This dark gothic prelude belongs in a museum

Surely there must be room, in the ever-expanding global repository of music we admire, to display and experience such an inspired piece.

Louis Vierne (1870–1937)
12 Préludes for piano, Op. 36 (1914–15)
VII. Evocation d'un jour d'angoisse [Evocation of a Day of Anguish]
PianoCurio, pf

Louis Vierne, principally known for his organ works, wrote some of his finest music for piano. Born nearly blind with congenital cataracts, Vierne was the favorite student of Charles-Marie Widor and went on to teach Nadia Boulanger Maurice Duruflé, among many others, at the Conservatoire. He served as the organist at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris for 37 years until his death there while performing his 1,750th recital; during an improvisation near the end, he slumped over and struck a low pedal E that resounded throughout the cathedral.

Vierne wrote most of his piano preludes between the outbreak of World War I in 1914 and a romantic breakup in May 1915. His two sons, one still a minor, left to join the war effort. The preludes reflect both fond memories (no. 4, "Memory of a Day of Joy" and no. 5, "Nostalgia) as well as painful ones (no. 10, "On a Grave" and no. 11, "Farewell"). They are all of remarkable quality and demonstrate a distinct personal voice.

Evocation of a Day of Anguish, no. 7 of the set, is a hauntingly gorgeous piece that deserves to transcend from obscurity as much has any other lesser-known piano work. It opens with a pair of voices in contrary motion; one ascends, the other sinks chromatically, an both return to form an elegant mirrored arch. Vast spans of arpeggiated harmonies transition into an austere, gothic tolling of octaves, like a hallucination of foreboding bells. After dispelling this grim omen, the scene eventually reaches a warm resolution, moving beyond the ordeal with a final gesture of benediction.

00:00 The evocation
01:04 Episode
02:40 The second evocation
03:40 Episode
04:50 The blessing

[BradHollowniczky]

Vierne is in my top three favorite composers. An underappreciated, idiosynchratic genius.

[rufescens]

You know, I'm struck by how much work it takes to learn the language of a new composer. This is so full of interesting chords and harmonic progressions that are unfamiliar to me. When I approach a new piece by a composer I know well, there's a lot that I already understand from previous exposure that I can rely on. But studying piece after piece by composers I've never heard of before, would be so much more challenging.

[turtle]

Wow... so beautiful... 1910s harmonic language was really special

[ProfRonanMC]

Perhaps the neglect is also due to the canonisation of a limited repertoire. Recital programmes are becoming ever more calcified around a few composers whose works make us expect that great music will sound like Chopin or Mozart or our friend Sergei Vasilievich.
How good to have our ears rinsed like this – thank you!

[thewaltzingpiano]

This channel is doing amazing work in bringing new and unknown composers to the audience of Youtube. Keep up the efforts !!:)

[Ludus]

One of the very finest of the late, even ultra Romantics.
This is a great birthday present! He was born on 8th October 1870.

[elipcellist]

People are so pressed in the comments over nothing. Great short piece, and lovely performance!

[brynbstn]

great find, wonderful piece, very original in it's concept, personally I think it loses it's dramatic impact with too many repetitions. What are his other preludes like?

[MrInterestingthings]

Wow. Most ofvus know Widor and many have heard of Vierne but i had never heard his piano music. He takes it places only the highest minds would have been attracted to. These preludes deservecthe great respect accorded to Franck and Widor!

[jpmorgan]

I love Louis Vierne's organ works, but this is the first time I've heard one of his compositions for piano. I'm stunned! This piece is haunting and ominous, but also so beautiful! Excellent interpretation! Who is the pianist?

[mikecole]

Nicely presented. Doesn’t really “belong in a museum” though as yet unavailable on IMSLP. Would love to find the music somewhere!
You just need to correct the chord with the Gx at 1:12 and when the passage comes back in the major. After all it’s right later (at 3:47 etc.) when it’s Cx in the context of the home key.
Also the painful G at 4:55 which might sound like something of a fly in the ointment in the context of the final benediction.

[constablekohler]

I like the overuse of the James Bond chord progression lol

[michelcamachomusic]

Ivan is sick from Khachaturian album for the young, has an amazing and dark harmony. Short but powerful and interesting. This prelude is quite interesting at the beginning but I lost interest until the re exposition again. Well played and recorded by the way.

[cliveso]

You got a few of the double sharps wrong.

[ewencousin]

Beautiful, composition & interpretation

[bradyredding]

You should really listen to his piano quintet (first mov if my fav)

[trevordaviesable]

Very interesting but beauty is a difficult concept and changes from period to period. Romantic or modern ?

[drw]

Really great, where could I get the sheet music?

[faded_jinx]

This is awesome! What’s the recording/performance?

[richardrye]

Yes, Vierne wrote some beautiful music, for both piano and organ (and...), but so much of it seems to display a certain frustration or anger. Just my opinion.