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René Blin


giwro

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René Émile Camille BLIN, born November 13, 1884 in Somsois (Marne Department, France), started a law degree, but then abandoned it to become the pupil of Joseph Jemain, Alexandre Guilmant, and Vincent d'Indy at the Schola Cantorum. He wrote masses, motets, Noëls, melodies, as well as music for the piano and for the violin. He succeeded Joseph Boulnois as organist at Ste-Élisabeth-du-Temple (Paris) in 1910.

 

Interestingly, Léonce de Saint-Martin, organist at Notre-Dame, dedicated one of his works in 1940 to “René Blin, organiste de chœur de N.D. de Paris”, indicating that Blin also played at the choir organ at Notre-Dame. It is unclear if Blin resigned from Ste-Élisabeth to take up this position, or if he kept both positions until his death in 1951.

Blin also dedicated a piece to Saint-Martin, his Rosace for organ, a sensual and haunting Impressionist evocation of the changing colors of a stained-glass window as the sun sets.

 

In addition to the pieces I've already mentioned, Blin wrote a monumental 62-page Symphonie in Bb for organ, Trois Pièces, Toccata, Suite Héroïque, Fugue, Marche Funèbre, Offertoire pour la Présentation de la Sainte Vierge, Fughetta sur le "Ite missa est", Litanies, Memento Verbi Tui, Stella Matutina and Refugium pecatorum. I'd dearly love to find the last 11 in this list, as I have not been able to locate them, and if they are of similar quality to the rest of his works, it would be wonderful to see them come once again to light and be played.

 

(part of this information comes from a post on another forum, I suspect from one of the members who also frequents here, the rest from Henderson and other various sources)

 

Here are recordings of 3 of the works:

 

Marche Nuptiale

Offertoire

Choral varie

 

It's all good fun (although the Marche is a bit over-the-top). The Symphonie is really a far better

piece, aside from being a bit long at 62 pages(!)

 

Do enjoy,

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ISMLP has his Rosace. It strikes me as a rather curious piece.

http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Blin%2C_Ren%C3%A9_Louis

 

I think I posted that to IMSLP, if memory serves....

 

There's a YouTube of it

 

for whatever reason, I've been quite obsessed with the piece... probably far out of proportion

to its worth <chuckle>

 

My best,

 

- G

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I think I posted that to IMSLP, if memory serves....

 

There's a YouTube of it

 

for whatever reason, I've been quite obsessed with the piece... probably far out of proportion

to its worth <chuckle>

 

My best,

 

- G

 

I play it too!

 

AJJ

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It doesn't sound so bad when you're just listening! :rolleyes:

 

<chuckle>

 

...and it really is quite fun to play - there's a couple of spots where he writes something other than what you expect, so it does pay to be watchful and actually play what's written instead of anticipating what one THINKS is coming next. I also found that this piece really comes alive only when careful attention is paid to phrasing. If I were teaching, I'd probably choose to use it to illustrate a number of concepts... it's also far easier of one has a GT > CH manual transfer - it all made perfect sense after I tried it that way

(finally!)

 

My best,

 

-G

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It appears than Blin's music is still copyright in most countries, including the UK, but I can't find reference to him in any current on-line catalogues, not even UMP. Whilst the you-tube link doesn't suggest to me that Blin's music is the greatest ever composed, are legal copies of the scores available anywhere, please?

 

Malcolm Kemp

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It appears than Blin's music is still copyright in most countries, including the UK, but I can't find reference to him in any current on-line catalogues, not even UMP. Whilst the you-tube link doesn't suggest to me that Blin's music is the greatest ever composed, are legal copies of the scores available anywhere, please?

 

Malcolm Kemp

 

I've sent you an email about this...

 

Best,

 

G

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