June 17, 2012 - Third Sunday after Pentecost

Symphonie No. 6, Op. 42 No. 2 - Charles-Marie Widor
(Adagio, Cantabile, and Finale)

Hymns:#424 East Acklam, #209 St. Botolph, #525 Aurelia

The prelude, postlude and communion music this week are taken from Charles-Marie Widor’s Sixth Symphonie Op. 42 No. 2 in g minor. Charles-Marie Widor was born in Lyons to a family of organ builders. He began his career as an organist at age 11 and soon sparked the interest of Cavaillé-Coll, the famous organ builder. Cavaillé-Coll made arrangements for Widor to study at the Brussels Conservatory with the renowned organist Nicolas-Jacques Lemmens. Upon completion of his studies he moved to Paris where he was appointed organist of the five manual, 100 stop organ at St. Sulpice in 1870 where he remained for 64 years. Influenced by the organs of Cavaillé-Coll, Widor created a new medium that he called the “organ symphony,” a multi-movement work for organ that borrows its forms from the traditional orchestral symphony which allowed Widor to explore the orchestral capabilities of the Caviellé-Coll organs. Symphonie VI in g minor was composed in 1878 for the inauguration of the organ at the Trocadéro and was premiered there on August 24 by the composer. The overall structure of the symphony alternates slow and fast movements as well as alternating tonal centers. The first and third movements are in g minor while the fifth is in G major.

In 1876 Widor attended the Bayreuth premiere of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen. The influence that this experience had on Widor is evident in the chromaticism in the Adagio. The composer’s registrations are meant to imitate the full string section of the orchestra. This is followed by a more turbulent section played on the strings, flutes and principals of the organ creating a thicker sound that gives way to soft strings and a solo flute reprising the opening theme.

The Cantabile is the most melodically driven of the five movements. It has been suggested that this movement is a “tip of the hat” to Franck whose Trois Pièces were premiered at the same concert series. This movement varies the melody and accompaniment in such a way that what starts as an accompaniment becomes more of a countermelody than an accompanimental figure. This piece is more evocative of orchestral writing than organ writing lending credibility to Widor’s idea of the “organ symphony.”

The Finale is reminiscent of the first movement opening with large chords on full organ, but contrary to the first movement the Finale is in a major key and has a more active rhythmic drive. This movement moves between staccato accented sections and more flowing melodic sections building to a series of trills over a pedal solo and the close of the symphonie.