Suite for Organ, Op. 5
by Maurice Duruflé
Composed in 1933 and premiered by the composer at a concert in Paris, the Suite Op. 5 is Duruflé's first major organ work and the piece that announced his distinctive voice: a synthesis of French symphonic organ tradition — rooted in Vierne and Tournemire — with the modal harmony and Gregorian plainchant inflections that would characterize all his subsequent music. Its three movements — Prélude, Sicilienne, and Toccata — span a wide expressive range from contemplative meditation to scintillating virtuosity. The closing Toccata is particularly celebrated: a tour de force of rhythmic energy and technical brilliance that has become one of the most frequently performed movements in the organ literature, rivalling the famous Widor Toccata in concert popularity.
Editions
Durand
Maurice Duruflé, 1934
Original composer-authorised edition; the primary source text containing Duruflé's own registration and performance markings.
Durand
Editorial staff, 1970
Revised reprint with corrections; the standard performing edition used internationally by professional organists.
Kalmus
Editorial staff, 1985
American reprint edition that brought the work to wide circulation in North America; widely used in American organ pedagogy.