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Widor: The Complete Organ Symphonies Volume 3

Joseph Nolan (Cavaillé-Coll organ of La Madeleine, Paris)

Widor: The Complete Organ Symphonies Volume 3
Lovers of noisy reeds-plus mixtures stop combinations will find much to savour here. As the young Widor did not do 'subtle'...perhaps this is fitting treatment.

Widor: The Complete Organ Symphonies Volume 3

Joseph Nolan (Cavaillé-Coll organ of La Madeleine, Paris)

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Lovers of noisy reeds-plus mixtures stop combinations will find much to savour here. As the young Widor did not do 'subtle'...perhaps this is fitting treatment.

About

The third volume in a new series of Charles-Marie Widor’s Organ Symphonies, performed by Joseph Nolan on the magnificent Cavaillé-Coll organ of L’église de la Madeleine, Paris.

Bridging the generations from Mendelssohn to Messiaen, Empire to Republic, Widor was born to the organ. His Lyonnaise kinsfolk were organ-builders, he showed early talent for the instrument, and for decades was the embodiment of its might and splendour across the Gallic domain - his ‘Organ Symphonies’ were genre-defining in their influence.

Joseph Nolan is an internationally renowned organist, acclaimed as ‘brilliant and such an astute musician’ (Gramophone UK). He was appointed to Her Majesty’s Chapels Royal, St James’s Palace in 2004, and has since been invited to perform and record in some of the world’s premiere venues – including the refurbished Organ of Buckingham Palace Ballroom (SIGCD114) and the Organ of Saint- Sulpice in Paris (SIGCD167). The Cavaillé-Coll Organ of La Madeleine, Paris is a similarly renowned instrument, with former chief-organists including Camille Saint-Säens and Gabriel Fauré.

Contents and tracklist

I. Prélude: moderato
Track length8:57
II. Minuetto
Track length5:19
III. Marcia
Track length7:25
IV. Adagio
Track length3:50
V. Finale: Allegro molto
Track length7:50
I. Toccata
Track length4:09
II. Fugue: Moderato assai
Track length4:09
III. Andante cantabile
Track length5:35
IV. Scherzo: Allegro vivace
Track length6:38
V. Adagio
Track length5:28
VI. Finale: Moderato
Track length5:34

Awards and reviews

December 2013

Lovers of noisy reeds-plus mixtures stop combinations will find much to savour here. As the young Widor did not do 'subtle'...perhaps this is fitting treatment.

November/December 2013

Often overlooked, there are fine movements to be savoured in these two symphonies, and Nolan certainly brings the playful scherzos to life.

January 2014

Nolan's strength is that he sails through it all with tremendous authority to end up with an interpretation that makes total sense...a disc which pleads Widor's case with consummate eloquence

November 2013

This third volume in Joseph Nolan’s survey or Widor’s Organ Symphonies is pure sonic joy… The sound is both tight or perhaps dense, as if compacted like a pure mineral, and breathy… and shows equally the beauty of tone across all the stops, the sheer spirituality and effortless variations of dynamic… sounding very beautiful… Nolan plays these work brilliantly bringing out their particular qualities on an organ apt to reveal their wonders.

20th September 2013

you will swiftly come to appreciate the care taken by Joseph Nolan with his tempi...Another extremely fine organ recording, this will be a ‘must-have’ for collectors of this series, and no-one will be disappointed.

December 2013

This distinguished series continues unerringly. Joseph Nolan…maintains real mastery…persuasive playing constantly underlines just how much more this music convinces when heard in the conditions intended…No lowlights, so enjoy
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