Alexandre Eugène Cellier (17 June 1883 in Molières-sur-Cèze – 4 March 1968 in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

) was a French

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 def ...

. Cellier studied organ with Alexandre Guilmant until 1908. In 1908, he won the first prize for organ at the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), or 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 Jean Ja ...

. Before that, he also studied with Henri Dallier and

Charles-Marie Widor Charles-Marie-Jean-Albert Widor (21 February 1844 – 12 March 1937) was a French organist, composer and teacher of the late Romantic era. As a composer he is known for his ten organ symphonies, especially the toccata of his fifth organ sympho ...

. He was the organist ''Titulaire'' of the Temple de l'Étoile in Paris from 1910 until his death in 1968. The organ he used was a 3-manual Cavaillé-Coll organ with 32 stops, which was extended by Mutin (Cavaillé-Coll) in 1914. In

Louis Vierne Louis Victor Jules Vierne (8 October 1870 – 2 June 1937) was a French organist and composer. He was the organist of Notre-Dame de Paris from 1900 until his death. As a composer, much of his output was Organ (music), organ music, including six ...

's biography ''Mes Souvenirs'', he describes Alexandre Cellier as a "cultivated musician" with improvisation skills. He gave concerts abroad. He wrote a book about organ registration and is known as the French translator of the texts of the Bach

Chorale A chorale is the name of several related musical forms originating in the music genre of the Lutheran chorale: * Hymn tune of a Lutheran hymn (e.g. the melody of " Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme"), or a tune in a similar format (e.g. one o ...

Selected compositions

;Orchestral * ''Paysages cévenols'' (1912) * ''Sur la colline d’Uzès'' (1928) * ''Le chant d’une flûte'' (1930) * ''Chacun son tour'', Suite humoristique for wind soloists and string orchestra (1934) * ''Le Carnaval'' (1938) ;Chamber music * Piano Quintet No. 1 (1906) * String Quartet No. 1 in A minor (1911) * Piano Quintet No. 2 (1913) * Sonata in G major for cello and piano (1920)Year of composition heads first page of 1921 published score, scanned by Sibley Library. * String Quartet No. 2 (1923) * ''Sonate en sol bémol majeur'' (Sonata in G Major) for viola and piano (1923) * ''Chevauchée fantastique'' for trumpet and piano (1944) * ''Ballade'' for horn and piano (1949) * ''Images médiévales'' for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon * ''Invocation'' for organ, violin, cello and harp ;Organ * ''Suite Symphonique pour Orgue en Sol majeur'' (1906) * ''Méditation'' – published in book one of '' Les Maîtres Contemporains de l'Orgue'' in 1911 * ''Pièce Symphonique'' – published in book one of ''Les Maîtres Contemporains de l'Orgue'' in 1911 * ''Cortège'' – published in book four of ''Les Maîtres Contemporains de l'Orgue'' * ''Dans la vieille Abbaye'' – published in book four of ''Les Maîtres Contemporains de l'Orgue'' * ''Offertoire pour le jour de l'Ascension'' – published in book eight of ''Les Maîtres Contemporains de l'Orgue'' * ''Étude en mi mineur'' (1916) * ''Pèlerinages'', Suite de 10 pièces (1923) * ''Trois Chorals'' (1936) :# ''La douleur'', Choral-paraphrase sur la mélodie du Psaume 77 :# ''L'espérance'', Choral-paraphrase sur la mélodie du Psaume 90 :# ''La joie'', Choral-paraphrase sur la mélodie du Psaume 138 * ''Églises et Paysages'' (1943) * ''Prélude et Fugue'' – published in ''Orgue et Liturgie'', volume 33 * ''Choral-Prélude sur Psaume 65'' – published in ''Orgue et Liturgie'', volume 38 * ''Thème et variations sur le Psaume 149 du Psautier de la Réforme "Chantez à Dieu chanson nouvelle"'' – published in ''Orgue et Liturgie'', volume 66 * ''Rhapsodie'' * Concerto ;Vocal * ''Prière: J'ai cru, c'est pourquoi j'ai parlé'' (Prayer) for voice and organ; words from Psalm 116

References

External links

*
Alexandre Cellier
select list of works at Klassika

details of the Cavaillé-Coll organ of the Temple {{DEFAULTSORT:Cellier, Alexandre Eugene 1883 births 1968 deaths People from Gard French classical organists 20th-century French composers French male composers 20th-century French organists 20th-century French male musicians French male classical organists