Jean Berveiller – Épitaphe

Very little is know about Jean Berveiller (1904-1976) except that he was a Parisian, who worked in finance during the day, in a jazz club at night and studied organ with Marcel Dupré. All of his organ works are jazz inspired and were featured in many programs of the virtuoso organist, Jeanne Demessieux. Épitaphe was written for presumed dear friends who died in the second world war. Although no one knows now what was in the mind of Jean Berveiller when he wrote this, here are the descriptive ideas of my imagination. Quasi lento - Jean Berveiller visits Notre Dame Cathedral and hears Louis Vierne improvising. You could call this a Lament. Cantando - Berveiller walks into a New Orleans night club, hears a plaintive blues melody sung by a crooner and recalls his departed friends. Allegro Agitato – The blues turns more toward a rhythmic jazz style and develops more energy. Moderato – Berveiller walks outside of the club and sees a New Orleans style funeral procession moving slowly down the street. As his mind returns to this major loss in his life, he imagines his friends’ souls floating upward to heaven.