Le Livre d'orgue de Montreal
  • Joseph Michael
    Posts: 258
    Le Livre d'orgue de Montréal is the most voluminous extant manuscript of French organ music of the period of Louis XIV, was brought to Montréal in 1724 by Jean Girard, a Sulpician cleric and later organist at the parish of Notre-Dame. The document now belongs to the Fondation Lionel-Groulx in Montreal, where it was rediscovered in 1978.

    It is now available online (on a french Canadian site - Bibliothèque & Archives nationnales du Québec). You will find copies of the original pages as well as modern transcription. Also, many of the pieces have a recording done by organist Kenneth Gilbert.

    To learn more about this book you can go to http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=U1ARTU0002092

    To view and download the partitions, go to http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/livreorgue/

    I own two volumes of these books and could not function without them. They are always at my side on the organ bench. This is true "Catholic" music for the "Catholic" mass. These short pieces enable the organist to "cover the action" without impeding the ceremonial of the mass. This is music not for entertainment although many of the pieces could be combined for concert use. To have this resource available FREE online (with recordings) is a real blessing. When downloading, look for the "modern edition". Every Catholic organist should know about this resource!
  • Donna Robillard
    Posts: 33
    Thank you for sharing this resource. I have Volumes 1-3 of this collection, and as you said, it is invaluable. I remember how long it took several years ago to track down sources from which this music could be obtained. Now, it is available with a mouse-click. Neat!!
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