Écho

Antoine Louis Joseph Gueyrand Fernand Fouant de La Tombelle (3 August 1854 – 13 August 1928) was a French organist and composer.

Born in Paris, Fernand de La Tombelle had piano lessons in his childhood with his mother Louise Gueyraud, a pupil of Sigismund Thalberg and Franz Liszt. From the age of eighteen he took private organ and harmony lessons with Alexandre Guilmant. At the Conservatoire de Paris he studied counterpoint, fugue and composition with Théodore Dubois. For his compositions he was twice awarded the gold medal at the Grand Prix Pleyel.

In the following years he performed as a concert organist throughout France. From 1896 to 1904, he was the first harmony teacher at the Schola Cantorum.[3] Among his students were Louis Boyer, Auguste Leguenant, Marc de Ranse, Blanche Selva, Déodat de Séverac, and Jean Vadon.

In addition to music, La Tombelle, who was interested in many things, was active as a writer and columnist, sculptor and painter, art photographer, music ethnologist and astronomer. His wife Henriette Delacoux de Marivault became known as a writer under the pseudonym Camille Bruno.

Adri: My kind of renaissance man!

Five years ago, David (aka Agnus_Dei) wonderfully recorded this piece as well.

The Hautbois solos with the dous II-III-IV tremulant makes it sound like a human choir.