The magnificent organ in the Katarina Church, Stockholm, on which this recording was made, was destroyed in a fire in May 1990.
Instruments
The symphonically-disposed organ type created by organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll was crucial for the organ symphony, designed to match the dynamic capabilities of the late-romantic orchestra.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Charles-Marie Widor is considered the creator of the French organ symphony, a spectacular musical form within the late Romantic organ tradition.
Performer Biography
Hans Fagius, the organist on this recording, has won prizes in international organ competitions and has performed extensively across Europe, the U.S.A., and Australia.
Composer Biography
Widor was the resident organist for 64 years, starting in 1871, at Saint-Sulpice in Paris, playing one of Cavaillé-Coll's magnificent five-manual organs.
Composition History
Widor's first eight symphonies were published in two collections, Op. 13 (1872) and Op. 42 (1887), both of which were revised several times.
Composition History
The Marche Pontificale from Symphony No. 1 may have been inspired by a glorious procession featuring Pope Pius IX, which Widor witnessed during a visit to Rome around 1870.
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