Prière

Score available here: http://partitura.org/index.php/ernest-grosjean-priere/

Ernest Grosjean (1844 - 1936) was born in Vagney (Vosges). After studying piano, organ, harmony, music composition and fugue he became organist in the cathedral of Uzès (Gard) in 1864. Four years later he became maître de chapelle of the Verdun Cathedral, a post he held until 1935. The last 20 years of his appointment, however, he could not play on the Jacquot-Jeanpierre organ of Rambervillers (Vosges), built in 1898, because it was dismantled during the First World War to preserve it. The instrument was rebuilt almost 17 years after the war. Ernest Grosjean wrote teaching works including a harmony course and he was editor of the "Journal des Organistes. In 1902 he published his "Pièces pour orgue ou harmonium", a set of 56 pieces in two volumes. The first volume contains 33 easy pieces, that can be played without the use of pedals. As my leg is out of the organ playing game for a few weeks, and I wanted something to play on the Dudelange sample set, I looked for a manualiter set of French pieces. These 33 pieces by Grosjean are therefore just the thing I need right now. They are available on IMSLP as a digital scan of the original edition that is very readable. So, there is no real need to engrave them again, other than that they are an ideal set for me to practise engraving the more romantic repertoire, and pay attention to the correct placing of dynamic markings, slurs, performance indications, etcetera.

The first piece from this volume is a serene 'Prière'.