Marcel Lucien Tournier (1879 – 1951) was a French
harpist, composer, and pedagogue who composed important
solo repertory for the harp that expanded the technical
and harmonic possibilities of the instrument. His works
are regularly performed in concert and recorded by
professional harpists, and they are often test pieces
for harp-performance competitions. A student of
Alphonse Hasselmans at the Paris Conservatory, Tournier
won the Second Grand Prize of the Prix de Rome in 1909.
He also won the...(+)
Marcel Lucien Tournier (1879 – 1951) was a French
harpist, composer, and pedagogue who composed important
solo repertory for the harp that expanded the technical
and harmonic possibilities of the instrument. His works
are regularly performed in concert and recorded by
professional harpists, and they are often test pieces
for harp-performance competitions. A student of
Alphonse Hasselmans at the Paris Conservatory, Tournier
won the Second Grand Prize of the Prix de Rome in 1909.
He also won the Rossini Prize for Laura et
Petrarch.
Tournier succeeded his teacher as professor of harp in
1912, holding that position until 1948, training two
generations of harpists from France, the United States,
other European countries, and Japan. Tournier composed
several dozen solos for harp, a number of chamber works
that feature the harp prominently, and a few works for
piano and for orchestra. Notable students include
American harpist and educator Eileen Malone.
Born to a family of five brothers and two sisters on
January 5, 1879, Tournier grew up around music. His
father, Joseph Alexis (1842–1920), was a string
instrument maker and required all of his sons to play
an instrument. Tournier started young and soon became
very proficient and entered the Paris Conservatoire at
age 16. His wife, Renée Lénars-Tournier
(1889–1971), was professor of chromatic harp at the
Paris Conservatory from 1912 to 1933. They were married
in 1922.
Although originally composed for Cello (or Violin) and
Concert (Pedal) Harp, I created this arrangement of the
"Promenade a L'automne" (Walk through the Fall) for
Viola and Harp
PARTITION