left behind a single collection of organ music, and an ''Ouverture'' for harpsichord. Life Nicolas de Grigny was born in R ...

cultivated five-voice fugues. * Echo: phrases are played twice, quieter on the second time, giving the impression of an echo. This impression is heightened in ''echos'' that repeat only the endings of phrases. Such pieces used specially designed echo divisions. * Prélude: mostly homophonic pieces in duple or quadruple meter. They are almost invariably used as introductory movements. Additionally, a number of standard registrations may be indicated by the following designations: * Plein jeu: combination of the organ's principals and

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

s, with the mixtures also included. * Grand jeu: a loud combination, based on the reed stops, frequently used in homophonic sections of larger pieces or standalone movements. The designations dessus, taille and basse stand for "soprano", "tenor" and "bass", respectively.Silbiger, 111. A rarely used type of voicing is

haute-contre The haute-contre (plural hautes-contre) was the primary French operatic tenor voice, predominant in French Baroque and Classical opera, from the middle of the seventeenth century until the latter part of the eighteenth century. History This voice ...

(or ''haulte contre''), "high tenor". Such designations are used to point to the position of the solo stop in a récit (see examples above), or of the chant melody in a setting (i.e. the title ''Kyrie en basse'' indicates that the chant itself is in the bass).

Composers

First period: the development of free polyphony

(c. 1563–1633) *

Charles Racquet Charles Racquet (1597–1664) was a French organist and composer, best known for his monumental organ ''Fantaisie''. He came from a large family of Parisian organists and himself was appointed organist of Notre Dame de Paris at an early age, in 16 ...

(1598–1664) *

(c. 1626–1661) *

François Roberday François Roberday (21 March 1624 – 13 October 1680) was a French Baroque organist and composer. One of the last exponents of the French polyphonic music tradition established by Jean Titelouze and Louis Couperin, Roberday is best remembered ...

(1624–1680) *

Nicolas Gigault Nicolas Gigault (ca. 1627 – 20 August 1707) was a French Baroque organist and composer. Born into poverty, he quickly rose to fame and high reputation among fellow musicians. His surviving works include the earliest examples of noëls and a volum ...

(c. 1627–1707)

Second period: the establishing of the French Classical Organ School

* Nicolas-Antoine Lebègue (1631–1702) *

(1632–1714) *

Jean-Nicolas Geoffroy Jean-Nicolas Geoffroy (1633 – 11 March 1694) was a French harpsichordist, organist and composer.The registration of baroque organ music Barbara Owen - 1997 "Jean-Nicolas Geoffrey (fl. 1633-94)" His birthplace is unknown; he died in Perpignan. ...

(1633–1694) *

Jean-Henri d'Anglebert Jean-Henri d'Anglebert ( baptized 1 April 1629 – 23 April 1691) was a French composer, harpsichordist and organist. He was one of the foremost keyboard composers of his day. Life D'Anglebert's father Claude Henry known as AnglebertJean const ...

(1635–1691) *

André Raison André Raison (c. 1640 – 1719) was a French Baroque composer and organist. During his lifetime he was one of the most famous French organists and an important influence on French organ music. He published two collections of organ works, in 16 ...

(c. 1640–1719) *

Lambert Chaumont Lambert Chaumont (c. 1630 – April 1712) was a Flemish Baroque composer and organist. Chaumont was from the Liège area, possibly born in that city. The earliest mention of his name dates from January 1649, when he is listed as a lay brother at ...

(c. 1645–1712) *

Gilles Jullien Gilles Jullien (c. 1651/165314 September 1703) was a French Baroque composer and organist. He is credited with bringing the style of French organ music then current in Paris to Chartres.Apel 1973, 734. Almost nothing is known about Jullien's l ...

(1650/53–1703) *

Jacques Boyvin Jacques Boyvin (c. 1649 – 30 June 1706) was a French Baroque composer and organist. He was probably born in Paris, and studied there. One of his first jobs was that of organist of the Parisian church ''des Quinze-Vingts'', and in 1674 he was app ...

(c. 1650–1706) *

Mathieu Lanes Mathieu Lanes (1660–1725 in Toulouse) was a French harpsichordist, organist and composer. Life Almost nothing is known about him, except that he was organist and choir master of the Saint-Étienne Toulouse Cathedral at the beginning of the 18t ...

(1660–1725) *

Pierre Dandrieu Pierre Dandrieu (d'Andrieu) (baptised in Angers on 21 March 1664 – 20 October 1733) was a French priest, composer and organist. Life Pierre Dandrieu was baptised in Angers. After studying with Lebègue, he held the organ of , now destroyed ...

