Charles Tournemire facts for kids
Charles Arnould Tournemire (born January 22, 1870, died November 3 or 4, 1939) was a French musician. He was a composer and an organist. He was very good at making up music on the spot, which is called improvisation. His improvisations often used old church music called Gregorian chant. Tournemire wrote many different kinds of music. He wrote eight symphonies, four operas, and music for small groups of instruments. He also wrote music for the piano. But he is most famous for his organ music. His best-known organ work is a collection of pieces called L'Orgue mystique.
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Biography
Charles Tournemire was born in Bordeaux, France. When he was a teenager, he moved to Paris. There, he became a student of a famous composer named César Franck. Tournemire was one of Franck's youngest students.
From 1898 until 1939, Tournemire worked as the main organist at a church in Paris. This church was called the Basilique Ste-Clotilde, Paris. It was the same church where his teacher, César Franck, used to play. Tournemire also taught music at the Paris Conservatoire, which is a famous music school. He taught a type of music called chamber music. In 1931, he wrote a book about César Franck's life.
A year before his book came out, Tournemire recorded some of his organ improvisations. These were recordings of him making up music on the organ as he played. Another musician, Maurice Duruflé, later wrote down these improvisations as sheet music. Tournemire made ten old-fashioned records in 1930. Five of these records featured music by his teacher, Franck. These records won a special award in 1931. They have been re-released on newer formats like CDs.
L'Orgue mystique
When people remember Tournemire today, they often think of his biggest musical work. This work is called L'Orgue mystique. It is a huge collection of 51 sets of pieces. Each set has five pieces, except for one set that has three pieces. Tournemire wrote all of these pieces between 1927 and 1932.
This collection of music follows the Roman Catholic church calendar. Each set of pieces is based on the Gregorian chants for a specific day in the church year. Unlike some other organ symphonies, L'Orgue mystique was made to be played during church services. It was not meant for regular concerts.
Later Life
Charles Tournemire died in Arcachon, France, in 1939. The exact reason for his death is not fully known. He left his house for a walk on October 31 and did not come back. His body was found a few days later, on November 4, in a wet, muddy area called a bog. It is thought he died on November 3 or 4.
One of his four operas was performed again in December 2022. This was a rare event. The opera was called La Légende de Tristan. It was performed at a theater in Germany.
See also
In Spanish: Charles Tournemire para niños
