Widor: Symphonie II

Charles-Marie Widor established the organ symphony as a genre with his first four Symphonies pour orgue, opus 13 (1872). The introduction to this edition of Widor's Symphonie II includes a list of the sources, a statement of editorial policies, and information about Widor's registrations. Symphonie II in D Major, in six movements, seems to take the listener on a timbral tour of the organ, with each successive movement featuring fresh registrational combinations. Also included in this edition are five appendices containing selected principal variants, with the original version of the first movement, the original scherzo fourth movement (later replaced by the Salve Regina), and the original version of the fifth movement Adagio.

I. Praeludium Circulare: Andantino

II. Pastorale: Moderato

III. Andante

IV. Salve Regina: Allegro

V. Adagio: Andante

VI. Finale: Allegro

 

Appendix 1: [I] Prélude. Version A/A′

Appendix 2: I. Prélude. Version B/B′, Mm. 19–28, 54–100

Appendix 3: III. Versions A′/B/B′ and C/C′, Mm. 1–44

Appendix 4: IV. Scherzo. Version A/A′/B/B′

Appendix 5: [V] Adagio. Version A/A′

Arthur Lawrence, Notes, September 1993; Robert Parkins, The Organ Yearbook, 1995; Andrew Thomson, Choir & Organ, May 1993