(c. 1660–1733) *

François Couperin François Couperin (; 10 November 1668 – 11 September 1733) was a French Baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was known as ''Couperin le Grand'' ("Couperin the Great") to distinguish him from other members of the musically talented ...

(1668–1733) *

Charles Piroye Charles Piroye (c. 1668-1672c. 1730) was a French Baroque organist and composer. Biography Very little is known about his life, and even the dates of his birth and death have not yet been determined. He may have been born in Paris. His teachers ...

(c. 1668/72– c. 1728/30) *

Louis Marchand Louis Marchand (2 February 1669 – 17 February 1732) was a French Baroque organist, harpsichordist, and composer. Born into an organist's family, Marchand was a child prodigy and quickly established himself as one of the best known French vi ...

(1669–1732) *

Gaspard Corrette Gaspard Corrette (c. 1671before 1733) was a French composer and organist. He was born around 1671, probably in Rouen, where he was organist for the church of St-Herbland. In approximately 1720 he moved to Paris. The exact date of his death is no ...

(1671–before 1733) *

(1672–1703) *

Pierre Dumage Pierre du Mage (also ''Dumage'') ( baptized 23 November 1674 – 2 October 1751) was a French Baroque organist and composer. His first music teacher was most likely his father, organist of Beauvais Cathedral. At some point during his youth Dumag ...

(1674–1751) *

Jean-Adam Guilain Jean-Adam Guilain (real name Johann Adam Wilhelm Freinsberg) (c. 1680 – after 1739) was a German organist and harpsichordist who was mostly active in Paris during the first half of the eighteenth century. Little is known about his life. He ...

(c. 1675/80 –after 1739)

Third period: 18th century

Louis-Nicolas Clérambault Louis-Nicolas Clérambault (19 December 1676 – 26 October 1749) was a French musician, best known as an organist and composer. He was born, and died, in Paris. Biography Clérambault came from a musical family (his father and two of his sons w ...

(1676–1749) *

Jean-François Dandrieu Jean-François Dandrieu, also spelled D'Andrieu (c. 168217 January 1738) was a French Baroque composer, harpsichordist and organist. Biography He was born in Paris into a family of artists and musicians. A gifted and precocious child, he gave hi ...

(c. 1682–1738) *

François d'Agincourt François d'Agincourt (also d'Agincour, Dagincourt, Dagincour) (1684 – 30 April 1758) was a French harpsichordist, organist, and composer. He spent most of his life in Rouen, his native city, where he worked as organist of the Rouen Cathedra ...

(1684–1758) *

Louis-Antoine Dornel Louis-Antoine Dornel (30 March 1680 in Presles, Val-d'Oise near (Beaumont-sur-Oise) – 22 July 1757) was a French composer, harpsichordist, organist and violinist. Biography Dornel was probably taught by the organist Nicolas Lebègue. He was app ...

(1685–1765) * Christophe Moyreau (c. 1690– c. 1772) *

Louis-Claude Daquin Louis-Claude Daquin (or D'Aquino, d'Aquin, d'Acquin; July 4, 1694 – June 15, 1772) was a French composer, writing in the Baroque and Galant styles. He was a virtuoso organist and harpsichordist. Life Louis-Claude Daquin was born in Paris to a f ...

(1694–1772) * Guillaume-Antoine Calvière (1695–1755) *

Pierre Février Pierre Février (21 March 1696 – 5 November 1760) was a French baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. Biography Born in Abbeville in 1696, he arrived in Paris in 1720 and served as titular organist of two churches on Rue Saint-Honoré, ...

(1696– after 1762) *

Jean Girard Jean Girard (8 August 1696 – 23 February 1765) was a French organist, serpent player, and schoolmaster who was primarily active in Canada. He was one of the first professional musicians living and working in the city of Montreal. Born in Bourg ...

(1696–1765) *

Dom George Franck Dom George Franck ( – 1760) in Munster in Alsace, was a French organist and composer. Biography Born in Munster, Dom George Franck was a Benedict monk at the (Haut-Rhin), and parish priest at Munster val St. Gregory in Alsace. All that is ...

(c. 1700/10– after 1740) *

Louis Archimbaud Louis Archimbaud (November 1705 – 13 May 1789) was a Comtadin composer. He was one of the last representatives of the Baroque style of French organ school. Archimbaud was born in Carpentras and educated there in the Carpentras Cathedral school. ...

