Louis Vierne (1870–1937) brought symphonic French organ music to its stylistic climax.

Besides being a productive composer, he also gained a reputation as a brilliant improviser at his place of employment, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and throughout the world.

In 1928 Vierne, one of the best-known organists of his day, made one of the earliest organ recordings, playing Bach works and his own improvisations in Notre Dame.

Three improvisations released in 1929-30 were transferred to musical notation in 1954 by his pupil Maurice Duruflé. Another previously unpublished improvisation which was recently rediscovered among Vierne's posthumous papers was reconstructed and published in musical notation in 2005 by Duruflé’s pupil Jean-Michel Louchart (b. 1946). These four improvisations join Vierne's transcriptions of works by Johann Sebastian Bach, César Franck and Serge Rachmaninoff in this volume, bringing our complete edition of his organ works to a close.

• New source material incorporated
• Extensive trilingual Foreword (Fr/Eng/Ger) with detailed notes on performance practice
• Comprehensive Critical Commentary (Fr/Eng/Ger)
• Illustrations and facsimiles

Photographs

Préface・Preface・Vorwort
Louis Vierne: Repères biographiques・Biographical Overview・Biographische Übersicht
Les improvisations de Louis Vierne, témoignages・Louis Vierne's improvisations, earwitness accounts・Louis Viernes Improvisationen, Zeugenberichte
Les improvisations enregistrées à Notre-Dame de Paris・The improvisations recorded in Notre-Dame, Paris・Die in Notre-Dame, Paris, aufgezeichneten Improvisationen
Les improvisations reconstituées par Maurice Duruflé et Jean-Michel Louchart・The improvisations transcribed by Maurice Duruflé and Jean-Michel Louchart・Die von Maurice Duruflé und Jean-Michel Louchart in Notenschrift übertragenen Improvisationen
Les transcriptions de Louis Vierne・Louis Vierne's transcriptions・Louis Viernes Transkriptionen

Facsimiles:
Audition on 21 May [1900], manuscript
Louis Vierne, improvisation themes, manuscript
Louis Vierne, letter of 22 April 1928
Louis Vierne in Notre-Dame, Paris, drawing by J[eanne] Péllacq (1881– ?), ca. 1931

Improvisations:
Trois Improvisations (1954) (Transcriptions by Maurice Duruflé):
I. Marche épiscopale
II. Méditation
III. Cortège
Improvisation (Transcription by Jean-Michel Louchart)

Transcriptions:
Sicilienne BWV 1031 / J.S. Bach (1894)
Franck, César
[Cinq] Pièces / C. Franck (1901)
I. [Offertoire]
II. [Petit Offertoire]
III. [Verset n° 1]
IV. [Verset n° 2]
V. [Communion]
Prélude no. 2 in C-sharp minor op. 3 / Rachmaninoff (1932)

Rapport critique・Critical Report・Kritischer Bericht:
I. Abréviations・Abbreviations・Abkürzungen
II. Principes éditoriaux・Editorial Policies・Zur Editionstechnik
III. Sources・Sources・Quellen
IV. Notes détaillées・Detailed References・Einzelnachweise

Bibliography