Organ Symphony No.1 in C minor, Op.13, No.1 (pub. 1872) [40:27]
Organ Symphony No.2 in D major, Op.13, No.2 (pub. 1872) [37:40]
Joseph Nolan (organ)
rec. 18-24 May 2011, L’église de la Madeleine, Paris
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD319 [78:09]
These two works launched Charles-Marie Widor’s entirely new
genre the organ symphony onto an entirely unsuspecting public. Hailed
by Widor biographer and editor John R. Near as “the greatest
contribution to organ literature since the works of Johan Sebastian
Bach”, their significance was also not lost on their creator,
and he returned to them at various stages in his life to revise them.
I reviewed
volume 1 of this set about a year ago, and since then a new competitor
has entered the field: Jan Lehtola in SACD on the Alba label (see
review).
With its ‘Historical Organs and Composers’ title this
doesn’t look like becoming a complete cycle, and with no overlap
in repertoire so far this amounts to little more than a Widor alert
for fans, but Lehtola certainly looks interesting. Trawling around
for releases with the same programme I came across Hans Ole Thurs
on the ClassicO label CLASSCD442, who is decent enough but with by
no means the panache and elegance of style shown by Joseph Nolan.
There is another set on Cavaillé-Coll instruments played by
Pierre Pincemaille on the Solstice label, SOCD181-85, but again I
found myself missing Nolan’s refinement and subtlety. A closer
candidate might be Joris Verdin on Ricercar RIC286 whose nicely recorded
perspective has a similar spaciousness to that on this Signum Classics
recording.
What comparing versions does reveal is Joseph Nolan’s preference
for considerably slower tempi than many players. His first movement
to the Organ Symphony No. 1 is 6:25 compared to Verdin’s
4:30, his second movement 7:53 to Verdin’s 5:21 and Pincemaille’s
6:10. He is a good 5 minutes longer over the entirely of the work
than many of the examples I could find. These are significant extensions
of Widor’s proportions which may take a little getting used
to if you already familiar with these works. Nolan is by no means
soggy when it comes to rhythm however, and his faster movements are
satisfyingly powerful and energetic.
Slower tempi may not be to all tastes, but Joseph Nolan turns these
pieces more into genuine ‘symphonies’ than many other
versions I’ve heard, tuning in fully to Widor’s ambitiously
grand sense of scale. Once you’ve heard the insinuating pedal
lines of the opening to the Organ Symphony No. 1 and realised
you’re in for something of status and importance, the path back
to the bad old ways is harder than the acceptance of the new. Nolan’s
view of this and other movements is more comparable with the architecture
within which it’s being played, with long vistas and sweeping
lines which guide the eye and conjure feelings of awe. That second
movement Allegretto has a disarmingly gorgeous melody which
seems matter of fact in so many other versions. Nolan’s length
of line allows Widor’s lines to shimmer and unfurl like a rainbow
in a gentle wind. The weak point for me in this work has always been
the incredibly corny Marche pontificale, and while Nolan’s
impressive performance does its best to rise above the rather crass
inevitably of the movement it alas remains a curate’s egg in
a basket of gems. Just hear the magical and luminous colour in the
Méditation and the imperiously brilliant counterpoint
of the Finale which follow and Widor is immediately forgiven.
The Organ Symphony No. 2 is a bit shorter than the first, and
as Ates Orga points out in the booklet notes it is less overtly polyphonic,
emphasising the tone colour of these remarkable French organs. Nolan’s
broad view of the music continues here, allowing the warm tones of
the instrument in La Madeleine to develop and undulate with a natural
sounding and organic character. The playful nature of the Pastorale
is nicely expressed, and the longest movement, the marvellously constructed
Andante is painted with generously broad strokes of enticingly
restrained hues. The Salve Regina could perhaps be a bit more
Allegro but the pedal entry is pretty thrilling, as is the
following sprightly Scherzo which takes up any slack. Not given
much attention in the booklet, the penultimate Adagio is one
of my favourite Widor movements, full of quirky cadences and the occasional
blue note dropped in nonchalantly as if by accident. The vibrato-laden
tones of the organ are perfectly attuned to the music’s times,
filtering down to the desiccated wreaths which adorn those ancient
tombs in the crypt, this mood swept away with a rousing toccata in
the Finale - Allegro.
Joseph Nolan’s cycle of Widor organ symphonies is one I know
I will have to collect in its entirety but then, I knew that after
the first volume. His approach to these works balances that fine line
between extending the boundaries of standard performance practice
while avoiding performances which linger excessively. His breadth
of view gives Widor’s music its full expressive weight without
wallowing, entirely respecting the composer’s idiom and the
musical values of his environment while pointing out the sheer proto-Mahlerian
scale of some movements and each work as a whole. The recording is,
as all of these will be having been recorded in a single week, warmly
communicative and an accurate portrayal of a magnificent instrument
in its monumental acoustic. Not too much detail is lost, but neither
is every set of pipes racked up in front of your face in an attempt
to create something overly and artificially spectacular. This looks
like shaping up to be the Widor Organ Symphonies cycle of the
decade.
Dominy Clements
Soft, strong, and very very long.
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