Charles-Marie Widor - Analiza interpretativă a Simfoniei Române op. 73, partea I
Charles-Marie Widor - An interpretative analysis of the Romanian Symphony op. 73, part I

Summary/Abstract: Charles-Marie Widor, french organist and composer of the ten “symphonies” for organ. The tenth and final symphony, Symphonie Romane, Op. 73 (1900), includes a dedication, “To the Memory of Saint-Sernin of Toulouse.” In this thesis, I examine the historical contexts and performance tradition of the piece. I begin with biographical information on Widor and his compositions, placing the composer in the greater historical context of the French organ school in the late nineteenth century. As performer, professor, and composer, Widor held an important position in the French school and influenced many later composers. I also examine the close personal and professional relationship between Cavaillé-Coll and Widor. Widor’s music relies heavily on the innovations Cavaillé-Coll included in his instruments and I give specific examples of Widor’s reliance on the new symphonic organs. I consider the organ at Saint-Sernin using a fascinating primary source from 1889, the Saint-Sernin organ committee’s report on the restoration of the organ by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. To provide some clarity to the question of the dedications, I analyze the differences between the Symphonie Gothique and the Symphonie Romane, Widor’s premieres of the pieces, and his writings on the works. I conclude the thesis with an analysis, an examination of the tenth symphony.

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