I would like to start learning a piece by Dupre. As my practice time will be quite limited after the summer, I don't want to work on something that is too difficult or longer than 10 minutes.

I don't feel like learning Le tombeau de Titelouze, Cortege et litanie, or the Final in G Minor.

Any other suggestions? I've been dreaming about Variations sur un vieux Noel and the Op. 7 Preludes and Fugues.

How hard is the B Major P & F from Op. 7? I like it, but it looks very challenging. How hard is it compared to the music of Durufle and Vierne? Just want to get a rough idea.

B Major is feindish. I had a look at it once, but it'll be the end of uni before i think i can play it properly. Its FRSM-set i think. The F Minor is considerably easier. G Minor fugue is allegedly grade 8, but i'm not convinced

The Variations on an old noel are harder still. I think one of our esteemed virtuosi would struggle to learn it in a summer!

The Cortege e Litanie is wonderful though. It's almost a mini-sonata.

The Noel variations are well worth learning and not really THAT impossible, especially if you tackle them a bit at a time.

Sorry, I meant to say that I wanted to start a piece by Dupre before the end of summer because I still have time to practise regularly. Whichever piece I choose, I am prepared to spend at least half a year to learn.

I agree that the G minor fugue is way beyond Grade 8 standard when played properly at the prescribed tempo.

Both the B major and F minor P & F are set for FRSM.

I think you may have to bite your lip and look at some of 'Le Tombeau de Titelouze'

Bought the Op. 7 score today and read through the B major work slowly. It was very hard but fun. The manual parts are not too bad compared to the piano etudes by Liszt. The piece will take a while to learn and master (that's for sure), but I wouldn't say it is more difficult than, say, Durufle's organ music.

I agree. There is really nothing impossible in the Variations sur un Noel. It is necessary, as with all pieces, to sort out the correct fingering at the outset and stick to it, learning the music very slowly. Roger Fisher's book 'Masterclass' has some helpful guidance and fingering for the difficult passages.

It took me about three months to learn it from memory, and I am not a good sight reader by any means, so take it very steady at first. Good luck!

Barry Williams

That sounds encouraging! I wasn't sure if there were any hidden difficulties in the apparently manageable sections. After all, this piece is set for FRSM, just like the B major P & F.

Hopefully my score will arrive soon so that I can examine the work carefully and sort out the fingering before summer is over.

I am going to see if Roger Fisher's book is available in the library here.

The first movement, Le Monde Dans L'Attente Du Sauveur from the Symphonie-Passion Op.23[i] is quite tricky but a fair bit easier than the other three movements.

The Op.36 Preludes and Fugues are worth a look at too - especially the second - as well as the newly available Paraphrase sur le Te Deum[i].

Thats my favourite bit of Dupre, but doubt that I could attempt it !

Thanks for the suggestions. Maybe I will take a look at Symphonie-Passion after I finish the B-major P & F.

My first practice on the B-major work went really well. I managed to learn half of the fugue at half the tempo. But that's after I had written down the fingering and pedalling away from the organ.

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Thanks for the comprehensive list, acc. That was very impressive!

Although I had worked on the P&F in B Major briefly back in August, I have recently decided to pursue the Variations instead. Both works are great fun. I will probably return to the P&F after I finish learning the Variations.