Reviews
GMCD 7305
Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937)
Fanfare March/April2007
WIDOR Organ Symphonies: No. 5;
No. 6· Colin Walsh (org) • GUILD 7305 (79:16)
Char1es-Marie Widor published both of these organ symphonies
in 1879. Innovations in organ designs had expanded the possibilities ofthe
instrument's co10r and dynamic range, and Widor masterly developed this
potential. Played in their entirety, these symphonies can be first-rate
showpieces for both organists and organ. Wa1sh gives us a fine recording and
Guild has captured the organ of Lincoln Cathedral in magnificent sound that is
clear and full. But, although Wa1sh's performances generally are satisfying,
this disc falls short of the highest recommendations. As good as Wa1sh is, he
doesn't have the pop or explosiveness ofOlivier Latry's recording ofthese
symphonies in Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral. Latry sounds more overwhelming, more
natural, more right. Wa1sh is polite and reserved, while Latry has an abandon,
an almost rough, wild quality that brings out an extra dimension in this music.
The problem is that Wa1sh's interpretations consistently are
slow, resulting in a sedated feel.
The clearest example is in the Toccata from the Fifth
Symphony, certainly Widor's most famous music. Wa1sh takes more than two minutes
longer than Peter Hurford on Decca and Marie-C1aire A1ain on Erato. Latry's
recording is even faster. Each of these alternative approaches galvanizes us and
generates more electricity than Wa1sh, who appears tame and a bit ponderous. Of
course, not everything in this symphony is designed to excite, and Wa1sh brings
nice lyricism to the second movement. His slower tempos in the Andantino third
movement enable him to linger a little longer than Latry and make more of
emotional depth. The fourth movement Adagio is on the slow side but still
enjoyable. But the life is drained out of the piece by the pacing of the
Toccata.
The same tendencies are repeated throughout the Sixth. David
Patrick's recording at the Coventry Cathedral on ASV, Wayne Marshall's on
Virgin, and Latry's all are consistently faster and more exciting. Timings alone
cannot tell the story but they are a strong indicator. Wa1sh unleashes a massive
assault in the opening Allegro movement. Here, Marshall seems in too much of a
hurry, but Latry has just the right tempo and balance. Some may prefer Wa1sh's
more relaxed tempos in the second movement Adagio but this dragged for me. Wa1sh
does a nice job with the fleet Intermezzo third movement, and Cantabile fourth
movement. But, once again, we cannot quite experience Widor's stirring climax
because Wa1sh holds back. There is a sense of triumph, but it is muted,
particularly when compared to the rush to glory one experiences with Latry.
In spite of my reservations, there is much to enjoy in this
recording, which provides a good way to experience two fantastic organ
symphonies. A qualified recommendation. John E Ross
American Record Guide March/April 2007
WIDOR: Symphonies 5+6
Colin Walsh, org., 79 minutes
Walsh, Organist Laureate
at Lincoln Cathedral since January 2003, continues his frequent appearance in
these pages with two standards by Widor. The 4-70 Willis (1898)/ Harrison &
Harrison (1998) is heard to acceptable effect by the skills of Guild's
engineers, but clever engineering can't make an organ sound like a different
instrument. I made similar comments about an earlier Walsh recording (J/F 2005)
from Lincoln. There are only three 3-rank mixtures available, which robs any
performance of the brightness often called for. As before, a somewhat bland
sonority prevails, and Walsh's tempos are predictably slow. The lovely Adagio in
5 takes Latry 4:10, Parker-Smith 4:11; Walsh takes 7:06. It's not merely
sluggish; it lacks flow. The unavoidable Toccata is also the slowest I know (vs.
Latry, Nordstoga, Van Oosten, Parker-Smith, Van Vliet). Symphony 6 fares a bit
better, but even here three of the five movements are slowest.
