Pierre Cochereau - Un art d'illusionniste

There is an unknown Pierre Cochereau, one who has fascinated me through the confidences of those who came into contact with him during his all-too-short life.

Through the eyes and judgments of his family, friends, close associates, illustrious colleagues and casual acquaintances, the moral portrait that emerges from this wealth of information and anecdotes depicts a complex character, sometimes disconcerting, and more often than not at odds with the official image.

Behind the domestic tyrant or, at the opposite extreme, the unrepentant prankster, we see an understanding master, an attentive interlocutor and a caring person. His childlike side - which may have come as a surprise - in fact betrayed his need to escape the multiple burdens weighing down on his shoulders.

The memory of this eternally hurried man, this tireless builder, remains above all that of an extraordinary musician. Almost three decades after his sudden death, Cochereau remains in the memory of music lovers and all those who had the privilege of hearing him, at Notre-Dame or on tour, as one of the greatest improvisers of his time - one of the last sacred monsters of the organ.