Lamento JA 14 / AWV 10

An early work which began life as a piano piece entitled 'Lamento pour Piano' and was dated 'Feb. 30'.

There are six manuscript sources for the piece. Two were passed from Alain's wife Madeleine to their children - HA1 & HA2 (Heirs of Alain). Two are held by the Bibliothèque Nationale de France - BN1 & BN2. One copy is part of the Lola Bluhm collection - LB. Bluhm was a great friend and fellow student of Alain's.
An organ version was discovered in 1991 'between two sheets of harmony homework' (M-CA). This score was also dated 'Tu 5 F 30'.

On the BN2 manuscript, Alain wrote:
Titres pouvant être donnés à ce morceau:
(Titles that could be given to this piece)

Lamentations sur un triste sort.
(Lamentations on a sad fate.)

Cantilène du XXe siècle.
(Lament of the 20th century.)

J'ai perdu mon Euradice.
(I have lost my Euradice.)

In Greek mythology, Eurydice is the wife of the poet Orpheus, whom he tried to save from the underworld. Orpheus loses her by looking back to see if she is following him out of the underworld.

The indications for stops differ widely in the sources. Marie-Claire Alain's Leduc edition (2003) uses a Cromorne for the opening solo accompanied by 8 & 4 flutes. The Hautbois is used later at bar 23 with a flute 4 added for the pedal melodies which provide some counterpoint with the r.h. solo.

This interesting selection appears in the source HA1:
Rec. Hautbois, Euphone 16
Pos. Bourdon 8, Flute douce, Gros Nazard
GO. Flûte harmonique
Ped. Soubasse douce, Pos./Ped. GO./Ped.

Other sources use a Gambe 8 for the solo. I am using the Solo Clarinette 8 from the Llanerch Organs Blackburn Cathedral set. Its oily voicing is distinctive in character and is under expression in a swell box. Accompaniment on the GO. Stopped Diap. 8. Later in the piece I am using the Swell Hautboy 8 which is a beautifully sounding set of pipes!