Jean Guillou
Encyclopedia
Jean Victor Arthur Guillou (born April 18, 1930 in Angers
) is a French
composer
, organist
, pianist
, and pedagogue.
under Marcel Dupré
, Maurice Duruflé
, and Olivier Messiaen
. In 1955, he accepted a position as professor of organ and composition at the Institute of Sacred Music in Lisbon
. For health reasons, he left Lisbon in 1958 and moved to Berlin
, where he lived for the following five years.
In 1963, Guillou was appointed as titular organist at l'Église Saint-Eustache
in Paris
.
He has a worldwide reputation as a brilliant concert organist and improviser. Additionally, he often performs as pianist; for example, he gave the English and French premieres of Julius Reubke
's long-forgotten piano sonata in B-flat minor.
Guillou's engagement in organ building led to collaborations with several organ builders and the construction or renovation of instruments in l'Alpe d'Huez
, the Chant d'Oiseau church in Brussels
, the Tonhalle in Zurich
, the Conservatory in Naples
, St. Eustache (as mentioned above), and, most recently, the Auditorio de Tenerife in Santa Cruz
(Canary Islands
).
As a composer, he has written numerous works for organ, as well as chamber music, orchestral music, and transcriptions for organ. In addition, Guillou has issued numerous organ recordings, including the complete organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach
and César Franck
, numerous improvisations (e.g., Visions cosmiques (1969), or Jeux d'orgue (1970)),as well as most of his own organ compositions, on a series of 7 CDs for the Philips label.
From 1970-2005, Guillou taught organ performance and improvisation at the annual Züricher Meisterkurse. Since 2007, these masterclasses are held at St. Eustache in Paris, France.
Angers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
) is a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, organist
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
, pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, and pedagogue.
Life
Following autodidactic studies in piano and organ performance, Guillou became organist at the church St. Serge in Angers at age 12. From 1945-1955, he studied at the Paris ConservatoireConservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris is a college of music and dance founded in 1795, now situated in the avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France...
under Marcel Dupré
Marcel Dupré
Marcel Dupré , was a French organist, pianist, composer, and pedagogue.-Biography:Marcel Dupré was born in Rouen . Born into a musical family, he was a child prodigy. His father Albert Dupré was organist in Rouen and a friend of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, who built an organ in the family house when...
, Maurice Duruflé
Maurice Duruflé
Maurice Duruflé was a French composer, organist, and pedagogue.Duruflé was born in Louviers, Eure. In 1912, he became chorister at the Rouen Cathedral Choir School, where he studied piano and organ with Jules Haelling...
, and Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex ; harmonically and melodically it is based on modes of limited transposition, which he abstracted from his early compositions and improvisations...
. In 1955, he accepted a position as professor of organ and composition at the Institute of Sacred Music in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. For health reasons, he left Lisbon in 1958 and moved to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, where he lived for the following five years.
In 1963, Guillou was appointed as titular organist at l'Église Saint-Eustache
Église Saint-Eustache, Paris
L’église Saint-Eustache is a church in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, built between 1532 and 1632.Situated at the entrance to Paris’s ancient markets and the beginning of rue Montorgueil, the Église de Saint-Eustache is considered a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
He has a worldwide reputation as a brilliant concert organist and improviser. Additionally, he often performs as pianist; for example, he gave the English and French premieres of Julius Reubke
Julius Reubke
Julius Reubke was a German composer, pianist and organist. In his short life — he died at the age of 24 — he composed the Sonata on the 94th Psalm, in C minor, which was and still is considered one of the greatest organ works in the repertoire.-Biography:Born in Hausneindorf, a small...
's long-forgotten piano sonata in B-flat minor.
Guillou's engagement in organ building led to collaborations with several organ builders and the construction or renovation of instruments in l'Alpe d'Huez
Alpe d'Huez
L'Alpe d'Huez is a ski resort at . It is a mountain pasture in the Central French Alps, in the commune of Huez, in the Isère département in the Rhône-Alpes region.-Tour de France:L'Alpe d'Huez is one of the main mountains in the Tour de France...
, the Chant d'Oiseau church in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, the Tonhalle in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, the Conservatory in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, St. Eustache (as mentioned above), and, most recently, the Auditorio de Tenerife in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital , second-most populous city of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands and the 21st largest city in Spain, with a population of 222,417 in 2009...
(Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
).
As a composer, he has written numerous works for organ, as well as chamber music, orchestral music, and transcriptions for organ. In addition, Guillou has issued numerous organ recordings, including the complete organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
and César Franck
César Franck
César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck was a composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher who worked in Paris during his adult life....
, numerous improvisations (e.g., Visions cosmiques (1969), or Jeux d'orgue (1970)),as well as most of his own organ compositions, on a series of 7 CDs for the Philips label.
From 1970-2005, Guillou taught organ performance and improvisation at the annual Züricher Meisterkurse. Since 2007, these masterclasses are held at St. Eustache in Paris, France.
Organ solo
- Fantaisie op. 1 (composed in 1954. Mainz: Schott, 2005)
- 18 Variations op. 3 (composed in 1956. Mainz: Schott, 2005)
- Sinfonietta op. 4 (composed in 1958/revised 2005. Mainz: Schott, 2005)
- Ballade Ossianique No. 1 ("Temora") op. 8 (composed in 1962/revised 2005. Mainz: Schott, 2005)
- Toccata op. 9 (composed in 1962. Mainz: Schott, 2004)
- 6 Sagas op. 20 (composed in 1970. Mainz: Schott, 2005)
- Ballade Ossianique No. 2 ("Les Chants de Selma") op. 23 (composed in 1971/revised 2005. Mainz: Schott, 2005)
- La chapelle des abîmes op. 26 (composed in 1973. Mainz: Schott, 2005)
- Scènes d'enfants op. 28 (composed in 1974. Mainz: Schott, 2005)
- Jeux d'Orgue op. 34 (composed in 1978. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1984)
- Suite pour Rameau op. 36 (composed in 1979. Boston, MA: Wayne Leupold Editions, 1994)
- Saga No. 7 op. 38 (composed in 1983. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1984)
- Sonate en trio op. 40 (composed in 1984):
- Version in two movements (Paris: Durand, 1985)
- Version in four movements (Unpublished.)
- Chamades op. 41 (composed in 1984. USA: H. T. FitzSimons, 1984)
- Impromptu for pedal solo op. 42 (composed in 1985. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1988)
- Hypérion ou la Rhétorique du Feu op. 45 (composed in 1988. Boston, MA: Wayne Leupold Editions, 1996)
- Säya ou l'Oiseau Bleu op. 50 (composed in 1993. Mainz: Schott, 2004)
- Éloge op. 52 (composed in 1994. Boston, MA: Wayne Leupold Editions, 1995)
- Alice au pays de l'orgue for organ and narrator op. 53 (composed in 1995. Mainz: Schott, 1998)
- Pensieri pour Jean Langlais op. 54 (composed in 1995. USA: H. T. FitzSimons, 1996)
- Instants op. 57 (composed in 1998. Unpublished.)
- Pièces furtives op. 58 (composed in 1998. Mainz: Schott, 2000)
- Hymnus op. 72 (composed in 2008. Mainz: Schott, 2009)
- Pièces brèves pour l'émission "Échappée par le ciel" (without Opus. Unpublished.)
- Pensieri pour Claude Bernard (without Opus. Unpublished.)
- Enfantine (without Opus. Unpublished.)
- Cadenza for the first movement from Organ Symphony No. 6 by Charles-Marie Widor (Unpublished.)
Organ with other instruments
- Inventions for organ and chamber orchestra (organ concerto No. 1) op. 7 (composed in 1960. Mainz: Schott)
- Concerto héroïque for organ and orchestra (organ concerto No. 2) op. 10 (composed in 1963/revised 2005. Mainz: Schott, 2005)
- Colloque No. 2 for organ and piano op. 11 (composed in 1964/revised 2005. Mainz: Schott, 2005)
- L'Infinito for bass and organ op. 13 (composed in 1965. Mainz: Schott, 2005)
- Organ Concerto No. 3 for organ and string orchestra op. 14 (composed in 1965. Mainz: Schott)
- Colloque No. 4 for organ, piano and two percussionists op. 15 (composed in 1966. Mainz: Schott, 2006)
- Intermezzo for flute and organ op. 17 (composed in 1969. Mainz: Schott, 2008)
- Symphonie Initiatique op. 18:
- First Version for three organs (composed in 1969. Unpublished.)
- Second Version for two organs (composed in 1990. Unpublished.)