Lest this appraisal come
across as terminally gloomy it should be said that the accuracy is there. It is
simply that there are many more appealing recordings of these popular works (Latry-BNL
112617; Nordstoga-Simax 1073; Seynhave-Cypres 1631, S/O 2001;
Chaisemartin-Motette 11131; Pincemaille-Solstice 181).
The 1946 Lyric for
quartet was culled in similar manner to the Barber quartet from the composer's
Quartet 1. It is a somber but still upbeat piece that is not of the same cloth
as Barber's impassioned Adagio. The Perimeters for clarinet and piano find the
composer in new territory, blowing with the atonal winds that were prevalent at
the time. The work is reflective and casually dramatic, its three movements not
that varied in tone.
Canvas for Wind
Ensemble, Voices, and Chorus is a recent work (2000) that is rather
confusing-tonal, certainly listenable, but the text by Walker is full of mildly
political-philosophical jargon that doesn't match the music. Ending with Psalm
121, the message of the whole piece is neither consistent nor particularly
coherent.
And this could be said
for all of the music an this album. Walker is a fine composer, but this
collection is probably not the best introduction to his work.
Yet one of the more
interesting portions is Walker's performance of the Liszt B-minor Sonata. He is
an outstanding pianist, and his take an the Liszt is
unusual. It
is slower in some of the more bravura passages, and pedaling is used sparsely,
making for a dry and very manicured approach that I found pleasing and colorful,
if not the last word in passion. The slowness of the approach also makes the
work somewhat diffuse (more than usual), but it is clear that this is a well
thought-out performance with many felicities.
The sound is excellent,
though the (unsigned) notes were written by someone with a chip an the shoulder,
making stabs at Stravinsky's blurbs about the powerless nature of music to
express things ("arrogant, historically invalid"). Stravinsky is the last person
I think of when listening to Walker's music, so I am not sure what the beef is
all about.
RITTER
Choir & Organ January/February 2007
GMCD 7305, Widor: Organ
Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6, Colin Walsh,
the organ of Lincoln Cathedral,
Two much recorded pieces
are performed by the Organist Laureate of Lincoln Cathedral. Walsh's sensitive
and virtuosic performances appear to echo the influence of his teacher, Jean
Langlais; tempi are carefully selected to allow both Widor's music and the
refined tone of the Father Willis Organ space to breathe in the acoustic. The
organist's balance in achieving this without permitting the music to lose
impetus is exquisite. The famous Toccata demonstrates this perfectly: the
organ's weighty pedal section rumbles gloriously -without obscuring the
intricacies above.
CMQ, December 2006
WIDOR ORGAN SYMPHONIES
NOS. 5 & 6
Colin Walsh plays the
organ of Lincoln Cathedral
On the front of this CD
there is an attractive print of St Sulpice in Paris in tie 1820s. A few decades
later, a youthful Charles-Marie Widor was given a year's trial as Organist.
Sixty-four years later he retired from the post, having pioneered the concept of
the organ symphony: fall-scale symphonic works using a newly-discovered and
distinctive palette of sound colours ranging from flutes and gambas to trumpets
and reeds. These were the newly-developed French romanfic organs, as exemplified
by builders such as Aristide Cavaillé-Col, whose instrument can still be heard
in St Sulpice to this day. Colin Walsh's account of two of Widor's Works on an
Instrument several hundred miles to the north is a faithful reflection of the
composer's prescribed registrations, and an excellent and atmospheric recording
it is too. Walsh's tempo of the famous Toccata from the Fifth Symphony seems an
the steady side bat there is a precedent, namely Widor's speed in his own
recording of the work. Whatever your preference, this will make an enjoyable
addition to your CD collection.