(1705–1789) *

Michel Corrette Michel Corrette (10 April 1707 – 21 January 1795) was a French composer, organist and author of musical method books. Life Corrette was born in Rouen, Normandy. His father, Gaspard Corrette, was an organist and composer. Little is known of ...

(1707–1795) * Louis Bollioud-Mermet (1709–1794) *

Claude-Bénigne Balbastre Claude Balbastre (8 December 1724 – 9 May 1799) was a French composer, organist, harpsichordist and fortepianist. He was one of the most famous musicians of his time. Life Claude Balbastre was born in Dijon in 1724. Although his exact birthdat ...

(1724–1799) *

Armand-Louis Couperin Armand-Louis Couperin (25 February 17272 February 1789) was a French composer, organist, and harpsichordist of the late Baroque and early Classical periods. He was a member of the Couperin family of musicians, of which the most notable were hi ...

(1727–1789) * Jean-Baptiste Nôtre (1732–1807) *

Jean-Jacques Beauvarlet-Charpentier Jean-Jacques Beauvarlet-Charpentier (28 June 1734 – 6 May 1794) was a celebrated French organist and composer. He was born in Abbeville. From 1763, he was a member of the Académie des Beaux Arts de Lyon (now École des Beaux-Arts). Then, from ...

(1734–1794) *

Josse-François-Joseph Benaut Josse-François-Joseph Benaut (c. 1743 in Gullegem – 13 July 1794, Paris) was a Flemish composer, organist, harpsichordist, music educator and priest who had a career in France. Life His father Charles Benaut was an organist in Wulveringen in ...

(c. 1743–1794)

Late 18th century and post-revolutionary period

Guillaume Lasceux Guillaume Lasceux (3 February 1740 - 1831) was a French organist, improviser and composer. Biography Born in Poissy, Lasceux began his career as an organist in the parish of St-Martin of Chevreuse in 1758. He moved to Paris in 1762 to study musi ...

(1740–1831) *

Nicolas Séjan Nicolas Séjan (17 March 1745 – 16 March 1819) was a French composer and organist, from a family allied to the Forqueray. Born in Paris, Séjan was one of the best organists of his time. He was co-titular of the organ of Notre-Dame de Paris a ...

(1745–1819) *

Jean-Nicolas Marrigues Jean-Nicolas Marrigues (1757 – 15 March 1834) was a French organist. During the French Revolution period, Marrigues was an organist at the Versailles Cathedral. Later he came to Paris and became an organist at the Clicquot-organ von Saint-Thoma ...

(1757–1834) *

Gervais-François Couperin Gervais-François Couperin (22 May 1759 – 11 March 1826) was a representative of the famous Couperin family of composers and organists. Biography He studied with his father Armand-Louis Couperin. In 1789, Gervais-François replaced his father ...

(1759–1826) * Jean-Baptiste Charbonnier (1764–1859) *

Jacques-Marie Beauvarlet-Charpentier Jacques-Marie Beauvarlet-Charpentier (31 July 1766 – 7 September 1834) was a French organist and composer.. Biography Born in Lyon, Jacques-Marie Beauvarlet-Charpentier succeeded his father Jean-Jacques Beauvarlet Charpentier at the pipe orga ...

(1766–1834) *

François-Louis Perne François-Louis Perne, also known as François Perne (4 October 1772 – 26 May 1832), was a French composer and writer on music. He was known both for his writings on the history of music and also for being a director of the Paris Conservatoire. ...

(1772–1832) *

Alexandre Pierre François Boëly Alexandre may refer to: * Alexandre (given name) * Alexandre (surname) * Alexandre (film) See also * Alexander Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom o ...

(1785–1858) * Louis-Nicolas Séjan (1786–1849)

Notes

References

* Apel, Willi. 1972. ''The History of Keyboard Music to 1700''. Translated by Hans Tischler. Indiana University Press. . Originally published as ''Geschichte der Orgel- und Klaviermusik bis 1700'' by Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel. * Beckmann, Klaus. Repertorium Orgelmusik. Komponisten - Werke - Editionen. 1150-2000 (3., neu bearbeitete und erweiterte Auflage 2001). Vol. I. Schott. * Douglass, Fenner. 1995. ''The Language of the Classical French Organ: A Musical Tradition Before 1800''. Yale University Press. * Owen, Barbara. 1997. ''The Registration of Baroque Organ Music''. Indiana University Press. * Silbiger, Alexander. 2004. ''Keyboard Music Before 1700''. Routledge. {{Pipe organs French music history * Baroque music