Charles Widor’s musical life covered around 75 years of French cultural history. His organ symphonies helped to blow spectacular new life into an instrument that had become sorely neglected, and it was in salons such as that of the organ builder Cavaille-Coll that his chamber music was first welcomed with enthusiasm. Widor went on to work with leading players of his day, composing audition showpieces such as the Introduction et Rondo, the recently rediscovered and popular Serenade with its rich harmonium sonorities, and the Suite, Op. 34 that far transcends the salon genre in its character and range.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Charles-Marie Widor is remembered now only as a composer of music for the organ, though in his day he wrote for every combination of instruments, including the symphony orchestra. Coming from a family associated with the organ, it seemed natural that this instrument would be his first love. He became friendly with Astride Cavaillé-Coll, who took it on himself to further young Widor's career. Cavaillé-Coll was responsible for a new era in French organ building, working tirelessly to invent and implement improvements that would give the organ something of the range and capability of a symphony orchestra. With such modern instruments being designed and built, it seemed inevitable that the organ "symphony" would come into being.


Widor's first four outings in the format are actually more like suites. Except for the first two movements of Symphony No. 4, the themes of sections have little to do with each other. These days, the movements are liable to be played separately as concert pieces and work quite well that way, each standing independently on its own. Taken as a whole, the result seems overlong and too ruminative to hold a casual listener's interest, which explains why the complete works have become the exclusive purview of organists. The performances here are on a Cavaillé-Coll organ at Saint-François-de-Sales in Lyon--an instrument that Widor played, so we can presume that the sound is authentic. Organist Ben van Oosten has made a lifelong study of this music and plays it with authority and imagination. The recording sounds a bit remote: Perhaps in an effort to capture the large instrument, the engineers backed off slightly, resulting in a clean and clear acoustic, but one that is devoid of immediate presence. Organists will rejoice at this series; casual listeners will find the greatest reward by taking them a movement at a time.
--Rad Bennett, ClassicsToday.com

Classical Music

Jean-Baptiste Dupont is one of the most renowned organists of our time. His artistic prowess is reflected in his success at international competitions as well as his performing career across the globe. Trained in the French organ tradition, both in interpretation and improvisation, his new recording of Widor’s 8th Organ Symphony combines this tradition with the sound-world of a Cavaillé-Coll organ: the instrument at Saint-Sernin (Toulouse) seems to be custom-made for the most complex work by Widor who confessed that without the experience of listening to the Cavaillé-Coll instruments he would not have written any organ music. Jean-Baptiste Dupont is deeply rooted in the heritage of the French music tradition. His extensive expertise as an improviser leads to a particular state of consciousness within music: when interpreting repertoire works, he grasps and analyses the creative structures of the work on a deep level; in the moment of the performance, he experiences them like an improviser – the creative process of the composer becomes his own when he plays. You are invited to listen to one of the most famous French organ works, played on a French organ by a French organist – a resounding commitment to the French tradition!

This is Volume 6 in Centaur's complete traversal of the organ works of Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937), performed on classic American organs by Joby Bell. Joby Bell brings to his performances a contagious affability and a keen sensitivity toward increasing an audience's appreciation for organ music. His recital programming demonstrates a varied and interesting repertoire, always enhanced by illuminating program notes designed to emrace all audiences. Bell is featured on several recordings. Born in 1968, Joby Bell attended high school at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he studied piano with Marian Hahn and Robert MacDonald. He earned the Bachelor of Music degree in organ and piano from Appalachian State University and the Master of Music and Doctor of musical Arts degrees in organ from Rice University.

Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937) and Victor Hugo (1802-1855) were towering figures in their respective disciplines, both in France, and in the world, during their lifetimes. These songs by Widor, to Hugo texts, cover a variety of emotions, from sweet introspection to quiet desperation. Rebecca Hays is perfect for these works. She and pianist Jeffrey Peterson make the most of these marvelous songs.

Rebecca Wascoe Hays' lush, full-bodied soprano and commanding stage presence have brought her diverse critical acclaim. She brings an innate dramatic intensity and musical intelligence to all of her repertoire. In past seasons season, she has sung the title role in Tosca with Louisiana Opera, been heard as the Wife in the world-premiere performance of The Breath of Life at Texas Tech University and been featured as the soprano soloist in Verdi's Requiem with the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra.  Additional concerts have included recitals/masterclasses at Brigham Young University, Central Oklahoma University and The University of Texas at Arlington. She was heard as the soprano soloist in the Brahms's German Requiem in May 2017 at Alice Tully Hall in New York City's Carnegie Hall.

