16 - 1878–80: Symphony no. 6 for Organ; Psaume 112; La Nuit de Walpurgis

Summary

At this time, 1878, I finished my Symphony no. 6 in G Minor for Organ [op. 42, no. 2], and I played it for Lemmens, as he was passing through Paris, while introducing him to an organ he did not know. Lemmens approved of my symphony, as did François-Auguste Gevaert who accompanied him. At the end, he [Lemmens] leaned over to Cavaillé-Coll and said: “Widor is becoming a serious artist!”

On the occasion of the inauguration of the organ at Saint-François-Xavier, I composed my Psaume 112, for Organ, Orchestra, and Choirs. I have not yet, however, judged it fit to publish.

By chance, the music critic of the Times [London] was present, and he wrote so highly of it in his review that the London Philharmonic asked me to compose an orchestral work that would deal with a somewhat fantastic subject, for example from Goethe's Faust, proposing three movements: a violent piece, a sort of ride; a somewhat lunar, melancholy piece; a bacchanal. I was naturally interested in this work, and I composed La Nuit de Walpurgis (Walpurgis Night) [op. 60, 1880/revised 1888]. At that time, my cousin Paul Bourget had just published in the Revue des Jeunes Poètes two hundred extremely poetic verses on the appearance of Hélène to Faust. Instead of choosing the German subject, I preferred the ancient subject treated by a Frenchman, so I took the following verses from part two as a theme:

Il était à ses pieds, couché sans plus rien dire;

Elle aussi se taisait. Ils écoutaient bruire

Tous les soupirs d’amour lointains et palpitants

Qui flottent dans la paix d’une nuit de printemps.

He was at her feet, reclining, saying nothing more;

She too was silent. They listened to the murmur of

All the distant throbbing sighs of love

That float in the peace of a spring night.

(Paul Bourget, Apparition d’Hélène à Faust)

Consequently, I went to London to direct the performances, and I admit that the work was very well received. The premiere took place at the Queen's Hall.