Pierre Pincemaille

January 18, 2014 by Improviser

Official website:
pierrepincemaille.fr
You can hear him on Spotify.

In 1987, Pierre Pincemaille was appointed Titular Organist to the Basilique de Saint-Denis.

Recordings:

Improvisations on European National Anthems

Improvisations

Pincemaille: Improvisations sur des thèmes de Noël

Cannes : Un festival d’improvisations

Improvisationen (an der grossen Kuhn-Orgel des Mindener Doms)

Videos:
Prélude – St. Denis
Sortie – St. Denis
Offertoire – St. Denis
Conditor Alme Siderum – St. Denis
Improvisation sur “Noi canteremo gloria a Te” (aka OLD HUNDREDTH) – Chignolo d’Isola, Bergamo, Italy
Pierre Pincemaille – Theme and Variations on a popular tune – Saint-Martin de Dudelange – Luxembourg
Pierre Pincemaille – the film FAUST of MURNAU – Saint-Ouen de Rouen

Olivier Penin

January 18, 2014 by Improviser

In 2004, he was appointed as co-titulaire at the organ of the Basilica Sainte Clotilde in Paris.

Videos:
Communion – St. Clotilde
Offertoire – St. Clotilde
Offertoire – St. Clotilde
Prelude – St. Clotilde
Sortie – St. Clotilde

Olivier Messiaen

January 18, 2014 by Improviser

Appointed organist at the Église de la Sainte-Trinité, Paris, in 1931. He remained the organist at the church for more than sixty years.
Full bio.

Recordings:

Olivier Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time/Improvisations

Videos:
Puer Natus Est – La Trinité

Jean-Pierre Leguay

January 18, 2014 by Improviser

Jean-Pierre Leguay is a French organist, composer and improviser. He studied organ with André Marchal, Gaston Litaize, Rolande Falcinelli, as well as counterpoint with Simone Plé-Caussade, and composition with Olivier Messiaen. He served as titular organist at Notre-Dame-des-Champs in Paris from 1961 to 1984. In 1985, Jean-Pierre Leguay was awarded the post of one of four titulaires des grands orgue of Notre-Dame, Paris alongside Yves Devernay, Olivier Latry and Philippe Lefèbvre, following the death of Pierre Cochereau.
Full bio. You can hear him on Spotify.

Recordings:

Jean-Pierre Leguay: Improvisations

Video:
Jean-Pierre Leguay – Prélude de la messe grégorienne – Notre Dame, Paris

Philippe Lefebvre

January 18, 2014 by Improviser

With the encouragement of Pierre Cochereau, Philippe Lefebvre began organ studies at the Conservatoire de Lille before entering the class of Rolande Falcinelli at the Conservatoire de Paris. He won the premier prix for improvisation at the international Lyon competition in 1972 and then the grand prix for improvisation at the international Chartres competition. In 1976, he was appointed organist titulaire at Chartres cathedral. In 1985, Philippe Lefèbvre was awarded the post of one of four titulaires des grands orgue of Notre-Dame, Paris alongside Yves Devernay, Olivier Latry and Jean-Pierre Leguay, following the death of Pierre Cochereau.
Full bio. You can hear him on Spotify.

Recordings:

Mallié – Lefèbvre : Improvisations à l’ogue

Videos:
Prélude – 01.05.2011 – Notre Dame
Sortie – 19.04.2009 – Notre Dame
Sortie – 01.05.2011 – Notre Dame
Offertoire – 01.05.2011 – Notre Dame

Olivier Latry & Philippe Lefebvre – Variations Pt. 1
Olivier Latry & Philippe Lefebvre – Variations Pt. 2
Olivier Latry, Philippe Lefèbvre, Vincent Dubois, Paolo Oreni and Kalevi Kiviniemi – Improvisation-à-cinque – St. Joseph, Bonn Beuel

Charles Tournemire (Philippe Lefebvre plays) – Victimae paschali laudes – Chartres Cathedral, France

Yves Devernay

January 18, 2014 by Improviser

Yves Devernay (1937-1990) studied the organ with Marie-Claire Alain and Rolande Falcinelli, and was awarded Premier Prix at Lyon and Chartres improvisation competitions. He became one of four organists (alongside Olivier Latry, Philippe Lefèbvre and Jean-Pierre Leguay) to inherit Pierre Cochereau‘s post as titulaire of Notre Dame in 1985. He died suddenly in 1990. You can hear him on Spotify.

