Premier livre d'orgue, (Suite du premier ton)

Pierre Dumage (du Mage) (baptized 23 November 1674 – 2 October 1751) was a French Baroque organist and composer. His first music teacher was most likely his father, organist of the Beauvais Cathedral. At some point during his youth Dumage moved to Paris and studied under Louis Marchand. He also befriended Nicolas Lebègue, who in 1703 procured for Dumage a position of organist of the Saint-Quentin collegiate church. In 1710 Dumage was appointed titular organist of the Laon Cathedral. Due to strained relations with his superiors in the cathedral chapter, Dumage left on 30 March 1719, at the age of 45, and became a civil servant. He apparently neither played nor composed music professionally until his death.

A pity and a great loss...

Dumage's only surviving work is "Premier livre d'orgue," published in 1708. This collection is dedicated to the chapter of Saint Quentin. It contains a single "Suite du premier ton": eight pieces in the traditional French forms: Plein jeu, Fugue, Trio, Tierce en taille, Basse de Trompette, Récit, Duo and Grand jeu. In the brief preface Dumage explains that these are his first works, and that he modelled them after the music of his former teacher Marchand. Dumage's music is, however, of very high quality, and entirely representative of French organ music of the period. Musicologists Félix Raugel and Willi Apel both singled out Dumage's Récit for its "delicate and gentle lyricism", and Apel also praised the Tierce en taille and the Grand jeu as particularly striking.

I found this music to be sophisticated throughout, and quite a bit more "challenging" than other "similar" works, largely because to the complexity of the ornamentation.

Dumage's second "livre d'orgue" was presented in 1712 to the chapter of Laon Cathedral, but has never been found.

I have combined the movements to make one long performace, and to save space on the concert hall.

The score is attached.