Marie-Claire Alain

Marie-Claire Alain
Alain at Saint-Donat in 1982
Born
Marie-Claire Geneviève Alain

(1926-08-10)10 August 1926
Died26 February 2013(2013-02-26) (aged 86)
Le Pecq, France
Other namesMarie-Claire Alain-Gommier
Occupations
Awards

Marie-Claire Geneviève Alain-Gommier (10 August 1926 – 26 February 2013) was a French organist, scholar and teacher best known for her prolific recording career, with 260 recordings, making her the most-recorded classical organist in the world. She taught many of the world's prominent organists.[1] She was a specialist in Bach, making three recordings of his complete organ works, as well as French organ music.

She was the sister of the famous organist-composers Jehan Alain and Olivier Alain and was the daughter of amateur organbuilder Albert Alain.

Alain was commonly deemed one of the most illustrious organists of her generation, and bore an international reputation. Critics were unanimous in praising the clarity of her playing, the purity of her style, the intense and lively musicality of her interpretations and her fluency in the art of organ registration.

  1. ^ Whitney, Craig R. (4 March 2013). "Marie-Claire Alain, Master of the Organ, Dies at 86". New York Times. Retrieved 4 March 2013.