Widor: Symphony No. 5 (Organ of Westminster Cathedral)
3/29/2024, 7 Tracks, 46:32
Featuring
David Hill
Charles-Marie Widor
Did you know?
1/6
Instruments
The Grand Organ of Westminster Cathedral, built between 1922 and 1932, was completely overhauled and restored in 1984, including a conversion to an electro-pneumatic system.
Compositional Technique
The organs of Cavaillé-Coll, with their sonorous choruses and orchestral colors, opened up new possibilities for organ sound that composers like Widor and Franck utilized.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Widor's organ compositions were almost entirely in the form of 'symphonies,' suggesting he approached the organ's colors like an orchestra, despite being primarily an organist.
Historical Context
Widor's lifetime (1844-1937) spanned a renaissance of French organ music, influenced by composers like Tournemire, Guilmant, Vierne, Dupré, Langlais, and Messiaen.
Composition History
The Symphony No. 5 was likely intended to be performed complete as a recital work, despite its concluding Toccata often being played separately.
Composer Biography
Charles-Marie Widor, the composer, was organist at Saint-Sulpice for over sixty years, starting in 1869.
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