- Third Version for four hands and feet (composed in 2009. Unpublished.)
- Colloque No. 5 for organ and piano op. 19 (composed in 1969/revised 2005. Mainz: Schott, 2005)
- Organ Concerto No. 4 for organ and orchestra op. 31 (composed in 1978. Withdrawn by the composer.)
- Organ Concerto No. 5 ("Roi Arthur") for organ and brass quintet op. 35 (composed in 1979. Mainz: Schott)
- Concerto for violin and organ op. 37 (composed in 1982. Unpublished.)
- Andromède for soprano and organ op. 39 (composed in 1984. Mainz: Schott, 2007)
- Peace for mixed choir (8 voices) and organ op. 43 (composed in 1985. Unpublished.)
- Aube for mixed choir (12 voices) and organ op. 46 (composed in 1988. Unpublished.)
- Colloque No. 6 for organ and two percussionists op. 47 (composed in 1989. Unpublished.)
- Fantaisie concertante for violoncello and organ op. 49 (composed in 1991. Mainz: Schott)
- Missa Interrupta for soprano, organ, brass quintet, percussion and choir op. 51 (composed in 1995. Mainz: Schott)
- Fête for clarinet and organ op. 55 (composed in 1995. Mainz: Schott, 2008)
- Écho for flute, clarinet, string quintet, choir, piano and organ op. 60 (composed in 1999. Mainz: Schott)
- Concerto 2000 for organ and orchestra op. 62 (composed in 2000. Mainz: Schott)
- Concerto for trumpet and organ ("L'Ébauche d'un souffle") op. 64 (composed in 1985. Unpublished.)
- Colloque No. 7 (concerto for piano and organ) op. 66 (composed in 1998. Mainz: Schott, in preparation.)
- Colloque No. 8 for marimba and organ op. 67 (composed in 2002. Mainz: Schott, in preparation.)
- Organ Concerto No. 6 for organ and orchestra op. 68 (composed in 2002. Mainz: Schott)
- La Révolte des Orgues for eight portative organs, great organ, and percussion op. 69 (composed in 2005. Mainz: Schott, 2007)
- Organ Concerto No. 7 for organ and orchestra op. 70 (composed in 2006. Mainz: Schott, in preparation.)
- Colloque No. 9 for organ and pan flute op. 71 (composed in 2008. Unpublished.)
Orchestra
- Piano Concerto No. 1 for piano and orchestra op. 16 (1969. Paris: Leduc)
- Judith Symphonie for mezzo soprano and orchestra op. 21 (1970. Unpublished.)
- Symphony No. 2 for string orchestra op. 27 (1974. Mainz: Schott, 2005)
- Symphony No. 3 ("La Foule") for large orchestra and two guitars op. 30 (1977. Unpublished.)
- Concerto Grosso for orchestra op. 32 (1978/2008. Unpublished.)
- Piano Concerto No. 2 for piano and orchestra op. 44 (1986. Unpublished.)
- Trombone Concerto for trombone (solo), 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, 3 tubas and two percussionists op. 48 (1990. Mainz: Schott)
- Fête for clarinet and orchestra op. 55 (1995. Unpublished.)
Chamber Music
- Colloque No. 1 for flute, oboe, violin and piano op. 2 (composed in 1956. Mainz: Schott, 2005)
- Sonate No. 1 for piano op. 5 (composed in 1958. Paris: Éditions Musicales Amphion, 1974)
- Cantilia for piano, harp, timpani and 4 celli op. 6 (composed in 1960. Mainz: Schott)
- Toccata (piano version) op. 9b (composed in 1962. Mainz: Schott)
- Colloque No. 3 for oboe, harp, celesta, percussion, 4 celli and 2 double basses op. 12 (composed in 1964. Mainz: Schott)
- Quatuor for oboe and string quartet op. 22 (composed in 1971. Unpublished.)
- Cantiliana for flute and piano op. 24 (composed in 1972. Unpublished.)
- Sonate for trumpet op. 25 (composed in 1972. Unpublished.)
- Poème de la Main for lyric soprano and piano op. 29 (composed in 1975. Unpublished.)
- Sonate No. 2 for piano op. 33 (composed in 1978. Unpublished.)
- Trio for 3 Violoncelli (excerpt from Diderot à corps perdu) op. 59 (composed in 1999. Unpublished.)
