15 Pieces, Op. 18: Conductor Score & Parts

Dupré's 15 Pieces offer an elegant solution for organists seeking substantial liturgical music that sits comfortably between elementary and concert-hall difficulty. The three-section structure allows programmers to use individual pieces or groups within services, and the antiphon-based organization gives each section its own character and harmonic language without requiring virtuosic fireworks.

Dupré's musical voice here is contemplative yet unafraid of emotional depth. The writing unfolds with architectural clarity; antiphonal exchanges between manuals and pedal create conversations between celestial and earthly registers, while the harmonic language glows with subtle chromaticism that feels both ancient and modern.

Intermediate to advanced organists with access to a two-manual instrument and comfortable with early twentieth-century French harmonic language. This collection suits church musicians seeking material that serves both liturgical function and recital programming.

• Attend to the relationships between sections; each antiphon group establishes its own registrational palette before the Ave Maris Stella pieces arrive. Plan your console work between movements to allow these shifts to feel intentional rather than reactive.
• Balance clarity with the romantic harmonic language. Dupré's chromaticism can obscure the underlying structure if tempos drift; maintain forward motion through the harmonic progressions.
• The Magnificat settings demand careful pedal articulation. These final pieces expand in scope and require a confident foot technique to sustain the architectural ambition of the writing.
• Respect the liturgical origins without becoming overly reverential. These pieces work best when approached as finished concert works that happen to serve a sacred function.

Select individual pieces to intersperse within a liturgical service, using the three sections as natural dividing points. Alternatively, program a complete performance of all fifteen pieces in a recital, where the systematic exploration of liturgical texts becomes a substantial concert work in its own right.

• French romantic harmonic language and chromaticism
• Pedal independence and articulation in sustained accompaniment patterns
• Manual coordination and registration changes across movements
• Balance between right- and left-hand independence in antiphonal textures
• Interpretive flexibility within structured liturgical forms