Charles-Marie Widor

Symphonie No. II pour Orgue

Widors early organ symphonies op. 13 have a quite special character because of their suite-like structure. The six-movement Symphony II also combines different types of movement in an unusual way; it includes a Praeludium Circulare, which explores all the twelve keys, a 'Salve Regina' based on the Gregorian antiphon of the same name, and a grand Toccata as the 'Finale', an interesting precursor of the famous Toccata from the 5th Symphony. The Carus edition is based on the Paris edition of 1928/29, the last one to be published during Widors lifetime. The corrections which the composer made after the publication of the 1928-29 edition have also been taken into consideration. As well as this, earlier editions have been consulted for comparison to clarify individual variant readings. Editorial suggestions on the performance of individual passages complete the new edition.