Widor: A Life beyond the Toccata

by John R Near, John R. Near

Overview

Brings to light the life and work of one of France's most distinguished musicians in the most complete biography in any language of Charles-Marie Widor.

Widor: A Life beyond the Toccata brings to light the life and work of one of France's most distinguished musicians in the most complete biography in any language of Charles-Marie Widor. He is considered one of the greatestorganists of his time, a prolific composer in nearly every genre, professor of organ and composition at the Paris Conservatory, academician and administrator at the Institute of France, journalist, conductor, music editor, scholar, correspondent, inspired visionary, and man of deep culture.
An appendix constitutes the most complete listing ever compiled of Widor's oeuvre. Each work is dated as accurately as possible and includes the publisher, platenumber, dedicatee, and relevant commentary. Another appendix lists Widor's complete published writings, other than the scores of press reviews he penned over several decades.
Widor: A Life beyond the Toccata illuminates the life and work of one of France's most distinguished yet neglected musicians of the belle époque.

JOHN R. NEAR is Professor Emeritus of Music, Principia College.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781580469593
Publisher:	Boydell & Brewer, Limited
Publication date:	05/01/2019
Series:	ISSN , #83
Pages:	614
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

JOHN R. NEAR is Professor Emeritus of Music at Principia College, Elsah, IL.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Kurt Lueders
Preface
Introduction: "Sunday Morning in a Paris Organ Loft," by T. Carl Whitmer
Widor's Ancestry, Musical Education, and Heritage (1844-63)
The First Creative Period (1864-79)
The Years of Mastery (1880-94)
The Twilight of Widor's Compositional Career (1895-1909)
Mr. Widor, Member of the Institute of France (1910-37)
Appendix One: Published Literary Works
Appendix Two: List of Musical Works
Appendix Three: A Cross-Section of Musicians during Widor's Life
Appendix Four: Chronology

Editorial Reviews

This book provides everything needed for an overdue revaluation of the composer, recognising his wide range far beyond the organ loft.

MUSICAL OPINION

Illuminating…

THE SYDNEY ORGAN JOURNAL

John R. Near has honoured his subject by combining powerfully muscular English prose with research so staggeringly comprehensive as to be what fashionable circles would call 'a game-changer.' . . . New insights aplenty. . . . A pleasure to read and to own.

THE ORGAN - R. J. Stove

John Near — editor of the critical edition of Widor's ten organ symphonies — is unquestionably the authority on the organist-composer. In this book he gives us an encyclopedic memoir, containing many new details about Widor's life and work. Without any doubt this biography will remain the definitive resource in the organ world and beyond.

Daniel Roth

A book to treasure. CHURCH MUSIC QUARTERLY [John Henderson]

Invaluable. . . . In Near's genial, well-paced narrative, a portrait of a highly erudite and humorous man emerges -- Widor's intimate recollections of such luminaries as Rossini, Anton Rubinstein and Liszt fizz with vitality. . . . A rich source of contemporary material and . . . a lively picture of Parisian musical life from the 1860s to 1937. . . . Beautifully produced and designed. GRAMOPHONE [Jeremy Nicholas]

Excellent translation. . . . A fruitful resource for scholars and Francophiles alike. CHOICE

Eminently readable [with] photographs not to be found in the published sources. . . . A treasure chest. . . . The final word on the life of a truly great man. . . . A standard of reference and essential reading for all devotees of the French Romantic school. ORGAN AUSTRALIA [Harold Fabrikant]

John R. Near has honoured his subject by combining powerfully muscular English prose with research so staggeringly comprehensive as to be what fashionable circles would call 'a game-changer.' . . . New insights aplenty. . . . A pleasure to read and to own. THE ORGAN [R. J. Stove] Complete review reprinted at http://www.rjstove.net/articles/Widor-Organ_Salisbury.pdf

The definitive work about the composer of one of the two most famous organ pieces in the world [the Toccata from Organ Symphony No. 5]. John Near struck pay dirt when he located a 103-page manuscript of an unpublished "Souvenirs Autobiographiques" [that] allows Widor to speak for himself and allows his biographer many opportunities to elucidate those events. Absolutely indispensable! THE AMERICAN ORGANIST [Rollin Smith]

John Near -- editor of the critical edition of Widor's ten organ symphonies -- is unquestionably the authority on the organist-composer. In this book he gives us an encyclopedic memoir, containing many new details about Widor's life and work. Without any doubt this biography will remain the definitive resource in the organ world and beyond.
--Daniel Roth, Organiste-titulaire du grand orgue de l'Église Saint-Sulpice, Paris

The documentation is wonderfully rich -- would that we had something comparable for earlier composers. . . . A major achievement. . . . A wealth of revealing information. TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT [Peter Williams]

Detailed, richly documented account of Widor's long and fascinating life. . . Definitive. MUSIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

From the Publisher

John Near — editor of the critical edition of Widor's ten organ symphonies — is unquestionably the authority on the organist-composer. In this book he gives us an encyclopedic memoir, containing many new details about Widor's life and work. Without any doubt this biography will remain the definitive resource in the organ world and beyond.

.

A book to treasure.

CHURCH MUSIC QUARTERLY - John Henderson

Eminently readable [with] photographs not to be found in the published sources. . . . A treasure chest. . . . The final word on the life of a truly great man. . . . A standard of reference and essential reading for all devotees of the French Romantic school.

ORGAN AUSTRALIA - Harold Fabrikant

Excellent translation. . . . A fruitful resource for scholars and Francophiles alike.

CHOICE

John R. Near has honoured his subject by combining powerfully muscular English prose with research so staggeringly comprehensive as to be what fashionable circles would call 'a game-changer.' . . . New insights aplenty. . . . A pleasure to read and to own.

THE ORGAN - R. J. Stove Complete review reprinted at http://www.rjstove.net/articles/Widor-Organ_Salisbury.p

Invaluable. . . . In Near's genial, well-paced narrative, a portrait of a highly erudite and humorous man emerges — Widor's intimate recollections of such luminaries as Rossini, Anton Rubinstein and Liszt fizz with vitality. . . . A rich source of contemporary material and . . . a lively picture of Parisian musical life from the 1860s to 1937. . . . Beautifully produced and designed.

GRAMOPHONE - Jeremy Nicholas

The documentation is wonderfully rich — would that we had something comparable for earlier composers. . . . A major achievement. . . . A wealth of revealing information.

TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT - Peter Williams Peter Williams

Detailed, richly documented account of Widor's long and fascinating life. . . Definitive.

MUSIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

The definitive work about the composer of one of the two most famous organ pieces in the world [the Toccata from Organ Symphony No. 5]. John Near struck pay dirt when he located a 103-page manuscript of an unpublished 'Souvenirs Autobiographiques' [that] allows Widor to speak for himself and allows his biographer many opportunities to elucidate those events. Absolutely indispensable!

THE AMERICAN ORGANIST - Rollin Smith

The documentation is wonderfully rich — would that we had something comparable for earlier composers. . . . A major achievement. . . . A wealth of revealing information.

TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT - Peter Williams