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
JOHN R. NEAR is Professor Emeritus of Music at Principia College, Elsah, IL.
A book to treasure.
*CHURCH MUSIC QUARTERLY*
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*
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*
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*
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manuscript of an unpublished 'Souvenirs Autobiographiques' [that]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*
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*
Detailed, richly documented account of Widor's long and fascinating
life. . . Definitive.
*MUSIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATION*
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