Marcel Dupré (1886-1971) – The Life of a Master Organist
In this biography Michael Murray traces the life and work of his teacher Marcel Dupré in a way that is hard to imagine. Based on extensive source material, his own experience and numerous references from the family and descendants, he describes the origin, education and career of a musician who, as a composer, interpreter, improviser, educator and editor, lived a full and fulfilled existence: Marcel Dupré was a student of Alexandre Guilmant, Charles-Marie Widor and Louis Vierne. With triumphant success he played more than two thousand concerts all over the world, with his accomplished improvisations being particularly admired.

He educated two generations of important organists and composers such as Olivier Messiaen, Jean Langlais, Gaston Litaize, Jehan and Marie-Claire Alain, Pierre Cochereau, Marie-Madeleine Duruflé and Jean Guillou and composed masterpieces such as his Preludes and Fugues, the Stations of the Cross or the Symphony-Passion that became an integral part of the repertoire and "enriched organ literature with new ways" (Olivier Messiaen). He was the last supporter of a tradition that was based on Bach's art and was brought to perfection by him. Michael Murray therefore considered it necessary to also go into detail in the description of Dupre's life story on historical background. In countless details, he brings more than a century of music history to life, which began with the organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll in the 19th century and extends to the present through César Franck, Charles-Marie Widor, Alexandre Guilmant and Louis Vierne.

For the German translation of the biography of Marcel Duprés, the publisher Günter Lade from the private collection of Duprés and his students, as well as from numerous French archives, collected 325 (!) largely unknown picture documents (photos, autographs, programs, letters) that depict the life and work of the master illustrate and make the new book a valuable standard work of organ art beyond the textual content.

German translation by Hans Uwe Hielscher.
Currently out of print, new revised edition will be released in mid 2020

American original edition published by Northeastern University Press, Boston.