About this Piece

The organ symphonies of French composers are more often represented in abridged forms in modern recitals, which makes a complete performance of Louis Vierne’s Organ Symphony No. 3 worth relishing. Written in 1911, it was dedicated to and premiered by his longtime friend and protégé Marcel Dupré (1886–1971), before they had a famous falling-out.

Commencing with a loud, highly chromatic Allegro maestoso, the main theme is stated fortississimo and then repeats itself in a roughly inverted form—emphasizing with tenuto the ultimate three quarter notes. From there, the first movement proceeds in a sonata-allegro form. After a transition of highly chromatic, stridently dissonant large chords developing the opening theme, a second theme is introduced with the indication “sostenuto e legato.” The running eighth notes of the second theme transform into even faster 16th notes, eventually leading to the closing of the exposition with variations of the opening theme. A development section follows, as does the recapitulation in an even louder, more strident chromatic presentation emphasizing large chords.

If this first movement pushes the limits of how loud the instrument can play, the second movement, Cantilène, explores its softer limits. A playful Intermezzo movement in triple meter follows, borrowing much from the character of a scherzo. These two movements also adhere to sonata-allegro form.

The fourth-movement Adagio (so titled even though the tempo indication is “quasi largo”) returns to the soft, homophonic idiom of the Cantilène, but with a much more Wagnerian use of chromaticism. It begins with the slowly unfolding canonic layering of an opening theme in a diffuse B minor. A middle section develops with a declamatory melody before a flute solo heralds a return of the opening theme, which is developed further in the closing section.

The Final offers everything of the typical French toccata—rapid ostinato passages on the keyboards with a slow melody in the pedals—that often closes such organ symphonies, but develops in a more contrapuntal and multifarious way. A recognizable second theme repeats and then recurs between the sections that repeat the opening theme. The ostinato built on fifths resonates into a continuous harmony, while carefully notated dynamics test the organist’s skill on the swell pedal.

Above all, Vierne uses established forms to his advantage, allowing him to edit and perfect his musical ideas based on an abstract ideal.

—From the LA Phil archive