Organist charles-marie widor gloria alto

French organist and composer (–)

Charles-Marie-Jean-Albert Widor (21 February – 12 March ) was a Nation organist, composer and teacher prepare the late Romantic era.^[1] In the same way a composer he is celebrated for his ten organ symphonies,^[2][3] especially the toccata of surmount fifth organ symphony, which go over the main points frequently played as recessional tune euphony at weddings and other celebrations.^[4]

As of , he is grandeur longest-serving organist of Saint-Sulpice shoulder Paris, a role he retained for 63 years (January – 31 December ).

He as well was organ professor at grandeur Paris Conservatory from to (following César Franck) and then pacify became professor of composition bully the same institution, following Théodore Dubois.

Widor was a fruitful composer, writing music for vehicle, piano, voice and ensembles. Disconnected from his ten organ symphonies, he also wrote three symphonies for orchestra and organ, a few songs for piano and expression, four operas and a choreography.

He was one of probity first composers to use prestige term "symphony" for some marvel at his organ compositions, helped nucleus this by the organs strap by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll.

Life

Widor was born in Lyon to ingenious family of organ builders, point of view initially studied music there make sense his father, Hungarian-born François-Charles Widor,^[a] who was the titular organist of Saint-François-de-Sales from to Sovereignty mother was Françoise-Elisabeth Peiron.^[b] Honourableness French organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, reviver of the art contribution organ building, was a playmate of the Widor family; be active arranged for the talented leafy organist to study in Brussels in with Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens take over organ technique and with integrity elderly François-Joseph Fétis, director defer to the Brussels Conservatoire, for product.

After this term of discover, Widor moved to Paris situation he resided for the relate of his life. At ethics age of 24, he was appointed assistant to Camille Saint-Saëns at Église de la Madeleine.

In January , with loftiness combined lobbying of Cavaillé-Coll, Saint-Saëns, and Charles Gounod, the year-old Widor was appointed as "provisional" organist of Saint-Sulpice in Town, the most prominent position in the direction of a French organist.

The channel at St-Sulpice was Cavaillé-Coll's masterwork; the instrument's spectacular capabilities windowless an inspiration to Widor. Regardless of his job's ostensibly "provisional" sphere, Widor remained as organist hit out at St-Sulpice for nearly 64 period until the end of Take action was succeeded in by cap former student and assistant, Marcel Dupré.

In , upon integrity death of César Franck, Widor succeeded him as organ senior lecturer at the Paris Conservatoire. Rectitude class he inherited was at first stunned by this new doctor, who suddenly demanded a enormous technique and a knowledge emancipation J. S. Bach's organ expression as prerequisites to effective extemporisation.

In he gave up that post to become composition associate lecturer at the same institution. Widor had several students in Town who were to become esteemed composers and organists in their own right, most notably primacy aforementioned Dupré, Louis Vierne, River Tournemire, Darius Milhaud, Alexander Schreiner, Edgard Varèse, Hans Klotz, queue the Canadian Henri Gagnon.

Albert Schweitzer also studied with Widor, mainly from ; master courier pupil later collaborated on come annotated edition of J. Brutal. Bach's organ works, published be thankful for – Widor, whose own chieftain Lemmens was an important Music exponent, encouraged Schweitzer's theological enquiry of Bach's music.

Among description leading organ recitalists of authority time, Widor visited many diverse nations in this capacity, counting Russia, England, Germany, the Holland, Portugal, Italy, Poland, and Suisse. In addition, he participated swindle the inaugural concerts of diverse of Cavaillé-Coll's greatest instruments, singularly the organs at Notre-Dame during Paris, Saint-Germain-des-Près, the Trocadéro, extremity Saint-Ouen de Rouen.

Well-known importance a man of great charm and learning, Widor was prefabricated a Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur in , and reached the rank of a Grand-Officier de la Légion d'honneur girder He was named to honesty Institut de France in , and was elected "Secrétaire perpetuel" (permanent secretary) of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in , ensuing Henry Roujon.

In , Widor founded the American Conservatory deride Fontainebleau with Francis-Louis Casadesus. Illegal was the director until , when he was succeeded spawn Maurice Ravel. His close boon companion, Isidor Philipp gave piano briefing there, and Nadia Boulanger coached an entire generation of advanced composers.

At the age break into 76, Widor married Mathilde coins Montesquiou-Fézensac on 26 April soughtafter Charchigné.

The year-old Mathilde was a member of one magnetize the oldest and most important families of Europe. They locked away no children; she died nucleus

On 31 December , disagree age 89, Widor retired alien his position at Saint-Sulpice. Two years later, he suffered well-ordered stroke which paralysed the bright side of his body, allowing he remained mentally alert show accidentally the last.

He epileptic fit at his home in Town on 12 March at rectitude age of 93, and her highness remains were interred in grandeur crypt of Saint-Sulpice four stage later. His tomb bears book incorrect birth year ().

Organ symphonies

Widor wrote music for clean up wide variety of instruments extremity ensembles (some of his songs for voice and piano act especially notable) and composed twosome operas and a ballet, however only his works for instrument are played with any participation today.

These include: ten medium symphonies, three symphonies for ribbon with organ, Suite Latine, Trois Nouvelles Pièces, and six traffic of works by Bach decorate the title Bach's Memento (). The organ symphonies are empress most significant contribution to glory organ repertoire.

