Louis Vierne - Résignation (Pièces de Fantaisie, Suite No. 4, Op. 55) - Ben Bloor

Описание: Résignation from the fourth suite of the 24 Pièces de Fantaisie (Op. 55, No. 2) by Louis Vierne performed by Ben Bloor on the 45 stop 1954 Downes/Walker organ of the London Oratory Church on Saturday 12th September 2020.

Louis Vierne had a very difficult life. Blind from an early age, he lost his brother and son to the First World War, his wife left him for a close personal friend, and he was frequently overlooked for high-profile teaching jobs at the Paris Conservatoire. Nevertheless, he was Organist Titulaire of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris for the last 37 years of his life – indeed, he tragically died of a heart attack at the organ console during his 1750th recital – and his organ compositions are an enduring legacy, adored by audiences and organists for their inventiveness and originality. The 24 Pièces de Fantaisie were composed while on summer holiday in 1926 and 1927 and showcase Vierne at his most creative.

Like the third suite, the fourth was composed while Vierne was on a summer holiday in Luchon in July and Aug 1927, although nothing is known of its premiere. Résignation is dedicated to Vierne's friend and pupil Henri Gagnebin who was Director of the Geneva Conservatoire. Of Vierne's work, Gagnebin said that it "reflects the heights and depths of his inner life: gloomy and tormented pages of bitter chromaticism next to serene and enthusiastic pieces." Despite the title, Résignation toes the line between conflicted turmoil and expressive optimism.

Ben Bloor is Organist at the London Oratory Church and School Organist at Westminster School. For more information, please visit https://www.benbloor.com