Widor: Master of the Organ Symphony (first 10 minutes)
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- čas přidán 10. 09. 2024
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Charles-Marie Widor (1844 - 1937), the most famous composer of organ music since Bach, wrote ten revolutionary organ symphonies that established the organ as a rival of the orchestra, pioneered the use of symphonic forms for the instrument, and sublimated influences as diverse as Bach's fugues, Wagner's music dramas and medieval plainchant into an original musical language. On top of this, he composed a Toccata that is probably the best-loved piece of organ music ever written.
This boxed set provides a complete portrait of the great composer. The centrepiece is a magnificent three-part documentary showing how Widor came to write his organ symphonies, how his compositional style developed and matured, and how these works fit into his overall career as a performer, teacher and writer. Presented by Gerard Brooks and featuring interviews with Widor scholars Daniel Roth, John Near and Anne-Isabelle de Parcevaux, this film also sets Widor's organ music in the context of his work as a mainstream composer of operas, ballets, chamber music and orchestral symphonies.
Widor's life was intertwined with that of the great French organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. Therefore Widor's greatest organ works are recorded in mesmerising surround-sound on the three best surviving Cavaillé-Coll instruments, Saint-Sulpice in Paris, where Widor himself was organist for almost sixty years, Orléans Cathedral and Saint-Ouen in Rouen. Widor's fifth and sixth symphonies are included in their entirety on both CD and DVD, performed by Gerard Brooks. Daniel Roth, the current organist at Saint-Sulpice, performs a range of movements from the other symphonies.
Contents:
DVD and CD
Documentary
145-minute three-part documentary about Charles-Marie Widor's organ works, presented by Gerard Brooks, with John Near, Daniel Roth and Anne-Isabelle de Parcevaux.
Filmed Performances (and CD tracks):
From St Ouen, Rouen:
Symphony 5
From Orleans Cathedral:
Symphony 6
All played by Gerard Brooks.
Daniel Roth live at St Sulpice.
4 disc DVD/CD set with fully illustrated colour booklet and handsomely designed digipack.
I had memorized the toccata back in 1982. I would still be playing it at midnight, and my Mom would come and tell me it was high time to go to bed. My life became busy in a different area, so my music became rusty. After about 15 years I took it up again, and the notes looked foreign to me, but once I got " on the bench again", it all came flowing back. So if something has been learned well, it just takes a little stimulation, and it all comes back again.
Are you an organist?
Yes I am
The famous Widor's Toccata is up there with some of the best pieces of music he has composed along with Bach's Toccata and Figue in D Minor.
I'm very glad he took the time to point out the originality of the Great Master' works. From time to time, I've run into a few would-be composition critics who did not think highly of him, and who clearly understood very little about the evolution of tonality and how great composers like Widor contribute to it. Just because some composers don't incessantly make use of whatever the latest craze in compositon techniques are in their respective times, does not mean that they are unoriginal. In his time, tonality had not yet been drained of new possiblities to the point where the only alternative would be atonality, or something else. Widor certainly didn't stagnate and continued innovating!
I personally find the greatest joy in navigating through Widor's works, especially his highly underrated piano compositions and chamber music. I just wish someone would just perform and record his opera...
I can't even find a recording of "La Korrigane", and that was his singularly most popular piece during his lifetime.
@1963mathetes I've been waiting for 15 years to finally hear a single recording of it since I first learned of the existence of the work. I think it might be time for all those who have Widor "in their blood" to band together and make an effort to repopularize it.
P.S. Sorry for the late reply!
Widor is without a doubt one of my favorite organ composers. You guys making a DVD like this is like a gift to me personally. I thank you!
Wow. I was captivated and so disappointed when the film stopped after 10 mins. This looks to be a 'must have' for anyone remotely interested in French organ music. I'm now going to pre-order! I can also highly recommend the other box sets on French organ music and Cavaillé-Coll. Masterful. Thank you to all involved.
The Sainte Ouen Organ is surely one of the greatest organs of the world!
A remarkable set by one of the great filmmakers of our time! Many thanks to Will Fraser, Simon Still, David Hinitt and the entire staff at Fugue State Films for producing another masterpiece.
~Glenn~
Profound...Thanks!
tetsuo kuroiwa Thank you, Tetsuo!
~Glenn~
Thanks!
FromHolbergsTime I
Are you an organist?
