Jean Langlais - The Man and His Music (Hardcover)
Blind performer, composer, and teacher Langlais (1907-91) was one of the most prominent members of the organ world throughout most of the 20th century. This biographical study by Labounsky, a Langlais proteg e and chair of organ and sacred music at Duquesne University, delves into all facets of his personal and professional life, including some analysis of his major compositions. Especially interesting are the discussions of his often contentious relationships with friends (one of his closest was with French composer/organist Olivier Messiaen) and relatives. Despite the author's close personal contact with Langlais (she also acted as his guide and interpreter during his 1964 U.S. tour), she does not gloss over the more unpleasant aspects of this complex personality, although most stories are told from Langlais's point of view. Labounsky's approach is quite different from Kathleen Thomerson's in Jean Langlais: A Bio-Bibliography (Greenwood Pr., 1988), which is principally a detailed bibliographic catalog of his compositions by category. Recommended for public and academic libraries.DTimothy J. McGee, Univ. of TorontoCopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.