Widor SymphoniesGothique AND Romane PLAYED ON THE

Aeolian-Skinner OrganSt. Mark’s ChurchPHILADELPHIA

Rollin SmithORGANIST

Charles-Marie WidorSYMPHONIE GOTHIQUE, OPUS 70 | SYMPHONIE ROMANE, OPUS 73

Charles-Marie Widor (1844–1937) created the Symphony for organ, of which the only example before him was César Franck’s Grande Pièce symphonique. By the time he was 30, Widor was France’s foremost organ composer and virtuoso. As organist of Saint-Sulpice, he presided over the largest organ in France. Succeeding Franck as professor of organ at the Paris Conservatory, he numbered Charles Tournemire, Henri Mulet, and Louis Vierne among his pupils; and later, as professor of composition, taught Marcel Dupré, Lili and Nadia Boulanger, Darius Milhaud, and Arthur Honegger.

In this, his ninth symphony, Widor’s spiritual personality as an improviser asserted itself. Based on the Gregorian hymn “Puer natus est nobis” (Unto us a child is born), the Introit for Christmas Day, the work is inspired by the magnificent Gothic church of Saint-Ouen in Rouen. Marcel Dupré wrote of the Gothic Symphony:

The first movement, Moderato, depicts the severe imposing facade of the basilica. The Andante sostenuto suggests the calm interior of the nave and creates an atmosphere of prayer. The Allegro is a brilliant movement in fugal style. The plainsong theme makes its first appearance in the pedal. The Final presents a series of variations until the entrance of the toccata-like allegro, which works up to a magnifi-cent climax over the hymn. The Symphony ends tranquilly, like the calm of eternal night.

Widor’s Symphonie Romane is based on the Gregorian chant “Hæc dies” (This is the day), the Gradual of the Easter Sunday Mass. The theme, the composer writes,

. . . is an elegant arabesque ornamenting a text of several words—about ten notes per syllable—a vocalize as elusive as a song of a bird; a sort of pedal-point conceived for a virtuoso free of restraint. The only means of holding the listener’s attention with so fluid a theme is to repeat it incessantly. Such is the plan of this move-ment that sacrifices everything to the subject. Here and there the composer has somewhat timidly em-barked in development, but this departure is quickly abandoned and the original plan of the work resumes.

The Choral is a profound, meditative adagio filled with modal cadences and soaring, simultaneous-ly-singing melodies. Cantilène echoes two phrases of the Easter sequence, the first: “Victimæ paschali laudes.” The central un poco agitato is built on the second verse, “A lamb the sheep redeemeth.” The Final, an ecstatic repetition of the “Hæc dies” melody, together with the other movements of these two symphonies, is a catalogue of Widor’s improvisational techniques described in 1921 by Edward Ship-pen Barnes: “Using a Gregorian theme from the mass of the day, he always brought the music to two climaxes of power—and ended the piece softly.”

GREAT 16 Principal 8 Principal 8 Diapason 8 Bourdon 4 Principal 4 Octave 4 Gemshorn 22/3 Quint 2 Super Octave Mixture IV Fourniture IV Cymbel III Chimes

POSITIV 8 Singend Gedeckt 4 Prinzipal 4 Rohrfloete 22/3 Nasat 2 Blockfloete 13/5 Terz 11/3 Larigot 1 Siffloete Scharf IV Zimbel III Zimbelstern TremulantBoMbarde (enC. With Choir) 16 Posaune 8 Trumpet 4 Clairon

SWELL (enClosed) 16 Flute Conique 8 Rohrfloete 8 Geigen 8 Viole de Gambe 8 Viole Celeste 4 Octave Geigen 4 Fugara 4 Flute Triangulaire 22/3 Nazard 2 Fifteenth 13/5 Tierce Mixture III Cymbel III 16 Bombarde 8 Trompette 8 Trumpet 4 Clarion Tremulant

CHOIR (enClosed) 16 Contra Viola 8 Viola 8 Nachthorn 8 Dolcan 8 Dolcan Celeste 4 Viola 16 Krummhorn 8 Trompette 4 Schalmei TremulantSCreen (unenClosed) 8 Diapason 8 Dulciana 8 Gemshorn 22/3 Nasard 2 Piccolo

ANCILLARY STRING (enClosed) 16 Viole 8 Orchestral Strings II 8 Dulcet II 8 Muted Strings II 8 Dulciana 8 Flute 4 Viole 16 Vox Humana (ext.) 8 Vox Humana Tremulant

PEDAL 16 Principal 16 Contrebasse 16 Violone 16 Subbass 16 Flute Conique (Sw.) 16 Viole 16 Viola (Ch.) 8 Principal 8 Viola (Ch.) 8 Nachthorn 8 Flute Conique (Sw.) 51/3 Quint 4 Principal 4 Flute Harmonique 2 Blockfloete Mixture III Cymbel II 32 Posaune (ext.) 16 Bombarde 16 Bombarde 8 Trompette 4 Clairon Chimes

Wind Pressure: Great 3ʺ, Choir and Pedal 5ʺ String and Bombarde 7ʺ, Screen 41/8ʺ Positiv 2½ʺ, Swell 3¾ʺ and 5ʺ

SAINT MARK’S CHURCHPhiladelPhia, Pennsylvania

Aeolian-Skinner Opus 948, 1937

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syMPhonie Gothique, oPus 701 Moderato � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 6:15 Andante sostenuto � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 4:423 Allegro � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 3:414 Moderato – Allegro – Moderato – Andante – Allegro � � � � � � 12:12

syMPhonie roMane, oPus 735 Moderato � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 6:436 Choral � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 7:437 Cantilène � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 5:198 Final � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 10:48

rePertoire reCordinG soCiety ~ rrs 17reCorded June 22 and deCeMber 14, 1975

st. Mark’s ChurCh, PhiladelPhia, Pa. aeolian-skinner oP. 948, 1937

released May 14, 1976library of ConGress nuMber 75-750869

Wid

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Widor SymphoniesGothique AND Romane

Rollin SmithORGANIST