Christian Von Blohn - Charles-Marie Widor: Organ Symphonies Vol. 3 - Symphony No. 7, Op.42 No.3, Symphonie gothique, Op.70

Charles-Marie Widor�s ten organ symphonies sit at the heart of his extensive oeuvre. They reveal Widor�s mastery of the form with their profundity, technical difficulty and sonorous colour. Symphony No. 7, Op. 42, No. 3 inaugurated a new, orchestral approach to the genre and encompasses dreamlike sonorities, Chopinesque melancholy and majestic bravura. The Symphonie gothique, Op. 70 makes explicit reference to Gregorian chant, developing a kind of theological �programme music� that is both austere and consolatory.