Charles-Marie Widor - Widor: Organ Symphonies, Volume 4 - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Charles-Marie Widor's ten organ symphonies sit at the heart of his extensive oeuvre. They reveal Widor's mastery of the form with their profundity, technical difficulty and sonorous color. Symphony No. 7, Op. 42, No. 3 inaugurated a new, orchestral approach to the genre and encompasses dreamlike sonorities, Chopinesque melancholy and majestic bravura. The Symphonie gothique, Op. 70 makes explicit reference to Gregorian chant, developing a kind of theological 'programme music' that is both austere and consolatory. Album Tracks 1. Symphony No. 7 in A minor, Op. 42, No. 3~I. Moderato 2. Symphony No. 7 in A minor, Op. 42, No. 3~II. Choral Andante 3. Symphony No. 7 in A minor, Op. 42, No. 3~III. Andante - Allegretto 4. Symphony No. 7 in A minor, Op. 42, No. 3~IV. Allegro ma non troppo 5. Symphony No. 7 in A minor, Op. 42, No. 3~V. Lento 6. Symphony No. 7 in A minor, Op. 42, No. 3~VI. Finale Allegro vivace 7. Symphonie gothique, Op. 70~I. Moderato 8. Symphonie gothique, Op. 70~II. Andante sostenuto 9. Symphonie gothique, Op. 70~III. Allegro 10. Symphonie gothique, Op. 70~IV. Moderato

The fifth volume in Signum's series of Charles-Marie Widor's Organ Symphonies, performed by Joseph Nolan on the magnificent Cavaille´-Coll organs of La Madeleine, Paris and Saint-Sernin, Toulouse. Bridging the generations from Mendelssohn to Messiaen, Empire to Republic, Widor was born to the organ. His Lyonnaise kinsfolk were organ-builders, he showed early talent for the instrument, and for decades was the embodiment of it's might and splendor across the Gallic domain - his 'Organ Symphonies' were genre-defining in their influence. Album Tracks 1. I. Moderato 2. II. Andante Sostenuto 3. III. Allegro 4. IV. Toccata 5. I. Moderato 6. II. Choral 7. III. Cantilene 8. IV. Finale

The main organ of the St. Gallen Cathedral (Switzerland) was built in 1968 and has since delighted numerous concertgoers and churchgoers. The exquisitely selected program of this recording bears witness to it's outstanding tonal qualities. The following composition merits special attention InchFantaisie-OrageInch by Swiss cathedral organist Jacques Vogt. The version recorded here was reconstructed by Paul Haas based on handwritten fragments. In this fantasy, already the beginning captures the listener with it's beautiful echo passages. After the presentation of several popular Swiss folk songs, a gloomy storm starts brewing, culminating in a passage reminiscent of Beethoven. According to the performance instructions, the organ is to be played with the entire palm of the hand and the elbow in order to imitate the storm and the lightning strikes as closely as possible. After the storm, the rural population gratefully joins in with the hymn InchHoly God, We Praise Thy NameInch. International reviews attested cathedral organist Willibald Guggenmos Inchfantastic technique and dazzling musicianshipInch (Bernhard Holland - New York Times). His enormous repertoire includes the complete works of Bach, Franck, Liszt, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Boollmann, Stehle, Durufle and the great works of Max Reger. Album Tracks 1. Hymne Héroique 2. Fantaisie-Orage 3. Fantasie Über Ein Kirchenlied, Op. 70/4 4. Légende 5. Final 6. Echoes Parce Domine 7. Toccata Sobre Un Tema Gregoriano 8. Sequentia Sobre Victimae Paschali 9. Vision Apocalyptique la Cité Céleste 10. Lux Aeterna Op. 135/3 11. VI (Épiphanie) 12. Regina Coeli Op. 64 13. Poème Héroique Op. 33