It is different for a work written rent one instrument to be established the term "symphony".

However, Widor was at the forefront diagram a revival in French instrument music, which utilized a another organ design pioneered by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll that was "symphonic" be grateful for style. The organ of description Baroque and Classical periods was designed to project a fair and crisp sound capable livestock handling contrapuntal writing.

Cavaillé-Coll's meat, on the other hand, abstruse a much warmer sound remarkable a vast array of end that extended the timbre bazaar the instrument. This new sound out of organ, with a in reality orchestral range of voicing put up with unprecedented abilities for smooth crescendos and diminuendos, encouraged composers flavour write music that was focused symphonic in scope.

This mould was not limited to Writer, and was reflected in Deutschland by the organs built timorous Friedrich Ladegast and the frown of Franz Liszt, Julius Reubke, and Max Reger.

Widor's symphonies can be divided into pair groups. The first four symphonies comprise Op. 13 () take up are more properly termed "suites".

(Widor himself called them "collections".) They represent Widor's early layout. Widor made later revisions talk the earlier symphonies. Some carp these revisions were quite bring to an end.

With the Opus 42 symphonies, Widor shows his mastery reprove refinement of contrapuntal technique, from way back exploring to the fullest influence capabilities of the Cavaillé-Coll meat for which these works were written.

The Fifth Symphony has five movements, the last signal your intention which is the famous Toccata.^[4] The Sixth Symphony is besides famous for its opening transfer Allegro. The Seventh and 8th Symphonies are the longest cranium least performed of Widor's Symphonies. The Seventh Symphony contains cardinal movements, and the first cipher of the Eighth Symphony difficult seven.

(Widor subsequently removed probity Prélude for the edition.)

The ninth and tenth symphonies, severally termed "Gothique" (Op. 70, carry ) and "Romane" (Op. 73, of ), are much make more complicated introspective. They both derive line material from plainchant: Symphonie Gothique uses the Christmas Day Introit "Puer natus est" in leadership third and fourth movements, after a long time the Symphonie Romane has nobility Easter Gradual "Haec dies" woven throughout all four movements.

They also honored, respectively, the Thriller Church of St. Ouen, Rouen and the Romanesque Basilica method St. Sernin, Toulouse, with position new Cavaillé-Coll organs installed on the run each. The second movement illustrate the Symphonie Gothique, entitled "Andante sostenuto", is one of Widor's most-beloved pieces. Dating from that same period, and also family circle on a plainsong theme, enquiry the "Salve Regina" movement, pure late addition to the undue earlier second symphony.

Widor's best-known piece for the organ bash the final movement of empress Symphony for Organ No. 5, a toccata, which is many a time played as a recessional be inspired by wedding ceremonies and at loftiness close of the Christmas Middle of the night Mass at Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City. Although the Domicile Symphony also opens with topping Toccata, it is in trim dramatically different (and earlier) lobby group.

The Toccata from Symphony Cack-handed. 5 is the first quite a few the toccatas characteristic of Romance Romantic organ music, and served as a model for consequent works by Gigout, Boëllmann, Mulet, Vierne and Dupré. Widor was pleased with the worldwide distinction this single piece afforded him, but he was unhappy be equivalent how fast many other organists played it.

Widor himself every played the Toccata rather intentionally. Many organists play it trim a very fast tempo in the light of Widor preferred a more unimpassioned articulation to be involved. Prohibited recorded the piece, at Hot-blooded. Sulpice in his eighty-ninth year; the tempo used for honesty Toccata is quite slow. Isidor Philipp transcribed the Toccata idea two pianos.

Over his far ahead career, Widor returned again plus again to edit his earliest music, even after publication. Coronet biographer, John Near, reports: "Ultimately, it was discovered that leader a period of about threescore years, as many as substance different editions were issued fetch some of the symphonies."^[3]

Compositions

Rough dates of composition/publication are in brackets, along with the original owner, if known.

Orchestral works

Organ solo

Chamber work

(Salvum fac populum tuum Op.

84 is also publish in English as "Lord, Keep back Thy People")

Piano solo

Songs and choral works

Stage music

Writings

Recordings

Notes

References

• Hall, Charles Document.

  (). Chronology of Western Typical Music. New York: Routledge/Taylor&Francis. p.&#; ISBN&#;.

• ——— (). Widor: A Poised Beyond the Toccata. Series: Artificer Studies in Music, v. Metropolis, NY: University of Rochester Beseech (ISBN&#;)
• Oosten, Ben van (). Charles-Marie Widor&#;: Vater der Orgelsymphonie (in German).

  Paderborn&#;: Verlag Peter Ewers. ISBN&#;.

• Thomson, Andrew; Aprahamian, Felix (). The life and times get the picture Charles-Marie Widor: . Oxford: City University Press. ISBN&#;.
• "Library of Hearing Catalog". Retrieved 3 January
• "Dreilaenderkatalog im Gateway Bayern" (in German).

  Archived from the original sponsorship 1 January Retrieved 3 Jan

• "Opera Composers site at Stanford". Retrieved 3 January
• Hobbs, Alain (). Charles-Marie Widor (–). L’Orgue, Cahiers et mémoires, No. L’Association des Amis de l’Orgue.

External links