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Favourite recording of Widor's Toccata?

ArthurWoolsey

New member
This should spark a debate...
Here's a question for all organ lovers alike: who's recording of Widor's toccata do you think is the best?
I'll go first: I think Olivier Latry nails it!
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
Ian Tracy at Liverpool Cathedral is also a stellar performance as well as Thomas Murray at Mormon Tabernacle in Utah.
 

wljmrbill

Member
I can not argue concerning Latry on most anything he plays/renders his opinon.. also found Widor's recording quite interesting even if he was in his 80's I believe... it is on you tube. Most I believe play way to fast and used as a show piece which is a shame. Roth's is not bad either.
 

Contratrombone64

Admiral of Fugues
Mr Bill - you are indeed correct. But most who play it at break neck speed are only demonstrating their complete lack of a) research and b) taste.

At a steady pace, with even, crisp staccatos it makes the piece almost listenable.
 

ArthurWoolsey

New member
I completley agree with you - (although I have nothing against him personally) recordings like Wayne Marshall's actually make me feel sick because my mind just cannot comprehend it!
 

dll927

New member
Let's put it another way. The speed demons are largely egomaniacs who want to show off their technical ability. And that applies to a lot more than just Widor's toccata. It is supposedly documented that Widor himself thought a lot of people played it too fast.

I still maintain that in a large church or cathedral with a long reverb time that type of playing will be just a cacaphony of noise and no one will be able to distinguish the voices or various parts.

Virgil Fox was famous for not caring how a composer intended the music to be played. Well OK, most of them couldn't be there to hear it. But that's also one of several reasons why Fox was rather controversial. Virtuosity is not just a matter of speed alone.
 

Contratrombone64

Admiral of Fugues
Virgil Fox was indeed a speed demon BUT he had extra ordinary talent ... same can't be said for your local parish organist who just wishes to show off how swift his/her fingers are.
 
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