Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-11-19


with religious services or because of its
vast resources Of magnificent effects, the
organ has ever been considered the most
noble and uplifting of instruments. The
majesty of It's powerful compass and the
solemnity of its tonal quality have struck
the deepest chords that vibrate in the
hearts of the great composers, and the
result has been a type of music tflat
reaches toward the skies, carrying further
heavenward the applications and the
praise of this little earth people. Moth
ing arouSeS nobleness humanitarian
in the human heart. like the tones Of the
organ. giving us a faint conception OF
what the music of the spheres must be
like
The finest souls that have ever visited
this earth throughout the centuries, the
great composers, have been drawn to
the organ. feeling perhaps that the
marvellous musical dreams they guarded
could be given out to needy humanity
better by this instrument than by any
other means. To Bach, toward whose
genius the world grows in appreciation
as the centuries pass, the organ was
his means of inspiration. The little
Beethoven, in the too large robes of the
church organist, learned in his earliest
years at the organ console the cornbina-
tions Of tone color and the full-throated
instrumental song, which later was i'm
perishably inscribed in his symphonies.
while the beauty of the music which
Cesar Frank conceived in his organ loft
at St Clotilde's has spirituality that
was engendered by the organs inf1u-
ence
Mr.. Dupre comes from a country
which, together with Germany, has done
most to assist the culture of the organ
and organ music. Tsle mechanical side
. Of the great instrument has been
brought to finer state of perfection In
America, but none of the new devices
quite reproduce the round mellow tones
of the century-old organs of France.
Originally designed as a mere accom-
paniment Of congregational singing, the
development from the early form has
been more rapid and broader than with
any other instrument. France and Ger
many have excelled In the making of
organs, the first large organ In Mr.. Du-
pres country being introduced by Char
lemagne, to whom France is indebted for
many varied progressive measures. The
organs of the great cathedrals of France
have taken part In many impressive
scenes in which gallant pageantry and
sincere religious sentiment were deeply
mingled
The most prominent names of the
organ school that instantly spring to
mind are Of French origin, the great
Guilmant, the present dean of French
organists: Widor, Vierne and Dupre.
No organist of his generation has ere
ated so great sensation as this last
named virtuoso to whom Vidor paid
special tribute after a series of recitals
of Bachs works. "Rest assured he
said, IF Bach had been here he would
have embraced you and pressed you
to his heart"
Coming from musical family, of
which both paternal and maternal
grandfathers were identified with the
organ. his father well known organist
himself and pupil of Guilmant and his
mother an accomplished Instrumental
LIST and singer, Marcel Dupre turned
naturally to music at an early age. His
choice from the very first was the organ,
and at 5 years of age he played Bach
III an addition for Guilmant and was
accepted as pupil by him. His public
career as virtuoso began at the age
Of 10, and two years later he was &C.
cupying the official post of organist Of
the Church of st. Viyien at Rouen. His
climb to fame was continuous, culrni-
mating with the offlcial seal Of the Prix
de Rome, which he won with his can
tata Psyche" and his final appoint
nlent as organist of Notre Dame
Cathedral in Paris.
At the famous organ which was