Note: The slight variations between text and music are due to a different version that I used to prepare the set. Widor later handwrote corrections to the score shown and recomposed some parts to make a second version. This performance represents the first version with Widor's corrections in mind as well as some interpretative choices.
Just listened to your upload of the sight-reading pieces, beautifully played, which I loved, so I went to check out the rest of Widor's piano music (which I've never done before, only knowing him as an organ composer) on IMSLP. Anyway, to cut a long story short, here I am back again! This is a huge piece! Bravo! It's pretty rare that I come across any "forgotten" music that is really interesting, but this really is. You can hear the beginnings of the French school growing out of Schumann - and just as harmonically slippery and audacious as Faure. Fascinating! Edit: that rapido run at 13:04 - I thought Ravel invented that in Jeux d'Eau!!
Thank you! Yes, Widor's piano output is quite fascinating, and IMSLP only has a fraction of it (Crescendo Music Publications has a 7-volume critical edition that I highly recommend). Apparently Widor was an excellent pianist but he was of course an organist primarily as well as a serious composer. That is why I think these works stand out; they are not completely derivative of the piano literature but rather share many elements with orchestral and organ textures/syntax. And as you pointed out, you can absolutely hear Widor's proximity to the French Modernism that came after him (or after his style, since he lived until 1937).
Note: The slight variations between text and music are due to a different version that I used to prepare the set. Widor later handwrote corrections to the score shown and recomposed some parts to make a second version. This performance represents the first version with Widor's corrections in mind as well as some interpretative choices.
Just listened to your upload of the sight-reading pieces, beautifully played, which I loved, so I went to check out the rest of Widor's piano music (which I've never done before, only knowing him as an organ composer) on IMSLP. Anyway, to cut a long story short, here I am back again! This is a huge piece! Bravo!
It's pretty rare that I come across any "forgotten" music that is really interesting, but this really is. You can hear the beginnings of the French school growing out of Schumann - and just as harmonically slippery and audacious as Faure. Fascinating!
Edit: that rapido run at 13:04 - I thought Ravel invented that in Jeux d'Eau!!
Thank you! Yes, Widor's piano output is quite fascinating, and IMSLP only has a fraction of it (Crescendo Music Publications has a 7-volume critical edition that I highly recommend). Apparently Widor was an excellent pianist but he was of course an organist primarily as well as a serious composer. That is why I think these works stand out; they are not completely derivative of the piano literature but rather share many elements with orchestral and organ textures/syntax. And as you pointed out, you can absolutely hear Widor's proximity to the French Modernism that came after him (or after his style, since he lived until 1937).
Absolutely beautiful, Thank you for the wonderful playing and preparation of the sheet music for the video. Such refreshing and wonderful music!
This is a whole new world of music, quite unlike anything I've heard
It really is a singular work in many ways. If you don't mind, I'm curious to hear more about what you heard in it.
Do you play this in a DIgital Piano?
Yes, it is a modeled Bösendorfer 280VC by Pianoteq
And, who is the pianist!?
This is my own performance.
@@PianoCurio Bravo!