This study draws portraits of the French romantic organist-composers including Aristide Cavaille-Coll, Cesar Franck, Charles-Marie Widor, Louis Vierne, Marcel Dupre, Jean Langlais and Olivier Messiaen. The author details the lives, times, styles, and techniques of these composers.

Excerpt from The Organ in France: A Study of Its Mechanical Construction, Tonal Characteristics and Literature, With Suggestions for the Registration, of French Organ Music Upon American Instruments Probably in no other country have the successive changes in methods of organ construction, during the last quarter of a century, more nearly justified the designation "revolution" than in the United States. At the beginning of this period, making due allowance for the individual methods or characteristics of various builders, practically all organs followed a general standard with regard to character of specification and the purposes for which they were built. Organs designed for concert use were found in some of the largest auditoria, and occasionally in smaller halls; the size of church organs was governed by the proportions of the edifices in which they were placed, and to a certain extent by demands of liturgy or form of worship. A few private residences boasted instruments of more or less importance, yet differing but slightly from the standard established for the types previously mentioned. With the successful introduction of the electro-pneumatic system, it may fairly be said, the course of organ-building entered divergent channels. The new system contained nothing in itself to alter the standard organ of the period in any respect save ease of manipulation. And yet it made possible the successive inventions, whose adoption, to any considerable degree, has produced an instrument of widely different resources from its prototype. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Excerpt from The Organ in France: A Study of Its Mechanical Construction, Tonal Characteristics and Literature, With Suggestions for the Registration, of French Organ Music Upon American Instruments The relation of these improvements to the previously established conception of the organ as an instrument, and of its legitimate function, it is not my province to discuss. Many believe that the new methods have emancipated the organ from the fetters of mechanical limitations, while others maintain that at least in ex treme cases an essentially new instrument has been evolved, possessing a field of usefulness and demanding an individuality of treatment peculiarly its own. One thing is certain: that under discriminating and skilful direction the new methods adopted in recent years have given our organ-builders of to-day the opportunity to produce work possessing at once such artistic excellence and interesting possibilities as could seldom have been vouchsafed to their predecessors, working under existing limitations. Only the future can determine the exact value of these new methods. When judiciously employed, it is in contestable that they will greatly increase the technical possibilities of the organ. But to prove their artistic as well as their commercial value, they must awaken a corresponding development of musical faculties on the part of executants, and stimulate interest in the organ among musicians and composers. Especially must the latter be inspired to augment a repertoire which is none too rich in modern works of genuine musical importance. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.