Louis Vierne -- Organ Symphony No. 1 in D Minor -- Score

In 1881, while a student at the National Institute for the Young Blind in Paris, Louis Vierne listened to an organ recital by César Franck. Although he was already a gifted musician as a child, this experience seemed to set the course for the rest of his life. He wrote “The organ played a mysterious prelude, quite unlike any I had heard at Lille; I was bowled over and became almost ecstatic. ... I could not hold back my tears. I knew nothing; I understood nothing; but my instinct was violently shaken by this expressive music echoing through every pore.“ Accepted to the school, he studied under Franck, Louis Lebel and Adolphe Marty (who was also blind), and was accepted to the Paris Conservatoire in 1890, studying under Charles Marie-Widor (who also performed at Vierne’s wedding), graduating in 1894. He was named titular organist of Notre-Dame de Paris in 1900, and embarked on a performing tour to raise money for the organ’s restoration. By this time, he had already started composing music, including this Organ Symphony. Vierne remained at Notre-Dame de Paris for the rest of his life. Indeed, he actually died at the organ console after a recital in 1937, at the same instrument we listen to here. 0:00 First Movement: Prelude 9:36 Second Movement: Fugue 14:18 Third Movement: Pastorale 22:00 Fourth Movement: Allegro Vivace 27:38 Fifth Movement: Andante 35:32 Sixth Movement: Final Score sourced through the International Music Score Library Project / Petrucci Music Library: :ImagefromIndex/598441/hfvy Music Source: This video is produced for educational purposes, for the benefit of amateurs, enthusiasts, and professional musicians alike. No claim of ownership is made over the component parts of this video. Have a piece of music you’d like to see with the score? SMW is happy to take requests.