Preface

Summary

Widor could only be flattered to know that his F-Major Toccata and the D-Minor Toccata commonly attributed to “père Bach” are arguably the two most recognized pieces of organ music in the world today. If anyone has ever heard of Charles-Marie Widor, it is certainly because of the ubiquitous Toccata from his Fifth Symphony for Organ. My introduction to Widor's music came when, as a young teenager, I felt the exhilaration that emanates from that piece when I heard my organ teacher play it. Though beyond my technical grasp at the time, I soon discovered another piece that I could play, and I have never forgotten the satisfaction of having learned the beautiful Andante Cantabile from his Fourth Symphony. Years later, when I auditioned at the New England Conservatory of Music, for my “romantic” piece I innocently played the Adagio from the Sixth Symphony, which I had found ravishing. My tastes, however, were not in accord with those of the head of the organ department who, although years later had a change of opinion, informed me: “We don't play Widor here; you know, he really didn't write good music.” In spite of the prevailing attitudes, I continued to investigate Widor's organ music on my own, and my wonderful teacher Mireille Lagacé taught me the Symphonie gothique.

When in 1982 I needed to find a topic for my DMA dissertation at Boston University, my desire was to write about a composer who had not been given much attention, but whose life and music would be engaging enough not to consign my work to oblivion when I finished. I began to think my goal was hopeless, as it seemed every significant organ composer had been well covered. At that point, my advisor, Dr. Max Miller, suggested that Widor was in real need of scholarly study. I had already noted a dissertation from the mid 1960s and discounted him as a subject, but Dr. Miller insisted that I should look deeper. I went over to Harvard to read the dissertation and discovered that its author had written a modest work about the organ symphonies and concluded almost apologetically with a quote to the effect that Widor's works had lost their glimmer and been eclipsed.