Jeanne Demessieux
Jeanne Demessieux (1921-1968) was a French composer and organist. She is remembered as exceptionally virtuosic in both fields.
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Life
Jeanne Demessieux was born on February 13, 1921, and grew up in Montpellier.
Her family moved to Paris and she entered the National Conservatory in 1921 as a piano student. She won first prizes in harmony, piano, and fugue from the ages of 16-18.
She began playing the Harmonium for services at St. Esperit, and started playing the organ around 1935.
Her first organ teacher was Marcel Dupre, who was astounded at her playing of the Hammerklavier piano sonata by Beethoven and Liszt Transcendental Studies. From 1935 to 1946, Dupre was Demessieux's teacher and he continued to advance her career while enlisting her help in preparing Dupre's editions of organ music. Their relationship ended abruptly in 1947 due to reasons that are not fully known even in the present day.
Even after losing contact with Dupre, Jeanne Demessieux continued to flourish, and she continued recording and composing organ music. She eventually resigned from her post from St. Esperit and was appointed as the titulare organist at St. Madeline in 1958.
Jeanne Demessieux passed away at 47 years old due to cancer on December 11, 1968.
Works
| Title | Incipit | Published | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Etudes | Bornemann, 1946 | ||
| 7 Meditations sur le Saint-Espirit | Durand, 1947 | ||
| Triptyque, Op. 7 | Durand, 1949 | ||
| 12 Chorale Preludes on Gregorian Chant Themes, Op. 8 | McLaughlin, 1950 | ||
| Te Deum pour Orgue, Op. 11 | Durand #13877, 1959 | ||
| Prelude et Fugue dans le mode lydien, Op. 13 | Durand, 1965 | ||
| Repons pour le Temps de Paques | Durand #14043, 1970 |
Errata
Errors in the publication of this composer's works are tracked on Errors:Jeanne Demessieux. Please keep About Errors: pages in mind and verify using citations.
References
Fabrikant, Harold. "The Saga of Jeanne Demessieux..." The Organ. London: Musical Opinion Limited, No. 409 (Autumn 2024). 20, 23. www.proquest.com
"Demessieux, Jeanne" in Beckmann, Klaus (editor), Repertorium Orgelmusik: Komponisten-Werke-Editionen 1150-2000, 57 Länder, Eine Auswahl. Third Edition. Mainz: Schott, 2001. Page 501