Recordings:

Devernay: Improvisations à Notre-Dame de Paris

Audio:
Yves Devernay – Entry in the 12th Haarlem Improvisation Competition

Videos:
Yves Devernay – Sortie, Christmas 1988 – Notre Dame, Paris
Yves Devernay – Sortie, Easter 1989 – Notre Dame, Paris
Yves Devernay – Sortie, Easter 1989 – Notre Dame, Paris

Olivier Latry

January 18, 2014 by Improviser

Professor of Organ in the Conservatoire de Paris.
In 1985, at 23 years of age, Latry was awarded the post of one of four titulaires des grands orgue of Notre-Dame, Paris alongside Yves Devernay, Philippe Lefèbvre and Jean-Pierre Leguay, following the death of Pierre Cochereau.
Full bio.

Recordings:

Olivier Latry: On A Sunday Afternoon at Washington National Cathedral
This recording features Olivier Latry’s 2007 recital on the pipe organ in Washington National Cathedral and includes works of Louis Vierne, Felix-Alexandre Guilmant and two improvisations by Latry.

Videos:
Sortie – 18.09.2011 – Notre Dame
Sortie – 10-09-2011 – Notre Dame
À la Bach – Notre Dame
Communion – 29.03.2008 – Notre Dame
Olivier Latry – Organ Blessing Versets – Our Lady of Refuge, Brooklyn, NY
Olivier Latry – Improvisation on The Simpsons Theme – Toronto
Olivier Latry with Vincent Dubois, Paolo Oreni and Michael Bottenhorn – Happy Birthday – St. Joseph, Bonn Beuel
Olivier Latry & Philippe Lefebvre – Variations Pt. 1
Olivier Latry & Philippe Lefebvre – Variations Pt. 2
Olivier Latry, Philippe Lefèbvre, Vincent Dubois, Paolo Oreni and Kalevi Kiviniemi – Improvisation-à-cinque – St. Joseph, Bonn Beuel

Gerre Hancock

January 18, 2014 by Improviser

Gerre Hancock is best known for his service as Organist and Master of the Choristers at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue in New York City from 1971 to 2004.
Full bio. You can hear him on Spotify.

Book:

Improvising: How to Master the Art
Oxford University Press
One of the most recent essential method books from a master teacher!

Recordings:

Gerre Hancock: Fanfare
Also Available as an mp3 download

Gerre Hancock: Christmas Improvisations

On a sunday afternon: Gerre Hancock Live at Washington National Cathedral

Great Hymns Of Faith
University Of Texas Chamber Singers under the direction of James Morrow
Gerre Hancock provides fabulous improvised hymn accompaniments, interludes, and free improvisations based upon hymn tunes on the Visser-Rowland at the University of Texas at Austin.

Videos:
Doxology October 6, 2002- St. Thomas
Final hymn and improvised Organ Voluntary on ‘Gott sei Dank’ – May 18, 2003 – St. Thomas
Improvised versets on the Magnificat Solemn Tone – April 4, 2004 – St. Thomas

Naji Hakim

January 18, 2014 by Improviser

Official website:
http://www.najihakim.com/
You can hear him on Spotify.

Naji Hakim studied with Jean Langlais and at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris in the classes of R. Boutry, Jean-Claude Henry, M. Bitsch, Rolande Falcinelli, J. Castérède and S. Nigg, where he was awarded seven first prizes. He is professor of musical analysis at the Conservatoire National de Région de Boulogne-Billancourt, and visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music, London. At first organist of the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur, Paris from 1985 until 1993, he then became organist of l’église de la Trinité, in succession to Olivier Messiaen, from 1993 until 2008.

Book:
The Improvisation Companion
United Music Publishers Ltd.
The Improvisation Companion is intended as a reference book for all musicians looking for a form of personal artistic expression on their instrument. The guide uses an educational process of synthesis and is divided into four main parts that deal with the theory of improvisation and of its different components (theme, development and forms). The two appendices cover the basic principles of harmonisation and give a repertoire of themes.

Articles:
Principles of Improvisation. In: Church Music Quarterly, magazine of the Royal School of Church Music, July 2001.
Une entrevue avec Naji Hakim
by Béatrice Piertot in : “La Revue l’Orgue” 2003 (in French)