Durufle's Music Considered

Rezensionen / Stimmen

Durufle's Music Considered is the culmination of Ronald Ebrecht's lifetime work on the musical legacy of the 20th century composer-organist Maurice Durufle. Ebrecht shares the detailed work he did privately with the composer and his wife, the great organ virtuoso Marie-Madeleine Durufle-Chevalier, on Durufle's organ works. Ebrecht also shares his study and research of the entire body of the composer's music, including several unpublished works, from the many existing manuscripts and editions as well as through his connections with Durufle's colleagues, family, and former students. This book is indispensible for anyone serious about doing an in-depth study of the music of Maurice Durufle. -- James David Christie, David S. Boe Professor of Organ, Oberlin Conservatory of Music (2002-2018) Maurice Durufle needs no introduction to American organists; his manifold accomplishments as performer, transcriber/"reconstituter" of recorded improvisations, and above all, composer, have sustained and will continue to nourish interest. In Durufle's Music Considered, Ebrecht offers readers his view of Durufle's music. The result is both distinctive and a marvelous example of its kind: musical scholarship that keeps the focus on the inner workings of compositions through analysis (Ebrecht prefers "narrative") and compositional genesis.... To a noteworthy degree, it is grounded in the author's personal story. With this approach, Ebrecht is not afraid to attribute importance to his own feelings, experiences, and personal opinions within the context of the overall argument. A reader eventually learns that this book is but one part of the author's lifelong engagement with Maurice Durufle, the composer and performer; with his wife, Marie-Madeleine Durufle, the celebrated virtuoso organist; and with Durufle's compositions, scores, and related materials.... [A]fter reading this book, I cherish even more deeply my still vivid memories of and feelings for the first time I heard Maurice and Marie-Madeleine Durufle in concert (at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, in 1969). For those who seek a more personal framework for music studies, Ebrecht's book provides a welcome example that merits consideration. * The American Organist *