Widor: The Organ Symphonies – Vol. 3 – Nolan

   in Choir & Organ (Nov, 2013)
Volume three of this survey of the complete Widor organ symphonies dispatches the Third and Fourth. Often overlooked, there are fine movements to be savoured in these two symphonies, and Nolan certainly brings the playful scherzos to life. I find the recording is a little close for comfort (especially when Cavaille-Coll’s Recit at La Madeleine is already remarkably present in the building). This clarity reveals articulation not always consistent with the score – the non-legato treatment of the melody in the minuetto of the Third Symphony, for example. I still find it hard to beat Daniel Roth’s recordings of these pieces, which deliver a more natural sense of line and musical …