Charles-Marie
WIDOR (1844-1937)
Organ Symphony No.5, Op.42, No.1 (1879) [40:50]
Organ Symphony No.6, Op.42, No.2 (1879) [37:54]
 Colin
Walsh (organ)
rec. Lincoln Cathedral, 19-21 September, 2005. DDD
GUILD
GMCD 7305 [79:16]
They say that on a clear day you
can see Lincoln Cathedral from the top of York Minster's central tower. I am not
sure that the converse is the case as Lincoln is built on a hill and York lies
on a plain. Yet it is a nice thought. It was more than forty years ago, in 1961
that the Duke and Duchess of Kent were married at York Minster and had Widor's
Toccata played by Dr Francis Jackson as the concluding voluntary. Ever
since, brides have been partial to this ‘war horse’ and it has become
exceptionally popular. How many times has it been played on an inadequate organ
with an equally baffled organist? Of course the down-side is that the Toccata
is now totally divorced from its context and has become a favourite for CD
compilations and classical radio stations.
And of course here lies the
problem. It applies to the Finale of the 6th Symphony as well.
Compilers of organ music CDs have long regarded these two works as being
essential pot-boilers. A brief look at the catalogue shows some 49 versions of
the ‘famous’ Toccata presently available. This compares to just ten
recordings of the complete 5th Symphony. The 6th
Symphony is even less well served with only eight recordings. Yet listen to
Classic FM or hunt around the CDs in W. H. Smith or even the smaller HMV shops
and you would be forgiven for thinking that Widor only ever penned one piece.
The facts are very different. There
are some eleven organ symphonies in the composer’s catalogue if we include the
numbered works and the Symphonie Latine. Yet how many of these are in the
repertoire of organists? How many recordings are easily available in ‘good music
shops?’
I have often been accused of
musical snobbishness when I eschew listening to single movements of Widor - or
Vierne and Guilmant - I accept that when a piece is used as a voluntary after
Mass or at a wedding that we cannot expect the entire Symphony. But when it is
given in the context of a concert I would like to think that the entire work
would be played. It seems to me unfair to excerpt movements from these great
monuments to French organ music. Would we be happy to attend a recital at the
Wigmore Hall and hear selected movements from Beethoven’s String Quartets or
Mozart Piano Sonatas? I think not.
And this brings me to the present
CD. We are lucky to have been presented with two of the greatest Organ
Symphonies in the repertoire. Colin Walsh approaches these two master works
with considerable experience and understanding. He is a passionate advocate of
Romantic French organ music. And to this enthusiasm he brings both a superb
technical ability and a fine understanding of organ registration. I listened to
both these works with the score in front of me and I was impressed by the
inventiveness and sometimes sheer ingenuity of his registrations and his
interpretation of dynamics.
But the most vital aspect of
Walsh’s playing is his approach to these works as unified structures. So often
we hear movements from these symphonies played singly. But the genius of Widor
was his ability to create a huge organic work. >From the first note to the last
of both these great symphonies every note counts and the moods of the individual
movements build up into something much bigger that the whole. Walsh is able to
provide both the unity and the balance between the movements and even the
sections within those movements.
And of course the organ helps the
performance. The instrument at Lincoln Cathedral was originally built by Father
Henry Willis in 1898. Some 100 years later it was renovated and enlarged by
Harrison & Harrison. There are 64 speaking stops along with a myriad of couplers
and solid state control equipment.
There are a number of versions of
the Widor 5th and 6th Symphonies. I have
usually plumped for Ben van Oosten playing on a Cavaillé-Coll organ. But I am so
impressed by this CD that I would have to recommend it to anyone who wishes to
explore this unbelievably exciting and equally beautiful music.
It is difficult to point out
highlights – but I would have to suggest the gorgeous ‘Cantabile’ from the 6th
Symphony and perhaps the opening ‘Allegro Vivace’ of the 5th.
Only one slight problem – I did feel that the ‘famous’ Toccata ‘dragged’
ever so slightly – whereas the magnificent ‘Finale’ of the 6th
Symphony is absolutely stunning.
Finally the quality of the
recording is exactly what we have come to expect from Guild and the programme
notes are impressive.
John France
Page revised Thursday November 29 2007
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