Charles-Marie-Jean-Albert Widor (1844 – 1937) was a
French organist, composer and teacher of the late
Romantic era. As a composer he is known for his ten
organ symphonies, especially the toccata of his fifth
organ symphony, which is frequently played as
recessional music at weddings and other celebrations.
As of 2022, he is the longest-serving organist of
Saint-Sulpice in Paris, a role he held for 63 years
(January 1870 – 31 December 1933). He also was organ
professor at the Paris Conservato...(+)
Charles-Marie-Jean-Albert Widor (1844 – 1937) was a
French organist, composer and teacher of the late
Romantic era. As a composer he is known for his ten
organ symphonies, especially the toccata of his fifth
organ symphony, which is frequently played as
recessional music at weddings and other celebrations.
As of 2022, he is the longest-serving organist of
Saint-Sulpice in Paris, a role he held for 63 years
(January 1870 – 31 December 1933). He also was organ
professor at the Paris Conservatory from 1890 to 1896
(following César Franck) and then he became professor
of composition at the same institution, following
Théodore Dubois.
Widor was a prolific composer, writing music for organ,
piano, voice and ensembles. Apart from his ten organ
symphonies, he also wrote three symphonies for
orchestra and organ, several songs for piano and voice,
four operas and a ballet. He was one of the first
composers to use the term "symphony" for some of his
organ compositions, helped in this by the organs built
by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll.
Widor's best-known piece for the organ is the final
movement of his Symphony for Organ No. 5, a toccata,
which is often played as a recessional at wedding
ceremonies and at the close of the Christmas Midnight
Mass at Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City. Although
the Fourth Symphony also opens with a Toccata, it is in
a dramatically different (and earlier) style. The
Toccata from Symphony No. 5 is the first of the
toccatas characteristic of French Romantic organ music,
and served as a model for later works by Gigout,
Boëllmann, Mulet, Vierne and Dupré. Widor was pleased
with the worldwide renown this single piece afforded
him, but he was unhappy with how fast many other
organists played it. Widor himself always played the
Toccata rather deliberately. Many organists play it at
a very fast tempo whereas Widor preferred a more
controlled articulation to be involved. He recorded the
piece, at St. Sulpice in his eighty-ninth year; the
tempo used for the Toccata is quite slow. Isidor
Philipp transcribed the Toccata for two pianos.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles-Marie_Widor).
Although originally written for Pipe Organ, I created
this Interpretation of the Adagio from the Symphony No.
5 in F Major (Op. 42. No. 1 Mvt. 4) for Wind Quintet
(Flute, Oboe, English Horn, French Horn & Bassoon).
SHEET MUSIC