Tu es Petra
by Henri Mulet
Henri Mulet (1878–1967) was a French organist-composer who studied at the Paris Conservatoire and later spent most of his life as an obscure parish organist in Provence. Tu es Petra ("Thou art Peter"), the concluding piece of his Esquisses byzantines (Byzantine Sketches), is the only one of his works to have achieved fame — but it has achieved enduring fame indeed. A grand toccata in the French classical tradition, it demands an absolutely clean and fast pedal technique, brilliant manual passagework, and the full dynamic range of the French Romantic organ. Its thunderous opening and climactic fff conclusion make it a favourite recital closer and competition showpiece.
Editions
Alphonse Leduc
Henri Mulet, 1920
Original Leduc publication; the only published edition of the work. Still in print and the standard performance text.
Alphonse Leduc
Revised reprint, 1965
Later Leduc reprint with slightly improved engraving but identical text to the original.