Vierne Discography

Here are some recommendations and lists of available (or out of print) recordings of works by Louis Vierne, including those from whose liner notes I quoted or cited:
*old vinyl recordings; may not have been reissued on CD

Click here to go directly to a listing of Vierne's known works by Opus number

Some web links and Contacts

Vierne Discography

Organ works (beginning with those mentioned on Eric Mystic's Louis Vierne web page, followed by other organ works)

An excellent recording by Christine Kamp of Vierne's complete organ works has been released on the Festivo label. Contact them at festivo@festivo.nl

First Symphony, Op.14

The Final

Second Symphony, Op.20

The Allegro

The Choral

The Scherzo

Third Symphony, Op.28

Fourth Symphony, Op.32

Fifth Symphony, Op.47

Sixth Symphony, Op.59

Scherzo

Final

Pieces of Fantasie, Suites 1-4, Op.51, 53-55

Carillon of Westminster, from Suite 3

Andantino, from Suite 1

The Bells of Hinckley (Les Cloches de Hinckley), from Suite 4

Cathedrales, from Suite 4

Claire de lune, from Suite 2

Etoile du soir (Evening Star), from Suite 3

Feux Follets (Will o' the Wisps/Jac-o-lanterns/Foolish Spirits), from Suite 2

Gargoyles and Chimeras, from Suite 4

Hymne Au Soleil (Hymn to the Sun), from Suite 2

Impromptu, from Suite 3

Naiades (Water Nymphs), from Suite 4

On the Rhine (Sur Le Rin) from Suite 3

Toccata, from Suite 2

24 Pieces in Free Style, Op.31

Arabesque, #15

Berceuse, #19

Carillon de Longpont, #21

Divertissment, #11

Legende, #13

Scherzetto, #14


Other organ works

Allegretto, op. 1

Prélude funèbre, op.4

Communion, op. 8

Verset fugue on "In exitu Isreal" for organ

Maestoso in C# Minor, a.k.a. Triumphal March for brass and organ, transcribed from Mass Solennelle, op. 16

Messe Basse, Op. 30

Meditation for organ

Prelude for organ

Three Improvisations, #s 1 & 3

Triptyque for organ, op. 58

Messe basse pour les défunts, op.62

Triumphal March, Op.16-- see Maestoso above

Orchestral works

Symphony in A Minor, 1908 (Op.24)

March Triomphale Op. 46 (1921) (to the memory of Napoleon I) (organ, brass & timpani)

Poem for piano and orchestra, op. 50


Choral and vocal Works

Solemn Mass (Messe Solennelle) in C# minor for choir and two organs, op. 16 (see also organ)

Spleens et detresses, Op. 38 (Poems by Verlaine-- 10 pieces)

Five Poems of Baudelaire, Op. 45

4 Greek Poems, Op. 60


Piano works

Two Pieces for piano, op. 7

Suite bourguignonne for piano, op. 17

Three Nocturnes for piano, op. 34

Twelve Preludes for piano, op. 36 (some say Op.38)

Le Knell, op. 39, no. 2

Silhouettes d'Enfants for piano, op. 43

Solitude (Loneliness) for piano, op. 44

Ainsi Parlait Zarathoustra, Op. 49


Chamber music

Pieces for viola and piano, op. 5

Largo and Canzonetta for oboe and piano, op. 6

Quartet, Op.12

Sonata for violin and piano, op. 23

Rhapsody for harp, op. 25

Sonata for cello and piano, op. 27

Quintet for piano and strings, op. 42

Soirs etrangers (Evenings Abroad) for cello and piano, op. 56 (five pieces)


Contacts

An excellent catalogue and source of recordings by Vierne and other organ music is available from the Organ Historical Society at P.O.Box 26811, Richmond VA 23261 USA
Phone: 804-353-9226, Fax 804-353-9266.
E-mail: catalog@organsociety.org
Web page: www.ohscatalog.org

This discography page was last updated August 11, 1998.

Any other questions? Call me at KKUP-FM 91.5 in Santa Clara CA at (408)260-2999 on Fridays Noon to 3 pm Pacific Time, or E-mail me at eameece@california.com

Some web links

Classical Net Home Page
Back to Top of Discography
Back to Eric Mystic's Louis Vierne page
Another version of Eric Mystic's Louis Vierne page
Another great Louis Vierne web page by the druid of netreach
Organ Historical Society offers many CDs listed here and is a great source of rare recordings. Music Boulevard's listing of available CDs of Vierne's music; over 80 titles! If you have a credit card you can buy them from this site (includes many listed here)
JAV Recordings has lots of great organ CDs by Vierne and others
CD World has classical CDs available by credit card at discount prices. In the search area under composer/artist, you must type in last name, asterisk, first initial ONLY (e.g. Vierne*L) (21 listings for Vierne last time I looked)
Ithica Library on line, another web page that lists Vierne CDs and sheet music
Mystic Music Home Page
KKUP Radio Homepage
New Age Renaissance Fair Homepage
Horoscope for the New Millennium
Robert Carty Home Page