That little Farnborough Abbey Cavaillé-Coll has only 14 real stops. Unbelievable!
I can't believe it!!! WOW!!!
Which reed stop was used? Was it the clarinet, trumpet or oboe reed
@@oludotunjohnshowemimo434 The whole organ has two reeds only, both on Récit: trompette and hautbois. That's it. It looks like he used everything apart from the voix céleste, with Récit octaves graves. You'll find the specification here:
www.cavaille-coll.co.uk/specification.htm
@@cliveso thanks saw the organ specifications, the bassoon and trumpet reeds
The Vox Celeste is narrow diameter string sounding pipes tuned slightly sharp to have that vibrato effect when played together with other string sounding stops.
Vox Celeste pipes also have harmonic bridges welded to their mouths.
The Communion Piece at 06:00, what livraison is that? I cant find it?
The film incorrectly states it is from the Communion in A Minor. It is not. It is from the Communion in F Major, 3e Lavraison, first piece. You can download your own copy here:
imslp.org/wiki/L%27Organiste_Moderne_(Lef%C3%A9bure-W%C3%A9ly,_Louis_James_Alfred)
I couldn't find that piece at 5:53 anywhere.
The name and key of the piece is actually shown in the film at 6:00. Its called (Elevation ou Communion) in A Minor.
@@rrkdudas6848 Oh ok I will give that a search than.
What's this connection between Charles and Albert Switzer... editing all the organ work of J.S. Bach. All the fingering. They both want to hear... their own master pieces. Each excellent , each original, each have something to say. Charles Marie and Albert Switzer... to this very day.
Why are Piano keys on the Organ?
awesome! sounds like I'll have to splurge for this one too:)
what music sounds 5:56 - 6:10?
Anyone knows whose fugue is being played at the very end of the video. Thank you
It sounds like a fugue by Lefebure-Wely - ironically one of his few pieces that doesn't sound like the Paris Opera!
I don't recognise the last piece at the end of the video segment. Does anyone know the composer/title of the piece?
Lefebure-Wely (Fugue in d minor)
Just ordered this from Presto Music!
Why do Cavaillé Coll organs sound so much better suited to French organ music than organs in Britain, which try, but don't quite achieve the same glittering sound?
Differences in the relationships between flues & reeds, as well as differences in the flue balances themselves.
When examined closely, French and English organs are quite different even if the stop list is the same.
Where i can find the sheet music of the elèvation ou communion in a minor of L.J.A. lefèbure-wèly played in this video?
Bach 4' Perhaps you can find it here: imslp.org/wiki/Category:Lefébure-Wély,_Louis_James_Alfred
Magnus Johansson i can't find the sheet music.
+Bach 4'
It sounds like he's playing from measure 29
imslp.nl/imglnks/usimg/b/b9/IMSLP131042-WIMA.2c68-Lefebure-Wely_03_1.Communion.pdf
What is an Organ Symphony?
The precedent for a solo keyboard symphony was established by the Symphony (in four movements) for piano by Charles-Valentin Alkan. Cèsar Franck then wrote his Grande Pièce Symphonique for organ solo -- which is dedicated to Alkan. Franck's piece is a single-movement work, but in four sections analogous to a four-movement symphony. Widor then began to write mutli-movement organ symphonies, followed by Louis Vierne and others. In the end, such are not so different from sonatas; but the composer's aim was to write in a symphonic ethos evocative of an orchestral symphony.
What kind of "friends" were they?
Why is the Organ playing by itself?
Swell 8 foot 🎺 stop?
What's the fugue at the end ? Thanks ^^
I believe it's by Lefebure-Wely, though it doesn't sound like his usual style.
06:29
So Lefebure-Wely originally wrote the chord progression to "The falling leaves drift past my window, the autumn leaves of red and gold. I see your lips, the summer kisses, the sun-burned hands I used to hold" (6:46 - 7:01). Who knew?
It's a standard circle of fifths progression.
Pull a Stop.
"The most famous composer of organ music since Bach"....? Oh please.....!!
Let us keep it to one of the most renowned. ;)
Besides Franck to that time period he is.
Misinformation
Piano played on organ. Nothing more imho.
What?
Seldom has a more ignorant statement been made.
A very boring and childish music.
A lot of music demonstrated in this video is not widors. If you think widors music is boring and childish you haven't heard his 5th-10th symphonys. Some of the best works ever written for organ