Albert Renaud (organist)

This article is about the organist Albert Renaud. For the ice hockey player, see Albert Renaud (ice hockey).

Albert Félix Joseph Renaud (1855 – 28 May 1924) was a French organist and composer who served for many years as organist at the parish church of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris.[1][2]

Life and career

Saint-Germain-en-Laye parish church, where Renaud was organist from 1891 to 1924.
The organ of Saint-Germain-en-Laye parish church.

Born in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, Renaud studied at the Conservatoire de Paris under César Franck, Camille Saint-Saens, Charles Gounod and Jules Massenet and began his career by succeeding his father Félix as choirmaster of the Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris.[1][3]

After a spell as organist at Rennes Cathedral, he returned to Paris in 1878 as organist of the Church of Saint-François-Xavier.[1][4] In 1891 he became organist at the parish church of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, serving until his death.[3][5] In 1903 he oversaw the refurbishment of the church's Cavaillé-Coll organ, marking the completion of the work with a concert on 27 October at which Alexandre Guilmant and Eugène Gigout also played.[6]

His successor at Saint-Germain-en-Laye was Albert Alain, father of organists Jehan, Olivier and Marie-Claire Alain.

Compositions

Renaud's best known work is his Toccata in D minor (Op. 108, No. 1), which he dedicated to Alexandre Guilmant. Guilmant played it during a recital at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904.[3] He also wrote piano, orchestral and choral works as well as opera and ballet music.[1][7]

List of works

For organ

  • Quatre pièces d'orgue (Op. 101, No. 1 (Entrée, processional), No. 2 (Angelus), No. 3 (Pastorale) and No. 4 (Marche funèbre))
  • Improvisations - soixante pièces classées par tons pour orgue ou harmonium (Op. 106)
  • Deux toccatas (Op. 108, No. 1 (in D minor) and No. 2 (in D major))
  • Quatre pièces d'orgue (Op. 116, including No. 1 (Offertoire in E minor) and No. 3 (Communion in F major))
  • Esquisses - trente pièces pour orgue ou harmonium (Op. 120)
  • Grand choeur, Op. 123 (No. 1 in D major)

Opera

  • Le petit chaperon rouge (1885)

Ballet

  • Roknedin (1892)

Other

  • Un voyage à Venise (1896)

References

  1. ^ a b c d Le Monde Moderne, vol. 14 (July–December 1901), pp. 829–830.
  2. ^ The Etude, January 1914, p. 301. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Toccatas, Carillons and Scherzos for Organ: 27 Works for Church or Concert Performance ed. Rollin Smith (Dover Publications Inc., 2002), p. v. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  4. ^ Musique Orgue Québec, Église Saint-François-Xavier, Paris. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  5. ^ Louis Jambou, La musique entre France et Espagne : interactions stylistiques 1870 - 1939 (Presses de l'Université de Paris-Sorbonne, 2003), p. 322.
  6. ^ Le Guide Musical, vol. 49 (1903), p. 749.
  7. ^ Bibliothèque nationale de France, Renaud, Albert (1855–1924). Retrieved 7 January 2022.