REVIEW:

Soprano Rebecca Hays sings the Widor/Hugo songs with a rich and attractive lyric soprano, even if she is occasionally pressed by Widor’s excursions into the upper register. She sings with admirable commitment, and sensitivity to the ebb and flow of the narrative. Jeffrey Peterson is an attentive collaborator, one who shines on the rare occasions when Widor injects some variety into his keyboard writing. The liner notes include Peterson’s essay and his English translations of the Hugo verses (the original French texts are not provided). Widor’s songs would benefit greatly from performances and recordings by artists steeped in the world and tradition of French song (Régine Crespin would have been marvelous in these, I think). But Rebecca Hays and Jeffrey Peterson make a strong enough case for the repertoire.

-- Fanfare (Ken Meltzer)

Charles-Marie Widor was born to the organ. Raised in a family of organ-makers, he showed early talent for the instrument and would later come to embody all its might and splendour. His life heavily intertwined with that of the great French organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, this new collection of Widor’s complete organ works brings together eight years’ worth of recordings; captured across France on period Cavaillé-Coll instruments. Performed by Joseph Nolan, this celebrated cycle saw him visit St Sernin, Toulouse, St. François-de Sales, Lyon and La Madeleine, Paris.

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REVIEWS:

Nolan’s combination of vivid virtuosity, towering technique and inspired interpretative intensity makes his set the current yardstick in Widor symphony recordings.

– Gramophone

Nolan transcends Widor's scores, truly reveling in the Gothic beauty of this music and the grandiose instruments of this belle époque. – Choir & Organ

This is Volume 7 in Centaur's recording of the complete organ works by Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937), performed by Joby Bell. All works are recorded on classic American organs; hence the title "American Classic Widor." Most importantly, these are superlative performances of an important body of organ literature. Joby Bell brings to his performances a contagious affability and a keen sensitivity toward increasing an audience's appreciation for organ music. His recital programming demonstrates a varied and interesting repertoire, always enhanced by illuminating program notes designed to embrace all audiences. Bell is featured on several recordings. Born in 1968, Joby Bell attended high school at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he studied piano with Marian Hahn and Robert MacDonald. He earned the Bachelor of Music degree in organ and piano from Appalachian State University and the Master of Music and Doctor of musical Arts degrees in organ from Rice University.

Widor’s cycle of organ symphonies sits at the heart of his compositional achievement. They are vivid and innovative – none more so than Symphony No. 8 in B major, which takes performer and listener alike to the limits of the genre: its glittering sonorities, lyric intensity and technical power offer a tour-de-force of organ writing. The artfully woven Symphonie romane, the last of the ten, utilizes a Gregorian chorale in music of increasing splendor, melancholy and, finally, sublime peace. Christian von Blohn graduated from the Musikakademie Saarbrücken in 1987 with a first-class degree in Church Music and also with a degree in Music Education, majoring in the organ. Since 1993, von Blohn has been deanery music director for the diocese of Speyer and currently provides musical supervision for the two St Ingbert parishes of St Hildegard and St Josef. He recorded Vol. 3 in this series (8.574206), featuring Symphony No. 7, Op. 42, No. 3 and Symphonie gothique, Op. 70, released in September 2020.

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.

Widor’s cycle of ten organ symphonies underwent profound development and transformation over many years. Classical elements became more obviously virtuosic and, by the time of these Op.42 symphonies, his musical language had become monumental. Symphony No. 5 in F minor is world famous for a single movement, its concluding Toccata, a moto perpetuo of astonishing brilliance, but the whole work is imbued with structural and musical genius. Striking rhythms, dynamic contrasts and technical roulades mark out Symphony No. 6 in G minor. Also included is a graceful movement from Symphony No. 8 (8.574207) that Widor later omitted.

This is the second volume in Centaur's ongoing series of the complete organ works of Charles-Marie Widor, performed by Joby Bell. This installment features the Symphony No. 2 in D, and the Symphony No. 3 in E minor. Since 2004, professor Joby Bell has served on the faculty of the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University, where he teaches organ and church music studies. His church music teaching emphasizes the practical knowledge needed for a solid undergraduate foundation toward successful work and further studies in sacred music. His organ teaching specializes in practice techniques, memorization, service playing, choral accompanying, and maintaining grace under pressure – lessons always best taught by example. Dr. Bell is known for "the breadth of his repertoire, technical virtuosity, and for the personal warmth which shines through in his performances." His acclaimed blog at deals with a comprehensive range of organ-related topics including teaching philosophies, recital preparation, church music, and professional concerns.