Marcel Dupré (Rouen, 03.05.1886 – Meudon, 30.05.1971) was a French composer, organist and teacher.
From the age of 12 he received his first appointment as organist in Rouen, and was taught by Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911).
1902-1914: Conservatoire of Paris. He studies organ with Alexandre Guilmant, piano with Louis Diémer and composition with Charles-Marie Widor.
1906: Dupré became assistant to Widor (1844-1937) at the church of St. Sulpice in Paris and succeeded him as organist in 1934, a post he held until his death in 1971.
1914: received the Grand Prix de Rome for his cantata Psyché.
1926-1954: professor of organ and improvisation at the Paris Conservatoire, then director of this institute until 1956.
Among his most famous organ students are Marie-Claire Alain, Jeanne Demessieux, Jean Guillou, Jean Langlais and Olivier Messiaen.
In 1920 and 1921 Dupré gave a cycle of 10 concerts with the complete organ works of J.S. Bach, all played by heart. In total he gave more than 2000 organ concerts in Europe, America, Canada and Australia.
Marcel Dupré died on Whitsun in the afternoon, after having played the morning office.
Dupré wrote mainly compositions for organ, some of them extremely difficult. He was a brilliant organist who could improvise exceptionally well. Moreover, he wrote several books about organ playing, including Méthode d’orgue (1927), harmonic analysis, fugue and organ building.
Marcel Dupré, organ:
L’Anthologie Sonore 4 A/B
Matrix nrs.: AS 12/11 M6-77553/77552
4 A L’orgue Italien au 16e siècle:
1 Giovanni Gabrieli: Ricercare à 4 voix au Xe ton
4 B L’orgue Italien au 17e siècle:
2 Girolamo Frescobaldi: Toccata pour l’élévation