thenameisgsarci | Marcel Dupré - 24 Inventions for organ Op. 50 (audio + sheet music) @thenameisgsarci | Uploaded 8 months ago | Updated 23 minutes ago
At the age of 68 Dupre was named Director of the Paris Conservatoire, a post he held for only two years until mandatory retirement. During this time he was again drawn to pedagogical organ composition, resulting in the 24 Inventions, Op. 50. Dupre adopted the term "invention" from Bach and other earlier composers who used the title for brief pieces which display inventiveness of compositional technique. J. S. Bach's miniature keyboard masterpieces in two- and three-part counterpoint were intended as examples to teach the student "not alone to have good inventions (ideas), but to develop the same well." Similarly, the Dupre Inventions are based on unusual and surprising melodic ideas. Most are developed contrapuntally, with the musical lines imitating one another. Dupre also follows Bach's example (The We/I-Tempered Clavier) by writing pieces in all of the major and minor keys. A wide variety of moods are explored: serious (nos. 2, 4, 16), mystical (nos. 7, 11, 15, 22), playful and humorous (nos. 3 and 13), virtuosic (nos. 6 and 12), even heroic (no.18). Many of the pieces are composed in trio form, using different sounds for the two hands and a third for the feet. Among the sounds employed are flutes in various combinations (nos. l, 7, 11, 17), foundation stops (nos. 2, 4), solo reed voices (nos. 3, 10, 24), mutation stops (nos. 5,9, 13, 20, 23), sparkling mixtures (no. 12), strings (no.15), and occasionally a principal chorus sound (no.6 and 18). Nos. 11 and 23 make use of the sonority possible when two voices are sounded simultaneously in the pedals.

(Naxos Music Library)

Please take note that the audio AND sheet music ARE NOT mine. Feel free to change the video quality to a minimum of 480p for the best watching experience.

Performer: James Biery (Naxos, 1997)
(youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nx4aGMQ7bvTnW8KfOCZODGG9FUKj_tsGA)
Original sheet music: imslp.org/wiki/24_Inventions%2C_Op.50_(Dupr%C3%A9%2C_Marcel) (S. Bornemann, 1956)