Magnificat in F

Guillaume Lasceux (Poissy, 3 February 1740 - Paris, 1831) was an organist, improviser and French composer.

He began his career as an organist at the parish of St-Martin de Chevreuse in 1758. He moved to Paris in 1762 to study composition for five years with Charles Noblet, organist and harpsichordist of the Opera. He succeeded him in the tribune of the Mathurins in 1769. In the same year, he held the positions of organist at St-Aure, and 10 years later, that of the Convent of Minimes, Place Royale, with similar positions at the College of Navarre And at the Saint-Magloire Seminary.

In 1769 he replaced Claude-Nicolas Ingrain at the organ of the church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, of which he became officially the titulaire in 1774. During the Revolution, he lost most of his posts and had to earn a living by accompanying The theophilantropic ceremonies at Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, converted into a "Temple of the Piety Affiliate". He resumed his position as organist in 1803, after the Catholic worship was restored there, and withdrew on January 2, 1819. He was recognized as a virtuoso as much on the organ as on the harpsichord or and fortepiano.

Today is the Feast of the Assumption, so, this "Magnificat in F" is uploaded in honor of the day. It dates from 1772, and appears in the composer's "Journal de Pièces d'orgue."

I found this to be a very engaging work, but only as I got into it. At first, it seemed "shallow" and a far cry from the grandeur of Couperin, de Grigny, etc., but it makes a strong statement on its own, once you accept the musical language of it.

The always "odd sounding" Gross Tierce of the the Grand Orgue features prominently in the piece, and gives it a particularly distinctive "flavor" and sound.

The score is attached below, as well as some photos of St. Etienne du Mont.

The timings for the individual movements are given in the First Comment.