Marcel Dupré

Marcel Dupré (May 3, 1886–May 30, 1971), was a French organist and composer. Marcel Dupré playing organ This image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other jurisdictions. ... May 3 is the 123rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (124th in leap years). ... 1886 is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) Events January 18 _ Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... May 30 is the 150th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (151st in leap years). ... 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... This article or section should be merged with Pipe organ The Casavant pipe organ at Notre-Dame de Montréal Basilica, Montreal The organ is a type of keyboard musical instrument, distinctive because the sound is not produced by a percussion action, as on a piano or celesta, or by... A composer is a person who writes music. ...

He was born in Rouen in France, the son of Albert Dupré and Alice Chauvière. From a musical family, he was an early prodigy. He started at the Paris Conservatoire in 1904, and studied under Charles-Marie Widor, Alexandre Guilmant, Louis Vierne and Diémar. Dupré won the Grand Prix de Rome in 1914 for his cantata Psyché. In 1926, he returned to the Conservatoire as Professor of Organ. Location within France Rouen (pronounced in French, sometimes also ) is the historical capital city of Normandy, in northern France, and presently the capital of the Upper Normandy région. ... Conservatoire de Paris, or Paris Conservatoire, has been central to the evolution of music in France and Western Europe. ... Charles-Marie Jean Albert Widor (February 21, 1844 – March 12, 1937) was a French organist, composer and teacher. ... Louis Vierne, (1870-1937) was a French organist and composer. ... The Prix de Rome is a scholarship for students of the arts. ... Cantata (Italian for a song or story set to music), a vocal composition accompanied by instruments and generally containing more than one movement. ...

He became famous throughout Europe and U.S.A. for his organ recitals (more than 2000), which in 1920 included a recital series of 10 concerts of the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach by memory. Johann Sebastian Bach, 1748 portrait by Elias Gottlob Haussmann Johann Sebastian Bach (March 21, 1685[1] (O.S.) – July 28, 1750[2] (N.S.)) was a German composer and organist of the Baroque period, and is universally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time. ...

In 1934 Dupré succeded Widor at the organ post of St. Sulpice in Paris.

In 1947, he was appointed General Director of the American Conservatory.

Dupré was director of the Fontainebleau Conservatoire from 1947 to 1954 and of the Paris Conservatoire from 1954 to 1956. Conservatoire de Paris, or Paris Conservatoire, has been central to the evolution of music in France and Western Europe. ...

As a composer he produced a wide-ranging oeuvre of 65 opus numbers, and he also taught two generations of world-famous organists such as Olivier Messiaen, Jehan Alain, Pierre Cochereau, Jean Guillou, Alexander Schreiner, Virgil Fox, Michael Murray, Marie-Madeleine Durufle-Chevalier, Gaston Litaize, Marie Claire Alain, Rolande Falcinelli, Jean Demessieux and Jean Langlais. Olivier Messiaen (December 10, 1908 – April 27, 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithologist. ... Jehan Alain (February 3, 1911, Saint-Germain-en-Laye - June 20, 1940, Saumur) was a French organist and composer. ... Pierre Cochereau (1924-1984) French organist famous for his improvisations. ... Virgil Fox (1912–1980) was a renowned organist, known especially for his flamboyant Heavy Organ concerts of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach for audiences more familiar with Rock and Roll music, staged complete with light shows. ... Jeanne Demessieux (1921-1968) French organist and composer. ... Jean Langlais (15 February 1907 – May 8, 1991) was a French composer of modern classical music and organist. ...

In addition to his own compositions Dupré produced editions of the organ workds of Bach, Handel, Mozart, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Franck and others. He also wrote several theoretical works, including handbooks on harmony, organ building, the philoshopy of music, acoustics and improvisation, and an organ method.

The focal point of his works was always the organ. However, his compositional oeuvre includes not only organ works but also works for piano, orchestra and choir, as well as chamber music.

He died in 1971 in Meudon (near Paris). Well over a hundred different recordings of his work are available. Meudon is a suburb of Paris in the department of Hauts-de-Seine in northern France. ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ...