Berthier, Jacques

Andrew Wilson-Dickson

https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.52471
Published in print: 20 January 2001
Published online: 2001

(b Auxerre, June 27, 1923; d Paris, June 27, 1994). French organist and composer. He first studied with
his father, organist of Auxerre Cathedral, and later (1945–6) with Guy de Lioncourt (composition) and
Edouard Souberbielle (organ, fugue, counterpoint) at the Ecole César Franck in Paris. In 1960 he
moved to Paris as editor to the recording company Fleurus and in the same year was appointed
organist of the Jesuit church of St Ignace, a position he held until his death.

From his youthful years onwards Berthier was consistently drawn to liturgical composition. His
musical output includes settings of texts by Joseph Gelineau, the Jesuit liturgical scholar and composer
who was to become the inspiration for much of his mature work; a Requiem, which blends Latin texts
(chorus) with French (soloists) and is exceptional for its large scale; an important corpus of settings,
for use in parish churches, of the revised, vernacular liturgy; and various contributions to monastic
liturgy, particularly for the Roman Catholic communities of En-Calcat, Landévennec and Maredsous
and, most notably, for the ecumenical community of Taizé. Berthier first supplied chants for Taizé in
1955, but his series of new, canonic and repetitive chants dating from 1975 were responsible for
bringing Taizé’s music to the attention of churches throughout the Christian world. These chants typify
Berthier’s interest in reducing music to a state of concentration and extreme simplicity, drawing
equally on tonal and modal traditions within a rhythmically direct framework. His instrumental music
exhibits similar qualities, although the two cantatas of his last years show a reawakened interest in
writing more complex music for the concert hall. (P. Faure and D. Rimaud: ‘Jacques Berthier,
compositeur pour la liturgie’, Célébrer, no.236 (1994), 3–15.)

Works

(selective list)

Choral

Non-liturgical

With insts

Requiem, solo vv, chorus, orch, 1951

Cantate en forme de croix, double chorus, 6 insts, 1991

On peut vivre sans musique moins bien, cant, solo vv, chorus, wind insts, 1992

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Unacc.

Ave maris stella, SATB, 1940

Dans les prisons de Nantes, SATB, ?1955

Mater dolorosa, 1972

Liturgical

Mass settings

Messe française, 1964

Que tes oeuvres sont belles, 1983

Comme une aurore, 1984

Du Christ roi, 1985

Au coeur de ce monde, 1986

Vienne la paix, 1986

Messe de Brabant-Vallon, 1987

Pour la gloire de Dieu, 1989

De St Jean Baptiste, 1990

Des amis de Dieu, 1991

Missa pro Europa, 1993

Collections

51 antiphons, 4 mixed vv and 3 equal vv, 1955

Psaumes cantiques pour les paroisses, 1964

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 Liturgie du soir pour la Semaine d’Issy, 1966

220 short chants, mixed vv, 1980–81

250 antiphons, 1981

Acclamations à l’Evangile, 1991

Chants for Taizé

Office pour le temps de Noël, 1955

Canons, 1975

Chants, 1976

Ostinatos, 1979

Instrumental

Organ

Variations on six chorales; 10 liturgical meditations; Variations sur ‘Le Cévénole’;

Choral et variations à Marie de Medicis; Psaume 138; Pour le ‘Bonheur aujourd’hui’;
Carole; Conductus; Pilota

Other

50 pieces for the Daily Office, 1967

Suite pour le Berger David, fl, org, 1972

Espace de prière, sitar, 1979

Salve regina, fl, ob, org, 1987

10 pieces, fl, org, 1992

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See also

Taizé

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