Jehan Alain, a pupil of Marcel Dupré, came from a family of musicians near Paris. His works display literary influences as well as the influence of Gregorian chant, early music, impressionism, jazz, non-European rhythms and tonal systems. His treatment of the organ, almost chamber music-like, shows a stylistic departure from the romantic-orchestral type of organ composition.

This is accompanied by a change of direction to an idealised sound which combines elements of French classicism and rom...