In this book, Ronald Ebrecht has meticulously studied each of Durufle's works and put together the first book to discuss in detail all of Durufle's music. With encouragement from Durufle's editor and the foundation established in his name, Ebrecht has compiled copious examples from manuscript sources to be published for the first time along with the little-known contextualizing works of Messiaen and Barraine. Most widely known for his masterpiece Requiem, the composer's orchestral gems are analyzed alongside his delightful miniature: the orchestration of the Sicilienne. The organ works which set the standard for virtuosity at conservatories around the world are given new insightful and thorough evaluation by Ebrecht, whose long association with late 19th and early 20th century France and French music affords illuminating connections between Durufle and his predecessors and successors with sweeping insight and minute detail.
Ronald Ebrecht is professor emeritus from Wesleyan University.
Durufle's Music Considered is the culmination of Ronald Ebrecht's lifetime work on the musical legacy of the 20th century composer-organist Maurice Durufle. Ebrecht shares the detailed work he did privately with the composer and his wife, the great organ virtuoso Marie-Madeleine Durufle-Chevalier, on Durufle's organ works. Ebrecht also shares his study and research of the entire body of the composer's music, including several unpublished works, from the many existing manuscripts and editions as well as through his connections with Durufle's colleagues, family, and former students. This book is indispensible for anyone serious about doing an in-depth study of the music of Maurice Durufle.--James David Christie, David S. Boe Professor of Organ, Oberlin Conservatory of Music (2002-2018) Maurice Durufle needs no introduction to American organists; his manifold accomplishments as performer, transcriber/"reconstituter" of recorded improvisations, and above all, composer, have sustained and will continue to nourish interest. In Durufle's Music Considered, Ebrecht offers readers his view of Durufle's music. The result is both distinctive and a marvelous example of its kind: musical scholarship that keeps the focus on the inner workings of compositions through analysis (Ebrecht prefers "narrative") and compositional genesis.... To a noteworthy degree, it is grounded in the author's personal story. With this approach, Ebrecht is not afraid to attribute importance to his own feelings, experiences, and personal opinions within the context of the overall argument. A reader eventually learns that this book is but one part of the author's lifelong engagement with Maurice Durufle, the composer and performer; with his wife, Marie-Madeleine Durufle, the celebrated virtuoso organist; and with Durufle's compositions, scores, and related materials.... [A]fter reading this book, I cherish even more deeply my still vivid memories of and feelings for the first time I heard Maurice and Marie-Madeleine Durufle in concert (at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, in 1969). For those who seek a more personal framework for music studies, Ebrecht's book provides a welcome example that merits consideration.-- "The American Organist"
