JEAN LANGLAIS
February 15, 1907-May 8, 1991
"To play only what is written is the domain of science. To realize what is not written is the domain of art." ~Jean Langlais
Organist and composer Jean Langlais was born on February 15th, 1907, in the small village of La Fontenelle, Brittany, France. The oldest of four children, Langlais became blind at the age of two. He entered the National Institute of the Blind in Paris, where he studied organ, piano, violin, and harmony with many of the great blind teachers of the day, including Albert Mahaut and André Marchal. Langlais then entered the Paris Conservatoire, where he studied organ with Marcel Dupré and received first prize in the 1931 organ competitions. He also completed additional study with Charles Tournemire and composition with Paul Dukas.
Langlais' compositional style and playing are rooted in the traditions and love of the church he served as organist for forty-three years (1945-1988): The Basilica of Sainte-Clotilde in Paris. Here, he followed in the footsteps of both César Franck and Charles Tournemire, who make up the "Sainte-Clotilde Tradition".
As a teacher, Langlais served as Professor of Organ at the National Institute of the Blind for thirty-six years, and as a professor at the Paris Schola Cantorum from 1961 to 1976. In addition to these two institutions, he maintained a vibrant teaching studio of private students who traveled from around the world to study with him.
Langlais was a prolific composer of organ, vocal, and instrumental music, numbering over two hundred and fifty opus numbers. He was also a sought-after recitalist throughout the world, embarking on numerous tours to the USA and Germany and making numerous recordings.
Jean Langlais died in Paris on May 8th, 1991. He was eighty-four years old.
Langlais' musical compositions feature multiple influences. However, the most important of these was Langlais' devotion to his Catholic faith and the Catholic liturgy. His work is filled with references to Medieval music, chant, folk melodies, and modality. The combination of older compositional styles and Langlais' own musical interests unite in compositions that are beautiful and transcend the hearts and minds of organists, students, and audiences, even today.
Courtesy, Marie-Louise Langlais
MATTHEW'S TESTIMONIAL ON LANGLAIS
My first exposure to the music of Jean Langlais was through Saint Anne Church and Shrine in Fall River, Massachusetts. Saint Anne organist and choir director Normand Gingras was a student of Jean Langlais, both in Boystown, Nebraska, and at the École Normale de Musique in Paris.
A devoted disciple of Langlais, Normand played many of his major works at liturgies and at concerts. He also invited Langlais to Saint Anne multiple times, including to dedicate the large and tonally significant Casavant Organ in the upper church on October 12, 1964.
Growing up and attending concerts and services at Saint Anne, I was introduced to many of Langlais' organ works, and learned quickly how much of an impact he made on Normand, but also on the organ world as a whole. Studying Langlais' life and music quickly became a major interest of mine, involving both performance and research. Additionally, I have been very lucky to have studied with others who have had direct connections to Langlais himself: James David Christie (his private student in improvisation, 1975) and Marie Louise Langlais (his wife and student at the Schola Cantorum in Paris, 1969).
Langlais' music deserves to be continually heard and appreciated. As Langlais' music and legacy pass from his students to the next generation of organists, I believe it is important for me to carry it forward as well. I do so by regularly programming Langlais' music on my recital programs and at church services, where I play most of his major works, especially those written through the mid 1950s. Many of his compositions are also excellent works for pedagogical study, and I often assign them to my students. Recently, I have also engaged in research on Langlais as a pedagogue, especially as a teacher of blind students at the National Institute of the Blind.
Langlais' contributions to the organ are immense, and he continues to impact organ playing, composition, and pedagogy even over thirty years after his death. His music represents some of the finest writing of the Twentieth Century French organ school, and his compositional voice is unique among his peers.
May Langlais continue to inspire generations of organists to discover and create beautiful music.
Courtesy, Marie-Louise Langlais