Organ Music composed specifically for a part of the mass

[Sarabande]

I’m not sure if this would belong in this forum, but it does have something to do with music liturgy, so I thought it would be the best place to put it.

I can’t remember which thread, but there was a question regarding instrumental music and if there were any specifically composed for the liturgy. A lot of instrumental music (including organ music) is just pure music with no sacred or secular connotation. Many organ preludes and postludes are like that, although there were pieces composed for certain liturgical seasons or special masses, etc.

This one particular piece I wanted to share that was written specifically for part of the liturgy was something I heard as a postlude at my parish this past Sunday. It was so absolutely, perfectly beautiful in regards to technique, beauty of music, spiritual beauty and the artistic line the organist gave to it, that it left me absolutely speechless. I asked him about it later. It was the Offertory section from Francois Couperin’s “Messe pour les couvents”.

I love Couperin’s works, so it was no surprise to hear it was by him. Apparently, although it would be too long today to be done during the Offertory of the mass, back when it was composed, the masses did last longer than an hour and the offertory piece was composed to last the length that the part of mass was to last.

Anyway, thought I’d share the composer and name in case anyone would be looking for organ instrumental music which was written specifically as liturgical music or sacred instrumental music to play either during the mass or as preludes/postludes.

 

[Cluny]

I think of the Elevations by Dom Paul Benoit, mostly on Gregorian themes.

Olivier Messien was a devout Catholic, and wrote a lot of organ music at least inspired by the traditional chant, but some of it can be rather difficult to get used to, especially for an unsophisticated congregation.

The Italian composer Gabrieli also comes to mind. He said in so many words that one need not play all of his liturgical organ pieces straight through, but may end one at any time as needed by the service.

 

[NPC]

Francois Couperin’s organ music is beautiful - he wrote two organ Masses: Messe pour les Couvents and Messe pour les Paroisses. I frequently play movements from the Masses both during Mass or as a postlude after Mass. One does need quite a substantial organ, though for Couperin’s music to work - the music (notes) itself is very simple and it relies on the different colours of the Classical French organ, such as the cornet, cromorne and reeds which make the hairs on one’s neck stand on end!

During Couperin’s time, this music had a very central part in the Mass. If you look at the Music you will see that it’s divided into about 20 quite short movements. The organ would be played in alteration with the choir or else to indicate what stage of the Mass the priest was at. At the Kyrie, for example, the choir would sing the first Kyrie then the organist would play a verset to replace the second Kyrie and then the choir would sing the third Kyrie. There were nine(?) verses for the Gloria and the congregation would pray the first verse while the organist played the first verse on the organ, etc. The offertory music was quite long, but I don’t think this would have been a problem as the priest obviously didn’t have a microphone as they do now, so the congregation couldn’t hear him anyway! So an important function of the music was as a marker for the people.

The high-point of the Classical French Organ School came with Nicolas de Grigny. His music is beautiful too - quite a bit more elaborate than Couperin’s music, though I do think that part of the appeal of Couperin’s music lies in its simplicity. De Grigny also composed music for use with hyms too - Veni Creator and Ave Maris Stella are two examples. Like the Masses, the choir would sing one verse of the hymn followed by a verset on the organ - only the first verset was based on the hymn though, the cantus firmus being played on the pedal reeds.

The tradition was continued by the twentieth century French School - Langlais composed several organ Masses. His suites often take this form, and his Homage a Frescobaldi has some lovely movements and some very strange ones, not to mention the challenging Epilogue for pedal solo at the end!

 

[Sarabande]

NPC - Thank you for sharing more background on the “Messe pour les couvents”. Your parish is very fortunate to have you there, as I am fortunate to have our organist at our parish.

Have you ever been to Couperin’s “church” in Paris where he was organist - St. Gervais? It is one of my favorite churches there - so white and bright. I fell in love with it the minute I stepped foot inside. The church was aglow in this golden-tinted white light, accentuating the purity of the interior and then the bits of color from the beautiful stained glass. I felt as if I was in a church built in heaven. Then the organ played, the priests chanted in organum during the consecration. (Yes, it was quite amazing that all the priests - about 6 - were able to sing in tune and do this. It must have been a special mass of some sort.) It was one of the most beautiful masses I ever attended when I was there. And it was just as silently beautiful when we came back again just to sit and pray in that bastien of spiritual beauty.

I find how interesting that in that time, mass didn’t have to be completed within an hour. Like the rest of life today, it seems that even our prayer time and worship time is abbreviated. The music was a true part of the mass and played a truly important role. It wasn’t just - “Stick a hymn in this section, then in the next section…etc. but let’s make sure it doesn’t last too long or else the priest of the congregation will get antsy and a bit perturbed.”

