Organists and Organ Playing in Nineteenth-Century France and Belgium - Paperback

by Orpha C. Ochse (Author)

Now in paperback!

Organists and Organ Playing in Nineteenth-Century France and Belgium
Orpha Ochse

From the catastrophes of the French Revolution to a Golden Age of organ culture.

"[O]ne simply must recommend this highly coherent and well-illustrated book. . . ."--L'Orgue

"Even the well-informed reader will find a number of surprises. Who knows, for example, that Fryderyk Chopin played the organ for a funeral service and that Lefébure-Wély, in turn, played the great pianist and composer's Préludes for his funeral at the Madeleine? The abundance of details, we should add, does nothing to obscure the architectural clarity of this book." --La Flûte harmonique

"Now Ms. Ochse has succeeded in producing still another landmark work. . . . Although the work is extraordinarily well documented, the prose retains a narrative quality throughout, at times even taking on the character of good storytelling." --The American Organist

Orpha Ochse, Professor Emerita at Whittier College, is author of The History of the Organ in the United States (Indiana University Press). She is well known as a teacher, lecturer, recitalist, and church musician.

Back Jacket

The art of the organist in nineteenth-century France and Belgium is a rags-to-riches story full of extraordinary problems and changes. Devastated by the French Revolution, the organ profession rose from desperate circumstances to a period of remarkable brilliance. By the end of the nineteenth century, organ playing was enthusiastically applauded and had been thoroughly integrated in the musical life of Paris. This account is not just a record of stellar events and famous names: it includes failures, all-but-forgotten musicians, and unexpected encounters. In a carefully documented study that is both scholarly and engaging. Orpha Ochse traces three major aspects of the organist's art: the development of the secular recital, the organist as church musician, and the education of organists. In addition to presenting a comprehensive view of the organ profession in France and Belgium throughout the period, she offers a new perspective on nineteenth-century music in general.

Author Biography

ORPHA OCHSE, Professor Emerita of Music at Whittier College, is author of The History of the Organ in the United States (another Indiana University Press paperback). She is well known as a teacher, church musician, recitalist, and lecturer.