RAUGEL (Félix) — The Organists - Lot 242

RAUGEL (Félix) — The Organists RAUGEL (Félix). — The Organists. “Famous Musicians” series. Paris, Librairie Renouard, Henri Laurens, publisher, n.d. [circa 1920–1925]. In-8, 127 pp., paperback, beige cover printed in blue and brown, numerous illustrations and photographic reproductions within the text and as inserts. A study devoted to the history of the organ and its principal composers and performers, by Félix Raugel (1881–1975), a French organist, choir director, and musicologist, and choirmaster at the Church of Saint-Eustache in Paris. The book traces the evolution of organ music from its origins to the early 20th century: the early French, English, Italian, and German composers; Sweelinck and the French school; the classics of the 17th and 18th centuries; J. S. Bach and his sons, Handel, followed by the Romantics and modern composers including Mendelssohn, Liszt, Schumann, Brahms, César Franck, Charles-Marie Widor, and Alexandre Guilmant. The book concludes with a bibliography and a table of illustrations. The documentary illustrations include reproductions of historic organs and ancient documents, among them the plans for the main organ of Reims Cathedral, drawn around 1681 by Jacques Cellier, and the main organ of the Marienkirche in Lübeck. Copy with an autograph dedication A precious copy enhanced by an autograph dedication signed by Félix Raugel, inscribed on the half-title page: “To Mr. Louis Thirion, with warmest regards from a friend, Félix Raugel” The dedication is particularly interesting if the recipient is indeed Louis Thirion (1879–1966), a composer and professor at the Nancy Conservatory, which would constitute a thoroughly coherent and valuable musical provenance. However, I would err on the side of caution in the catalog entry by stating “presumably to the composer Louis Thirion” until the handwriting has been compared or the provenance formally established. Condition: a fine copy preserved in its original binding. Cover is slightly discolored and dusty, with a few small marks and signs of wear; spine is faded with minor wear on the end caps. Interior is clean, with a few light foxing spots or marginal discoloration. Untrimmed copy. Inscription is perfectly legible.