Alexandre Cellier (Conductor, Organ)

Born: June 17, 1883 - Molières-sur-Cèze, France
Died: March 4, 1968 - Paris, France

The French organist, composer, and conductor, Alexandre Eugène Cellier, studied organ with Alexandre Guilmant until 1908. In 1908 he won the first prize for organ at the Conservatoire de Paris. Before that he also studied with Henri Dallier and Charles-Marie Widor.

Alexandre Cellier was the organist/Titulaire of the Temple de l'Étoile in Paris from 1910 until his death in 1968. The organ he used was a 3-manual Cavaillé-Coll organ with 32 stops, which was extended by Mutin in 1914.

In Louis Vierne's biography Mes Souvenirs, he describes Alexandre Cellier as a highly "cultivated musician" with perfect skills in improvisation. He must have been very virtuous on the organ, as he also made a career as concert organist in France but also abroad. His music is typical modern French style (in the view of Vierne) and "highly aesthetic".

He wrote a book about organ registration and is known as the French translator of the texts of the Bach Chorales.

Selected compositions

Orchestral:
Paysages cévenols (1912)
Sur la colline d’Uzès (1928)
Le chant d’une flûte (1930)
Chacun son tour, Suite humoristique for wind soloists and string orchestra (1934)
Le Carnaval (1938)

Chamber music:
Piano Quintet No. 1 (1906)
String Quartet No. 1 in A minor (1911)
Piano Quintet No. 2 (1913)
Sonata in G major for cello and piano (1920)
String Quartet No. 2 (1923)
Sonate en sol bémol majeur (Sonata in G♭ Major) for viola and piano (1923)
Chevauchée fantastique for trumpet and piano (1944)
Ballade for horn and piano (1949)
Images médiévales for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon
Invocation for organ, violin, cello and harp

Organ:
Suite Symphonique pour Orgue en Sol majeur (1906)
Méditation – published in book one of "Les Maitres Contemporains de l'Orgue" in 1911
Pièce Symphonique – published in book one of "Les Maitres Contemporains de l'Orgue" in 1911
Cortège – published in book four of "Les Maitres Contemporains de l'Orgue"
Dans la vieille Abbaye – published in book four of "Les Maitres Contemporains de l'Orgue"
Offertoire pour le jour de l'Ascension – published in book eight of "Les Maitres Contemporains de l'Orgue"
Étude en mi mineur (1916)
Pèlerinages, Suite de 10 pièces (1923)
Trois Chorals (1936)
La douleur, Choral-paraphrase sur la mélodie du Psaume 77
L'espérance, Choral-paraphrase sur la mélodie du Psaume 90
La joie, Choral-paraphrase sur la mélodie du Psaume 138
Églises et Paysages (1943)
Prélude et Fugue – published in 'Orgue et Liturgie', volume 33
Choral-Prélude sur Psaume 65 – published in 'Orgue et Liturgie', volume 38
Thème et variations sur le Psaume 149 du Psautier de la Réforme "Chantez à Dieu chanson nouvelle" – published in 'Orgue et Liturgie', volume 66
Rhapsodie
Concerto

Vocal:
Prière: J'ai cru, c'est pourquoi j'ai parlé (Prayer) for voice and organ; words from Psalm 116

Source: Wikipedia Website (January 2011)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (February 2012)

Alexandre Cellier: Short Biography | Recordings of Vocal Works

Links to other Sites

Alexandre Cellier (Wikipedia)