DUPRÉ, MARCEL

(3 May 1886, Rouen, France – 30 May 1971, Meudon)

World-famousorganist, he established his reputation in 1920 by performing the first complete cycle of organ works ofJohann Sebastian Bachever given at theParisConservatoire. He succeededCharles-Marie Widorat St. Sulpice in 1934. Some of his amazing improvisations there became part of a large corpus of organ publications:ricercars, preludesandfugues, toccatas, organ symphonies,chorales, and many other quasi-liturgical works. He also composed anoratorioLa France au Calvaire("France at Calvary," 1954) and a half dozenmotets.