6 Messes Faciles pour L'Orgue : Ouvrage composé pour l'instruction élémentaire des elèves organistes

Paris: Henry Lemoine. [1840]. First edition. Upright folio. Six volumes in one. Engraved throughout. [PN] 2501 - 2506. 26, 16, 21, 17, 19, 21 pp. Including the following sections:

Disposition des petites orgues --
Messe des Doubles --
Messe des Semi-Doubles --
Chant de la Préface de la Messe --
De la bénédiction du Saint-Sacrement --
Messe des Solennels Majeurs --
Messe des Dimanches --
Messe pour toutes les Fêtes de la Vierge --
Messe des Dimanches et Doubles.

Bound in brown marble boards over half brown leather with five raised bands, later title plate pasted to front cover. Scattered foxing, one page torn and with early paper repair to margin, generally fine. Rare. No copies of this original edition are recorded by OCLC.

"When Fétis assumed his post of director of the Brussels Conservatory in 1833, he apparently decided to offer the courses he felt were essential, taking the responsibility himself for those that had no teacher. Thus, his auto-biographical entry in the first edition of Biographie universelle (1835-44) states that he was teaching courses in composition, organ and plainchant, and vocal ensemble, and that he was directing the studies of the orchestra, the rehearsals, and the concerts, in addition to handling the administration of the Conservatory...In connection with his work as organ professor, Fétis published two collections: 6 Messes faciles pour l’orgue (Paris: Lemoine [1840]), and Vêpres et saluts des dimanches ordinaires (Paris: Canaux [1843]). The preface of the first volume, dated December 31, 1840, states that the Masses it contains were “composed for the organ students of the conservatory placed under my directin: [composées pour les élèves organists du conservatoire placé sous ma direction]. Fétis deplored the “miserable things” habitually played by organists in small towns and rural locations. “Most of them play dance tunes and theater songs in their versets; their preludes and offertories are opera overtures, which are not even appropriate to the nature of the organ.” [La plupart exécutent des airs de danse et des chants de théâtre dans leurs versets; leurs préludes et leurs offertoires sont des ouvertures d’Opéras, qui ne sont pas même appropriées à la nature de l’orgue.] Following the preface there is a description and explanation of the stops found in small organs, some typical specifications, a list of stops used in different types of registration, and a discussion of the accompaniment of plainchant." (Orpha Ochse, "Organists and Organ Playing in Nineteenth-Century France and Belgium," p. 166) (9157)

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