List of known works of Vierne by opus number


(plus a few with no known number yet)

(Rating by Eric Mystic, of one to five stars, is noted for pieces I know well so far)

1. Allegretto for organ (1894)
2. Tantum ergo for organ
3. Ave Maria for organ (c.1890)
4. Funerial Prelude for organ (1896)
5. Two Pieces for Viola and Piano (1895)****
6. Largo & Canzonetta for Oboe & Piano (1896)****
7. Two pieces for piano (c.1895)
8. Communion for organ (1899)***1/2
9. Feuillets d'album, for piano (lost)
10.Two songs : Elle (P. Gobillard) and En Prison (Verlaine) (lost)
11. Three songs a) Beaux papillons blancs (Th. Gautier) b) Donc ce sera par un clair soir d'été (Verlaine) c) Qu'as-tu fait de la jeunesse? (Verlaine) (1896)
12. String Quartet (1894)***1/2
13. Three songs : a) Chanson d'automne (Verlaine) b) Lied d'amour (Carly Timun) c) Extase (V. Hugo) (1899)
14. Symphony #1 for organ (1898-99)*****
15. Ave Verum for organ (1901)
16. Messe Solennelle (1900)****
17. Suite Bourguignonne for piano (1898-99)
18. Three songs a) L'heure du berger (Verlaine) b) O triste, triste était mon âme! (Verlaine) c) Le Rouet (Leconte de Lisle) (1897)
19. Dors, chère Prunelle (Sleep, dear Prunella), song (C. Mendès) (1898)
20. Symphony #2 for organ (1902-03)*****
21. ? (may be 3 vocal works; lost)
22. Praxinoë, lyric legend for orchestra, solo voices and choruses (Ambroise Colin, librettist) (1903-05)
23. Sonata for Violin and Piano (1905/07)****
24. Symphony in A Minor (1908)***
25. Rhapsody for Harp (1909)****
26. Three songs a) Soleils couchants (Verlaine) b) Nox (Leconte de Lisle) c) Adieu (Villiers de l'Isle-Adam) (1903)
27. Sonata for Cello and Piano (1910)***1/2
28. Symphony #3 for organ (1911)****
29. Stances d'amour et de reve (vocal) (poem by Prudhomme)
30. Messe Basse (Low Mass) for organ or harmonium (1912)
31. 24 Pieces in Free Style (1914)****
32. Symphony #4 for organ (1914)****
33. Psyché, symphonic poem for voice and orchestra, or piano (V. Hugo) (1914)
34. Three Nocturnes for piano (1916)
35. Les Djinns, symphonic poem for voice and orchestra, or piano (V. Hugo) (1912)
36. Twelve Preludes for Piano (1914-15) (some say this is Op.38)
37. Eros, symphonic poem for voice and orchestra, or piano (the Countess de Noailles) (1916)
38. Spleens et detresses; poems of Verlaine (vocal) (1924)
39. Cloches funèbres (funeral bells), two pieces for piano 1. Cloches dans le cauchemar (Bells in a nightmare.) 2. Le glas. (The Knell) (1918)
40. Romance (vocal), originally published in 1907. Transcribed for horn by T. Doney.
41. Dal Vertice, lyric ode for tenor and orchestra, or piano (on poem of G. d'Annunzio) (1917)
42. Quintet for piano & strings (in honor of my beloved son Jacques) (1917)****1/2
43. Silhouettes d'Enfants for piano (1916)
44. Solitude for piano
45. Five Poems of Baudelaire (vocal) (1924)
46. March Triomphal for brass, timpani and organ (in honor of Napoleon I) (1921)
47. Symphony #5 for organ (1922-23)***
48. Poeme del'amour by Richepin (vocal) (1924)
49. Ainsi Parlait Zarathoustra for piano
50. Poem for Piano and Orchestra (1926)***
51. Pieces of Fantasie, Suite 1 (1925-26)**1/2
52. Ballade for violin and orchestra (1926)
53. Pieces of Fantasie, Suite 2 (1927)****
54. Pieces of Fantasie, Suite 3 (1927)****1/2
55. Pieces of Fantasie, Suite 4 (1927****1/2
56. Evenings Abroad, for cello and piano (1928)****
57. Les Angeles, for voice & organ or orchestra (1930-31)
58. Triptych for organ 1. Matines (To Maurice Duruflé) 2. Communion (A l'abbé Doyen) 3. Stèle for un enfant défunt (In memory of Jean de Brancion). (1929-1931)
59. Symphony #6 for organ (1930)****1/2
60. 4 Greek Poems (1930)
61. Ballade du desespere for tenor and piano or orchestra (1931)
62. Low Mass for the Dead, for organ (1934-36)

Other works with no known opus number:

For more details, visit the catalogue of Vierne's works complied by Bernard Gavoty at the Vierne page by the druid at netreach.
Back to Top of Discography
Back to Eric Mystic's Louis Vierne home page