- Augure for piano op. 61 (composed in 1999. Mainz: Schott, 2005)
- Co-incidence for violin solo op. 63 (composed in 1996. Unpublished.)
- Epitases op. 65:
- First Version for pedal piano ("Double Piano Borgato") (composed in 2002. Unpublished.)
- Second Version for two pianos (Unpublished.)
- Chronique for percussion trio op. 73 (composed in 2009. Unpublished.)
- Impulso for flute solo op. 74 (composed in 2009. Unpublished)
- Triptyque for strings (without Opus. Paris: Leduc)
- Nocturne for harp or piano (without Opus. Le Rideau Rouge Éditions)
- Impromptu for piano (without Opus. Le Rideau Rouge Éditions)
Theater Music/Oratorio
- Le Jugement Dernier: Oratorio for choir, soloists, organ and orchestra (composed in 1965. Withdrawn by the composer.)
- Diderot à corps perdu (composed in 1973. Unpublished.)
Transcriptions for Organ
- Johann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
: Musical Offering BWV 1079 (Mainz: Schott, 2005) - Johann Sebastian Bach: Goldberg Variations BWV 988 (Unpublished.)
- Johann Sebastian Bach: Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor BWV 903 (Unpublished.)
- Johann Sebastian Bach: Sinfonia from Cantata Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29 (Unpublished.)
- Johann Sebastian Bach: Badinerie from the orchestra suite no. 2 BWV 1067 (Unpublished.)
- Johann Sebastian Bach: Sarabande BWV 977 (Unpublished.)
- Georg Friedrich Händel: 16 Concertos for organ and orchestra (with cadenzas) (Unpublished.)
- Georg Friedrich Händel: Hornpipe from "Water Music" (Unpublished.)
- Franz LisztFranz LisztFranz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
: Fantaisie et fugue sur le nom de BACH (syncretic version) (Mainz: Schott, 2005) - Franz Liszt: Orpheus (Mainz: Schott, 2005)
- Franz Liszt: Prometheus (Mainz: Schott, 2008)
- Franz Liszt: Valse oubliée No. 1 (Mainz: Schott, 2007)
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Adagio and Fugue in C minor K. 546 (Paris: Éditions Musicales Amphion)
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sonata in B-flat major K. 333 (Unpublished.)
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Adagio and Rondo in C minor K. 617 (Paris: Éditions Musicales Amphion)
- Modest MussorgskyModest MussorgskyModest Petrovich Mussorgsky was a Russian composer, one of the group known as 'The Five'. He was an innovator of Russian music in the romantic period...
: Pictures at an ExhibitionPictures at an ExhibitionPictures at an Exhibition is a suite in ten movements composed for piano by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1874.The suite is Mussorgsky's most famous piano composition, and has become a showpiece for virtuoso pianists...
(Mainz: Schott, 2005) - Sergei ProkofievSergei ProkofievSergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
: March from the opera "The Love for three oranges" (Bonn: Robert Forberg) - Sergei Prokofiev: Toccata'" op. 11 (Bonn: Robert Forberg)
- Sergei RachmaninoffSergei RachmaninoffSergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music...
: Danses SymphoniquesSymphonic Dances (Rachmaninoff)The Symphonic Dances, Op. 45, is an orchestral suite in three movements. Completed in 1940, it is Sergei Rachmaninoff's last composition. The work summarizes Rachmaninoff's compositional output....
op. 45:- First Version for two organs (Unpublished.)
- Second Versions for four hands and feet (Unpublished.)
- Igor StravinskyIgor StravinskyIgor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
: Three dances from "Petrouchka" (Unpublished.) - Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyPyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyPyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский ; often "Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" in English. His names are also transliterated "Piotr" or "Petr"; "Ilitsch", "Il'ich" or "Illyich"; and "Tschaikowski", "Tschaikowsky", "Chajkovskij"...
: "Scherzo" from Symphony No. 6 ("Pathétique") (Mainz: Schott, 2006) - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Nutcracker Suite (Unpublished.)
- Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto in D major (Paris: Éditions Musicales Amphion)
- Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto in D minor (Unpublished.)
External links
- http://www.jeanguillou.org/ Site dedicated to Jean Guillou.
- ARGOS Association pour le Rayonnement du Grand Orgue de Saint-Eustache, Paris.
- OSV Le Grand Orgue Mobile à Structure Variable.