Yves Marie-Édouard Devernay (

Tourcoing Tourcoing (; nl, Toerkonje ; vls, Terkoeje; pcd, Tourco) is a city in northern France on the Belgian border. It is designated municipally as a commune within the department of Nord. Located to the north-northeast of Lille, adjacent to Roubai ...

9 May 1937 – Tourcoing 10 December 1990) was a 20th-century French

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists. In addition, an organist may accompany congregational h ...

improviser Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...

and composer.

Biography

First a pupil of

Jeanne Joulain Jeanne Angèle Desirée Yvonne Joulain (22 July 1920 – 1 February 2010) was a French organist, concertist and music educator. Biography Born in Amiens, Joulain's first contact with music was made thanks to her musician parents. Her father, a t ...

at the

Roubaix Roubaix ( or ; nl, Robaais; vls, Roboais) is a city in northern France, located in the Lille metropolitan area on the Belgian border. It is a historically mono-industrial commune in the Nord department, which grew rapidly in the 19th century ...

conservatory, in 1958 he joined

Rolande Falcinelli Rolande Roberte Ginabat-Falcinelli (18 February 1920 – 11 June 2006) was a French organist, pianist, composer, and music educator. Biography Rolande Falcinelli (born Ginabat), the grandniece of Marcel Falcinelli and granddaughter of Louis N ...

's class 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 ...

, after spending one year in the

Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the N ...

Conservatory. Laureate of the Organ Prize in 1961, he also studied briefly with

Marie-Claire Alain Marie-Claire Geneviève Alain-Gommier (10 August 1926 – 26 February 2013) was a French organist, scholar and teacher best known for her prolific recording career, with 260 recordings, making her the most-recorded classical organist in the world ...

and won several international competitions, including the in 1971, tied with Daniel Roth. A professor of organ at the conservatories of Roubaix and Valenciennes, he was also a virtuoso organist with a great technique combined with an undeniable talent for improvisation. Appointed in 1985 co-titular of the organs of Notre-Dame de Paris alongside

Olivier Latry Olivier Jean-Claude Latry (born 22 February 1962) is a French organist, improviser, and composer. He is professor of organ in the Conservatoire de Paris. He became interested in the organ after listening to recordings by Pierre Cochereau. His ...

, Philippe Lefèbvre and

Jean-Pierre Leguay Jean-Pierre Leguay (born 4 July 1939 in Dijon) is a French organist, composer and improviser. He studied with André Marchal, Gaston Litaize, Rolande Falcinelli (organ), Simone Plé-Caussade (counterpoint), and Olivier Messiaen (composition), ...

, following

Pierre Cochereau Pierre Eugène Charles Cochereau (9 July 1924 – 6 March 1984) was a French organist, improviser, composer, and pedagogue. Cochereau was titular organist of the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris from 1955 to his death in 1984 and was responsibl ...

's death, He was also titular organist of the from 1965. He died of a heart attack in 1990. On 10 December 2010, a plaque was affixed at the entrance of the cemetery of the town of Mouvaux, where he rests.La Voix du Nord
/ref> During 40 years, his uncle Édouard Devernay played the organ of the Notre-Dame-des-Victoires church in

Trouville-sur-Mer Trouville-sur-Mer (, literally ''Trouville on Sea''), commonly referred to as Trouville, is a city of 4,603 inhabitants in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Trouville-sur-Mer borders Deauville across the R ...

(

Calvados Calvados (, , ) is a brandy from Normandy in France, made from apples or pears, or from apples with pears. History In France Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known record of Nor ...

) from 1912 to 1952).

Works

* Several pieces for choir and organ * 2 concertos for organ and orchestra * ''Ballade'' for oboe and organ * ''Dialogue'' for piano and organ

Bibliography

* ''In Mémoriam Yves Devernay (1937-1990)'', 98 pages, published by his friends * Étienne Delahaye, ''À Saint-Christophe de Tourcoing avec Yves Devernay''. ''L'Orgue'', n° 290, 2010 – II. * Étienne Delahaye, ''Yves Devernay (1937-1990). La passion au bout des doigts.'' ''Orgues Nouvelles'', n°.23, winter 2014

Discography

* Hommage à Yves Devernay - Inauguration du Grand Orgue de Notre-Dame de Paris 4 December 1992. - CD Réf.: JM 003 - ADD 1. Improvisation "néo-classique" (sortie de vêpres 24 janvier 1988); 2. O. Messiaen (1908-1992): ''Transports de joie'' (sortie de messe 11 mars 1990); 3. Improvisation : paraphrase sur un thème de ''Nabucco'' de Verdi (private concert 31 March 1987); 4. F. Liszt (1811-1886): ''Prélude et fugue sur B.A.C.H.'' (sortie de messe 20 mars 1988). Production : Visual Communication. * Yves Devernay aux grandes orgues de la cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris - CD Réf.: 16 214 Mitra Digital C.-M. Widor : ''Allegro'' extract of the ''Fifth Symphony''; E. Devernay: ''Le Miracle de la Tempête''; M. Duruflé: ''Prélude et Fugue sur le nom d’Alain''; J. Guillou: ''Sinfonietta''; J. Langlais: ''Nazard'', extract of the ''Suite française''; M. Dupré: ''Variations sur un noël''; E. Gigout: ''Toccata''. * Yves Devernay - Improvisations à Notre-Dame de Paris - CD Réf.: D2892 SM 63) Studio SM Improvisations au cours d’offices (entrées, offertoires, communions, sorties, versets de vêpres)

References

External links

Musica et Memoria
Obituaires, Yves Devernay.

Détails biographiques et photos.
Site de Notre-Dame de Paris
Détails biographiques et photos. * . * , march 15th of 1992 by Pierre Pincemaille in the Basilique du Saint-Cordon in

Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Devernay, Yves French classical organists French male organists Cathedral organists Conservatoire de Paris alumni People from Tourcoing 1937 births 1990 deaths 20th-century organists 20th-century French male musicians 20th-century classical musicians Male classical organists