Mailly, Alphonse

Jan Dewilde (translation: Jo Sneppe)

Alphonse Mailly studied at the Brussels Royal Conservatory with Lados (solfège), Bosselet (harmony), Michelot (piano), Girschner and Lemmens (organ). In addition he studied composition and orchestration. He obtained first prizes for solfège (1847), piano (1850) and organ (1854).

Upon finishing his studies he became pianist-accompanist at the Munt (Monnaie) Theatre and organist of Our Lady of Finisterrae Church in Brussels, which possessed a Loret organ since 1848. Soon he built up great fame as a concert organist. He also participated in several performances of the Quadrilogie religieuse of his fellow-student and friend Peter Benoit. Concurrently he developed an international career as an organ virtuoso. After a concert in Paris on 8 March 1858 Berlioz called him: "One of the most skilful virtuosos ever produced by the modern art of the great organ." Mailly also played in cities like London and Amsterdam.

In 1861 Mailly became a piano teacher at the Brussels Conservatory and four years later he was appointed as the successor of his organ teacher Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens. This came somewhat as a surprise since Lemmens's assistant Jozef Tilborghs had generally been tipped as the new teacher. Mailly was an excellent educator, training students such as Léon Dubois, August De Boeck, Adolphe Wouters, Léon Jadin and Alfred Mahy.

In 1869 he became organist of the Brussels Carmelites Church, where his masterful organ-playing drew many people to the 11 o'clock high mass.

Mailly kept on giving concerts till well on in years. He was also an esteemed advisor among organ manufacturers. As such he was closely involved with the building of the Cavaillé-Coll organ in the concert hall of the Brussels Conservatory.

In 1903 he retired as an organ teacher and was succeeded by Alphonse Desmet.

The Sonata no. 1 for organ became one of Mailly's most famous works, enjoying great popularity in England for example. In addition to works for organ, harmonium and piano, he also composed chamber music.