Louis Victor Jules Vierne (1870-1937) was one of the most important French organists and composers of the pre-war, late Romantic period. He is best-known for his Organ Symphonies, which are among the very best that are still performed. Browse our sheet music and scores, and discover first-hand all his wonderful works today.
At the age of three, Louis Vierne and his family moved to Paris. Despite suffering with congenital cataracts from birth, it was clear Louis had an incredible talent for music, and with the help of an iridectomy at the age of six, he was able to start studying the piano. In 1880 he heard César Franck play the organ, and from that moment on, Louis’ fate was decided. He completed his studies in organ, and organ improvisation at the Paris Conservatoire in 1894, under the tutorage of Charles-Marie Widor. The high point of his organ career was his appointment as Head Organist at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris 1900, which he held until his death in 1937.
Louis Vierne is one of the leading exponents of the symphonic organ movement, which aims to replicate the sound of a whole symphony orchestra on the organ. The top instruments of the 19th century came from the workshop of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. Charles-Maria Widor and Charles Tournemire were also prominent representatives of the symphonic organ movement. Vierne composed six organ symphonies, and he also devoted himself to piano works, chamber music, vocal works and the symphony.
Despite the iridectomy, Louis’ sight was strongly impaired all his life, and he used extra-large sheet music and a ’large pencil’ when he composed, as his friend Marcel Dupré describes it. Having learnt in early years, as his sight began to deteriorate, he began relying more and more on the braille system. In 1908, due to an onset of glaucoma, he lost his sight completely.
During his 1750th organ concert in Notre Dame Cathedral on June 2, 1937, Louis Vierne suffered a heart attack. He managed to finish the piece, but collapsed during the improvisation that followed. He died playing one single note on his beloved organ, after falling on one of the pedals.
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 283826
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 971558
for: Organ manuals [harmonium]
Music score
Item no.: 491146
for: Viola, piano
Item no.: 582945
for: Organ
Score
Item no.: 582240
for: Organ
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 466837
for: Voice, harp [piano]
Music score
Item no.: 852349
14 volumes
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Organ
14 music scores (Urtext)
Item no.: 685372
Klassik
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 395582
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 128796
for: Organ or Harmonium
Score
Item no.: 144745
Louis Vierne. Sämtliche Orgelwerke 7,4 | BÄRENREITER URTEXT
for: Organ
Spielpartitur, Urtextausgabe
Item no.: 466838
Louis Vierne. Sämtliche Orgelwerke 8,2 | BÄRENREITER URTEXT
for: Organ
Spielpartitur, Urtextausgabe
Item no.: 466840
for: GES-H (S/T) ORG
Organ reduction
Item no.: 618717
for: Organ manuals [harmonium]
Music score
Item no.: 1201164
Klassik
for: Organ and Vocal
Buch
Item no.: 269608
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 492182
for: Violin, organ
Score
Item no.: 1552099
Sämtliche Orgelwerke 8/1
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Organ manuals [harmonium]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 466839
Œuvres complètes pour orgue
for: Organ
13 music scores (in slipcase)
Item no.: 469326
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 492553
Item no.: 613455
for: Organ or Harmonium
Buch
Item no.: 283825
for: Organ
Item no.: 433897
for: Organ
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 466836
Louis Vierne. Sämtliche Orgelwerke 9 | BÄRENREITER URTEXT
for: Organ
Spielpartitur, Sammelband, Urtextausgabe
Item no.: 466841
for: Organ
Music score (spiral binding)
Item no.: 101217
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 206033
Klassik
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 395615
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 395580
édition bon(n)orgue 86
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 1017395
for: Organ or Harmonium
Score
Item no.: 283819
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 177197
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 206171
Klassik
for: Violin, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 269581
for: Organ
Audio-CD
Item no.: 767892
for: Mixed choir (SATB), organ
PART / PART (ORG)
Item no.: 617763
for: Violin, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 1202612
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 1202610
for: Organ
Sheet music
Item no.: 1383220
for: Organ
Score
Item no.: 604075
Complete Organ Works, Volume III
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Organ
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 466831
Organistes Contemporains 6
for: Organ
Item no.: 170497
nebst ergänzenden Auszügen aus dem Tagebuch
Die Lebensrückschau eines großen Organisten und ein breites Panorama der französischen Orgelkultur der Zeit.
Book (Hardcover)
Item no.: 674503
for: Mixed Ensemble
Score, Parts
Item no.: 342999
24 Pieces in free style
Vol. 1: Nos. 1–12
for: Organ [harmonium]
Music score
Item no.: 587210
for: Mezzo-Soprano or Baritone and Piano
Score
Item no.: 921357