Anyway, I’m a huge lover of French music in general and they truly excelled with the organ. Our organist also has played Langlais and de Grigny there. They’re all beautiful in my mind.

 

[Sarabande]

I think of the Elevations by Dom Paul Benoit, mostly on Gregorian themes.

Olivier Messien was a devout Catholic, and wrote a lot of organ music at least inspired by the traditional chant, but some of it can be rather difficult to get used to, especially for an unsophisticated congregation.

I’m not familiar with Benoit - will need to take a listen.

I agree regarding Messien. Some of it can be quite lovely when really listening to it, but even for me as a musician I had to sit and listen a number of times before coming to appreciating it. I think the majority of people would not take to it quite so easily.

Maurice Durufle’s music is also some I truly love and I think one of those 20th composers which the average person could embrace and take on for spiritual inspiration.

 

[NPC]

NPC - Thank you for sharing more background on the “Messe pour les couvents”. Your parish is very fortunate to have you there, as I am fortunate to have our organist at our parish.

Have you ever been to Couperin’s “church” in Paris where he was organist - St. Gervais? It is one of my favorite churches there - so white and bright. I fell in love with it the minute I stepped foot inside. The church was aglow in this golden-tinted white light, accentuating the purity of the interior and then the bits of color from the beautiful stained glass. I felt as if I was in a church built in heaven. Then the organ played, the priests chanted in organum during the consecration. (Yes, it was quite amazing that all the priests - about 6 - were able to sing in tune and do this. It must have been a special mass of some sort.) It was one of the most beautiful masses I ever attended when I was there. And it was just as silently beautiful when we came back again just to sit and pray in that bastien of spiritual beauty.

I find how interesting that in that time, mass didn’t have to be completed within an hour. Like the rest of life today, it seems that even our prayer time and worship time is abbreviated. The music was a true part of the mass and played a truly important role. It wasn’t just - “Stick a hymn in this section, then in the next section…etc. but let’s make sure it doesn’t last too long or else the priest of the congregation will get antsy and a bit perturbed.”

Anyway, I’m a huge lover of French music in general and they truly excelled with the organ. Our organist also has played Langlais and de Grigny there. They’re all beautiful in my mind.

Thanks, Sarabande. Although I love to visit Paris, unfortunately I have never set foot inside St Gervais. The organ there has a very long history and from the mid-seventeenth to mid-eighteenth centuries the organ was very much the Couperin organ, with no less than four members of the Couperin family serving as organist there! I gather that the organ is still very much in the same condition as it was during Couperin’s time - during restoration in the 1920’s a panel of organists (including Widor) recommended that the voicing and action should not be altered, and that the pipes should merely be cleaned but not modified. I would love to hear Couperin’s music on the organ for which it was composed, so St Gervais will certainly be getting a visit from me when I’m in Paris next!

 

[Sarabande]

Thanks, Sarabande. Although I love to visit Paris, unfortunately I have never set foot inside St Gervais. The organ there has a very long history and from the mid-seventeenth to mid-eighteenth centuries the organ was very much the Couperin organ, with no less than four members of the Couperin family serving as organist there! I gather that the organ is still very much in the same condition as it was during Couperin’s time - during restoration in the 1920’s a panel of organists (including Widor) recommended that the voicing and action should not be altered, and that the pipes should merely be cleaned but not modified. I would love to hear Couperin’s music on the organ for which it was composed, so St Gervais will certainly be getting a visit from me when I’m in Paris next!

You’re welcome! Yes, you must visit it. This is what it looks like on the inside and out in case you have never walked by it. Much more beautiful in person. (Also, please ignore my shiny forehead - my husband always insisted that I’d be in the photos. I’m thankfully not as noticeable in the photo of the exterior.)

It is absolutely amazing how many churches in Paris you are able to visit and see where so many of these wonderful composers played the organ and were inspired. Our organist friend basically sent us along a “tour” of almost every single church in Paris where the greats worked and we were in awe. It’s no wonder there was such a wealth of gorgeous repertoire coming from there.

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[Guitar]

Francois Couperin’s organ music is beautiful - he wrote two organ Masses: Messe pour les Couvents and Messe pour les Paroisses.

Both in my CD rack and my organ music shelf. One of the glorias makes an excellent short postlude or wedding recessional, and there is an absolutely lovely crumhorn stop solo that I used as a prelude often pre-left hand injury when I played more.

 

[Sarabande]

I’m so happy that there are other organists out there in Catholic parishes that have these pieces in their repertoire!!!