Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wely
Encyclopedia
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Short Biography
Lefébure-Wely played a major role in the development of the French symphonic organ style and was a close friend of the organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-CollAristide Cavaillé-Coll
Aristide Cavaillé-Coll was a French organ builder. He is considered by many to be the greatest organ builder of the 19th century because he combined both science and art to make his instruments...
, inaugurating many new Cavaillé-Coll organs.
He began to study music aged 4 with his father, who was the organist of Saint-Roch. By the age of 8 he was advanced enough to substitute for his father when the latter was stricken by paralysis. When his father died six years later (in 1831), he became the church's regular organist (where he remained until 1846).
In 1832 he was admitted to the Paris Conservatoire, studying the organ under François Benoist
François Benoist
François Benoist was a French organist, composer, and pedagogue.Benoist was born in Nantes. He studied music at the Conservatoire de Paris and won the Prix de Rome in 1815 for his cantata Œnone. In 1819, he became organist and professor of organ at the Conservatoire; he held the latter post for...
, and the piano under Laurent and Pierre Zimmermann. His ability on both instruments won him second prizes in 1834, and first prizes in 1835. His composition teachers were Berton and Halévy
Fromental Halévy
Jacques-François-Fromental-Élie Halévy, usually known as Fromental Halévy , was a French composer. He is known today largely for his opera La Juive.-Early career:...
. He also took private lessons from Adolphe Adam
Adolphe Adam
Adolphe Charles Adam was a French composer and music critic. A prolific composer of operas and ballets, he is best known today for his ballets Giselle and Le corsaire , his operas Le postillon de Lonjumeau , Le toréador and Si j'étais roi , and his Christmas...
. He learned much of organ effects and improvisation from the celebrated Nicolas Séjan at Saint-Sulpice
Saint-Sulpice (Paris)
Saint-Sulpice is a Roman Catholic church in Paris, France, on the east side of the Place Saint-Sulpice, in the Luxembourg Quarter of the VIe arrondissement. At 113 metres long, 58 metres in width and 34 metres tall, it is only slightly smaller than Notre-Dame and thus the second largest church in...
. His own fame as an improviser dates from his acceptance of the post of Organist at the Église de la Madeleine
Église de la Madeleine
L'église de la Madeleine is a Roman Catholic church occupying a commanding position in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. It was designed in its present form as a temple to the glory of Napoleon's army...
, which he held from 1847-1858. He resigned from this position in order to write his opéra-comique Les Recruteurs, hoping to achieve as a composer the same success he had as an organist. Unfortunately, the opera was considered a failure. With a new generation, led by Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens
Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens
Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens , was an organist and composer for his instrument.Born at Zoerle-Parwijs, near Westerlo, Belgium, Lemmens took lessons from François-Joseph Fétis, who wanted to make him into a musician capable of renewing the organ-player's art in Belgium...
, progressively stealing the limelight from him, his fame was however still huge enough to make him succeed Séjan at Saint-Sulpice
Saint-Sulpice (Paris)
Saint-Sulpice is a Roman Catholic church in Paris, France, on the east side of the Place Saint-Sulpice, in the Luxembourg Quarter of the VIe arrondissement. At 113 metres long, 58 metres in width and 34 metres tall, it is only slightly smaller than Notre-Dame and thus the second largest church in...
in 1863, against Cavaillé-Coll's opinion. The newly rebuilt organ of Saint-Sulpice was then the biggest in the world with its hundred stops, and the position as a titular organist was presumably the most coveted in Europe. He remained there until his death six years later, aged 52, during the night between Dec. 31st 1869 and Jan 1st 1870. He was succeeded by Widor.
Because of his exceptional pedal technique, he is the dedicatee of the 12 études pour les pieds seulement (12 Studies for organ pedals alone) by Charles-Valentin Alkan
Charles-Valentin Alkan
Charles-Valentin Alkan was a French composer and one of the greatest virtuoso pianists of his day. His attachment to his Jewish origins is displayed both in his life and his work. He entered the Paris Conservatoire at the age of six, earning many awards, and as an adult became a famous virtuoso...
and of the Final en si bémol for organ, op. 21, by César Franck
César Franck
César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck was a composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher who worked in Paris during his adult life....
.
His most celebrated compositions are probably the Sorties in E-flat and B-flat major for organ from L'Organiste moderne, and the famous Boléro de Concert, which is not written for organ, but for harmonium. He also wrote about fifty études and a hundred character pieces for the piano, and also many works for the organ and harmonium. Larger scale works include 3 masses (two with organ, one with orchestra), three symphonies, chamber music, and a three-act opera Les Recruteurs which was produced at the Opéra Comique
Opera Comique
The Opera Comique was a 19th-century theatre constructed in Westminster, London, between Wych Street and Holywell Street with entrances on the East Strand. It opened in 1870 and was demolished in 1902, to make way for the construction of the Aldwych and Kingsway...
in 1861.
Lefébure-Wely is buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.
Selected works
- Boléro de concert, op. 166. Régnier-Canaux, s.d. (1865)
- Meditaciones religiosas op. 122. À sa majesté la reine Doña Isabel II. (1858)
- L’Office catholique. 120 Morceaux divisés en dix suites composés pour l’harmonium ou l’orgue à tuyaux, op. 148. Hommage à Monseigneur de la Bouillerie, Évêque de Carcassonne. Régnier-Canaux, s.d. (1861)
- L’organiste moderne. Collection de morceaux d’orgue dans tous les genres. En 12 livraisons. Hommage à Mr. l’Abbé Hamon, Curé de St. Sulpice. Ces Morceaux ont été écrits sur les Motifs improvisés aux Offices de St. Sulpice. (1867–69)
- Six offertoires op. 34. (ca. 1857)
- Six grands offertoires op. 35. (ca. 1857)
- Six morceaux pour l’orgue, contenant 3 marches et 3 élévations op. 36. Graff (1863)
- Six grands offertoires, composé pour son fils
- Vade-mecum de l'Organiste, op. 187. Entrées et Sorties de Chœur, Versets, Préludes pour Amen, Élévations et Communions, Offertoires, Marches brillantes pour Processions composés pour l’harmonium ou l’orgue à tuyaux (1869)
Selected recordings
- Vincent Genvrin, La Lyre Séraphique: Cantique et Pièces d'orgue, Motet à la Sainte Vierge (Éditions Hortus, HORT004).
External links
- Sortie in E flat major (mp3)
- Bolero de Concert in g minor (mp3)
Free Scores
- e-Partitions Lots of newly edited and typeset organ scores.