Charles Marie Widor

Charles-Marie Widor - Organ Symphony No. 5 in F minor Op. 42, Sinfonia sacra Op. 81
Bamberger Symphoniker / Bayerische Staatsphilharmonie / Stefan Solyom / Christian Schmitt (organ)
SACD ISO (2.0/MCH): 2,57 GB | 24B/88,2kHz Stereo FLAC: 877 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: CPO # 777 443-2 | Country/Year: Germany 2009
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic, Early 20th Century, Organ

"…CPO's production is exemplary; informative and detailed notes on the organ and music are given in German, English and French, and the cover reproduces an attractive landscape painting. A most enjoyable recording of two excellent but rarely-performed Widor works, which will delight organ and orchestral lovers in equal measure." ~sa-cd.net

Charles-Marie Widor - Organ Symphony No. 5 in F minor Op. 42, Sinfonia sacra Op. 81
Bamberger Symphoniker / Bayerische Staatsphilharmonie / Stefan Solyom / Christian Schmitt (organ)
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 230 MB | Full Artwork: 118 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: CPO # 777 443-2 | Country/Year: Germany 2009
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic, Early 20th Century, Organ

"…CPO's production is exemplary; informative and detailed notes on the organ and music are given in German, English and French, and the cover reproduces an attractive landscape painting. A most enjoyable recording of two excellent but rarely-performed Widor works, which will delight organ and orchestral lovers in equal measure." ~sa-cd.net

Charles-Marie Widor was born in Lyon to a family of organ builders and consequently became an organist of great skill and an assistant to Camille Saint-Saëns at La Madeleine in Paris at the age of twenty-four.

This is definitely the best recording of Widor's 5th Symphony on record. There are some highlights that set this recording above the others. There is a point at the end of the first movement in which the music builds up to one of the final displays of the theme (timestamp 7:27 on this recording), and I assure you the crescendo Chorzempa does is the best of any recorded.

On this disc, Jean Guillou teams up with Edo DeWaart and the San Francisco Symphony for a lush performance of Camille Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3, popularly known as the Organ Symphony. This is a lush performance of the Organ Symphony with spot-on tempi, great orchestral balance, and unsurpassed balance between organ and orchestra. This symphony has one long melodic line after another, and DeWaart keeps a long view that prevents any sense of meandering. The organ is stunningly recorded. Brass blaze with glory. Strings are lush. Timpani are extremely well-defined. The clarity of the recording provides an excellent window into finer details. It is difficult to imagine how anything could have been improved upon. The disc is filled out with a strong performance of Widor's Allegro from his Symphony No. 6. This account of the Organ Symphony has everything going for it. There are no obvious weaknesses. If you have excellent subwoofers, they will get the workout of their life. Very Highly Recommended!