Alain: Litanies

Description

Jehan Alain (1911-1940) was a French organist and composer. His Litanies for Organ was composed in 1937 and is a sublime addition to the instrument's repertoire. Alain studied with Organ virtuosos, Guilmant and Vierne and was primarily an organist and composer of religious music. Whilst at the Paris Conservatoire, he won many prizes and his composition catalogue comprises some 140 works. Alain's Litanies is his most famous work and is prefaced with the text; "When, in its distress, the Christian soul can find no more words to invoke God's mercy, it repeats endlessly the same litany....for reason has reached its limit; only faith can take one further..." From lively and comical pieces, to sensitive and unexpected works, Alain's pieces are diverse in musicality. Moreover, the composer exploits Organ techniques, making Litanies an exciting and varied piece for advanced level organists.