Musical contribution - A. van Vliet - January 2011

Dear organist, I would like to start off with wishing you all the very best for 2011. We sincerely hope to be meeting up again via the website on a monthly basis. We will be starting this New Year off with a festive Grand Choeur by Théodore Salomé, an organist and composer born in Paris. He stayed true to Paris almost his entire life. He became conductor and organist of the choir organ in the St.Trinité at the age of 35. Alexandre Guilmant became the main organ’s organist two years later in one of Paris’ most important churches at that time. Ch. Gounod and G. Bizet were amongst the weekly worshippers. Both were incredibly charmed by Salomé’s musicality.

This work is proof of the fact that Théodore received a decent education in harmony and counterpoint at Paris’ Conservatory. The first 4 notes of the fugue (middle section) were taken from the theme of both outer sections. But scaled up and in e-minor.

Some bravura would certainly befit this work.

Enjoy!

André van Vliet