Albert Renaud (organist)

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Albert Félix Joseph Renaud (1855 – 28 May 1924) was a French organist and composer who served for many years as organist at the parish church of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris.[https://books.google.com/books?id=PO8aAAAAYAAJ&dq=albert+renaud+saint+germain+en+laye&pg=PA829 Le Monde Moderne], vol. 14 (July–December 1901), pp. 829–830.[https://books.google.com/books?id=H5YyAQAAMAAJ&dq=albert+renaud+saint+germain+church&pg=PA301 The Etude], January 1914, p. 301. Retrieved 7 January 2022.

Life and career

File:Saint-Germain-en-Laye - Église Saint-Germain001.jpg

Image:Orgue St Germain en Laye.JPG

Born in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, Renaud studied at the Conservatoire de Paris under César Franck, Camille Saint-Saens, Charles Gounod and Jules Massenet and began his career by succeeding his father Félix as choirmaster of the Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris.[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZjwlKtmSGEIC&dq=albert+renaud+toccata+guilmant&pg=PR5 Toccatas, Carillons and Scherzos for Organ: 27 Works for Church or Concert Performance] ed. Rollin Smith (Dover Publications Inc., 2002), p. v. Retrieved 7 January 2022.

After a spell as organist at Rennes Cathedral, he returned to Paris in 1878 as organist of the Church of Saint-François-Xavier.[https://www.musiqueorguequebec.ca/orgues/france/sfrancoisxp.html Musique Orgue Québec], Église Saint-François-Xavier, Paris. Retrieved 7 January 2022. In 1891 he became organist at the parish church of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, serving until his death.[https://books.google.com/books?id=GeJk6pmO4VEC&dq=albert%20renaud%20saint%20germain%20en%20laye&pg=PP1 Louis Jambou, La musique entre France et Espagne : interactions stylistiques 1870 - 1939] (Presses de l'Université de Paris-Sorbonne, 2003), p. 322. In 1903 he oversaw the refurbishment of the church's Cavaillé-Coll organ, marking the completion of the work with a concert on 27 October at which Alexandre Guilmant and Eugène Gigout also played.[https://books.google.com/books?id=xuMEAAAAMAAJ&dq=albert+renaud+saint+germain+en+laye&pg=PA749 Le Guide Musical], vol. 49 (1903), p. 749.

His successor at Saint-Germain-en-Laye was Albert Alain, father of organists Jehan, Olivier and Marie-Claire Alain.

Compositions

Renaud's best known work is his Toccata in D minor (Op. 108, No. 1), which he dedicated to Alexandre Guilmant. Guilmant played it during a recital at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. He also wrote piano, orchestral and choral works as well as opera and ballet music.[https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb150932678 Bibliothèque nationale de France], Renaud, Albert (1855–1924). Retrieved 7 January 2022.

=List of works=

For organ

Quatre pièces d'orgue (Op. 101, No. 1 (Entrée, processional), No. 2 (Angelus), No. 3 (Pastorale) and No. 4 (Marche funèbre))
Improvisations - soixante pièces classées par tons pour orgue ou harmonium (Op. 106)
Deux toccatas (Op. 108, No. 1 (in D minor) and No. 2 (in D major))
Quatre pièces d'orgue (Op. 116, including No. 1 (Offertoire in E minor) and No. 3 (Communion in F major))
Esquisses - trente pièces pour orgue ou harmonium (Op. 120)
Grand choeur, Op. 123 (No. 1 in D major)

Opera