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GrandCorps
Добавлен 10 июл 2007
Ch. M. Widor plays his Toccata from V Symphony Op. 42 No. 1
Here the legendary organist plays his most-famous work, Toccata from 5th Symphony. When the recording took place, he had been already 88 years old. He many times mentioned, that Toccata was wrongly popularised, as a plain showpiece, without feeling, but with ridiculously fast tempos. Of course, here the age is a main argument, but... let's the composer speak through his music!
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This has made me see slow performances differently. Given that, is probably one of the best performances of the Toccata I’ve heard (I know he’s the composer, but still) especially at his age of 88.
Similar recording technology to that used for Harry Goss-Custard's landmark recordings at Liverpool Cathedral in 1927. The pompous critics claim Widor played it slowly because he couldn't play it faster. Really?
His Toccata. His speed. It's not slow, it ends precisely when HE wanted it to.😅
A privilege to hear him play his work!
Perfect !
This is one of the first EPs I owned as a teenager in the 60s. The other side was Parry’s ‘I was glad.’
I simply love the beginning and then afterwards the introduction of the bass part. It’s gorgeous!! It gives me goose bumps every time I hear it. Just treated to it today by the young organist at the conclusion of Easter High Mass- truly a small reflection of the Majesty of Almighty God.
Beautiful
Sublime!!!.... de la grande musique eternelle qui donne des frissons de la tête au pied... merci mr Widor!!!❤
Imagine living from 1844 to 1937. Such changes!
FULL POWER! THANK YOU MAESTRO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There is so much that can be picked up from this and applied to playing it today. Of course, it's not technically perfect but anyone failing to detect the soul of the composer in the way he is playing this isn't fit to play it himself..
Highly agree! He is a Master ❤❤🎉🎉
It is so good to hear this piece as the composer wrote it. So many people treat it as if it were a South American Samba, which obliterates the message the composition sets forth. Thank you.
🌹🌟
Absolutely majestic and beautiful.
Magnificent! Wish James Mason (Captain Nemo) had played this in Disney's 20K Leagues.
The piece as played by him has great nobility and the rich harmonies and melody comes out perfectly! Wonderful to listen to this master organist and composer!!! Bravissimo
LONG LIVE WIDOR!
I am a professional violinist and although my instrument should be the most sacred to me, it isn't... The organ is the closest that we will come to touching Heaven... Widor brought Heaven to Earth!
Impressive!
Thank you, God, for this composer, this piece, and this revelatory recording.
This composer was genius. He wrote this magnificent piece of music that has captured the heart,soul and ear of all musicians and those whom love organ and music of grace. What dignity, Devine music. Bravo to the composer, to the Spectacular performance.
Listen closely. One can actually hear the mechanics and valves. This is how it's supposed to be played.
Leaving aside the sound quality (nobody's fault), this has the majesty we usually hear plus a delicacy in the quieter passages and a varied character that makes it very special indeed. Wonderful. So glad to have heard it.
The speed at which he played it adds to the inevitability of the procession of the music. There's just one way to go through this and come to an end and Widor found it.
This is an historic relic of great value. I am so grateful that this even exists.
Wow! Had no idea he intended it to be played "adagio". If only the recording fidelity of the 1930s had been better. However, this recording is simply amazing!!!
The speed allows the articulation to breathe that speed merchants miss. The classic recording of Jeanne Demessieux at Liverpool RC Cathedral where the strong accents were in the wrong places demonstrates it.
This sounds truly majestic at the tempo the composer himself plays it at. Sick of hearing it played too fast. Brilliant transfer of a 90 year old recording of a brilliant near 90 year old player!!
It's easy to improve something already invented...but the whimsical, nay, mystical charm of the original you can't improve.
It is a blessing that we have this recording of “the” Widor Toccata, played by none other than THE Master himself, Charles Marie Widor! This is to be treasured and, I think, ought to be an aiming point for any organists who have this piece in their repertoire.
Widor is in a dimension of his own here. He knows he's old, he knows his performance won't be perfect, but he played it anyway. It's his music, he can do whatever he wants with it. And it's grand!
Sounds perfect to me....
F*** YEAH!!!!!
C'etait un génie 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👋👋
Timeless, beautiful...
Perfect. Modern trengs to play a piece as fast as possible ruins the music.
I walked own the aisle to this wonderful work. I just wish the composer had been the one who was playing it. When I was learning to play this piece my teacher would get furious if it took any less than 6 minutes to complete. If the composer took that long who was I to speed it up. Sadly many American organists, no names mentioned, but you all know who I mean, use it as a race to see how quickly they can get to the end. Sacrilege!!.
The bit I wait for: 6:23. Thank you for this upload: nice to hear how the composer thought it should be. (Pity the picture has fake "old film" effects, but you can't have everything.)
Thank you !
The remarkable thing is that recording technology was sufficiently advanced enough, altho' still relatively primitive, to be able to capture the tonal scope of a pipe organ that size in a building that large. It also sounded like he didn't cross hands like so many organists do - he let the chords and arpeggios move between hands on the one manual.
Grandiose
The Organist at My church who agrees with the above tempo quipped " People think you can't play it if you don't play it fast."
Excelente
Tout le contrepoint ressort si bien sous ses doigts de 88 ans. Ces harpeges ne sont pas là que pour pour meubler le thème, elle en sont le tissu. Il n'y a qu'à ce tempo que l'on peut s'en apercevoir. Et que dire de l'utilisation de la boîte expressive...
Wonderful. Respect. :)
This is going to be played at my Darling Wife's Requiem Mass on the 27th of April 2023 as a finale as it's so triumphant
❤
Most organists today, play like they want to finish yesterday. This is how it should be played, majestic and full of character. The way the maestro wanted it. Even at 88 he was still a master of composition and performance.
Hé is playing the Toccata at a speed that takes into account the acoustic properties of the church. I have heard it, notes indistinguishable from one another, by being played too fast in a cathedral with an impressive. echo.
At the tempo that the composer played this Toccata, the melodic tapestries become apparent, akin to a curtain slowly undulating in a very light breeze. This is awesome and it is God's Providence that the recording has survived to the present day. Wonderful! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Agree
This is what I would call TOCCATA GROSSO VIVACE. Very well done!!
SIMPLY ELEGANT, SIMPLY MAJESTIC, SIMPLY A SUPERB COMPOSITION OF IMMENSE EMOTION, POWER, COMPLEXITY & SIMPLICITY!!! J.S. BACH WOULD HAVE LOVED THIS PIECE... 🎹🌹🎶AND I WOULD SURELY BELIEVE GIVEN IT HIS STAMP OF HIGH APPROVAL & PRAISE!!! AMAZING MR. WIDOR!!!!! 🎹👍🎵🌹
Why is no one talking about the fact that at 88 years of age Me. Widor was able to play this entire piece without ever even taking his hands out of his lap. So that means he played all of those notes on the pedals with his feet. Organists back then we're so well trained. Can you imagine being one of his students? And for all the people making nasty and mean comments about there being many mistakes and complaining about the tempo. I'd like to see any of you play this piece entirely with your feet, by memory.