Boléro de concert

The Boléro de concert (French: Concert Bolero), Op. 166, is a composition for harmonium or organ without pedal by Alfred Lefébure-Wély. It was first published in 1865. The composition was adapted for wind instruments.

Lefébure-Wély was a gifted pianist and organist who studied at the Paris Conservatoire from age 14, including composition with Fromental Halévy who was known for his operas. Lefébure-Wély held organist positions at several major churches in Paris,^[1] including the La Madeleine and Saint-Sulpice, Paris.^[2] He composed the Boléro de concert for a student, Comtesse Bois de Mouzilly who played the harmonium.^[1] It is suitable as a postlude (sortie) in church services.^[1] The composition was first published in 1865.

In 1988, organist David Britton played Boléro de concert as part of an organ recital recording, with music by mostly French composers.^[3] It appears on a 2006 recording of music by Lefébure-Wély played and arranged by organist Joachim Enders and trumpeter Manfred Bockschweiger at the Klais organ in St. Wolfgang near Dieburg.^[2] Martin Setchell included the piece in a recording of French organ music, volume VII of the series Great Australasian Organs, played at the Rieger organ of Christchurch Town Hall, which was silenced by the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.^[4] Boléro de concert was selected for the presentation of the new Rieger organ of the Vienna Cathedral in a recording with organist Konstantin Reymaier [de].^[5]

• Boléro de concert, Op.166 (Lefébure-Wély, Louis James Alfred): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
• Martin Setchell Organ Concert: The Organist Entertains ncma.nz 2018
• Lefébure-Wely Boléro de concert David Cassan l'orgue Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Paris II (2016) on YouTube