.jpg)
Organ buffs might have explored the ten organ symphonies and discovered that the movements in these are good, and perhaps, indifferent. For those of us who indulge in obscurity, there may have been adventures with one or other of the two piano concertos, the Symphony No.1, the Violin Concerto, or the Piano Trio and Quintet. That said, I imagine precious few will have discovered the piano music.
The advertising flyer for this new disc from Danacord, explains that Daniel Grimwood recognised that Widor was “so famous and so unknown” after reading John R Near’s definitive modern biography and was made aware of the solo piano music. This has, until now, remained in the shadows.
The recital opens with the Variations sur un Thème original, op. 29 (1892), which were a recrafting of the earlier Variations de concert sur un thème original, op.1 (1867). The liner notes suggest that this work most approximates Widor’s organ music style but also includes nods to the baroque era. Charming is the best description of most of this work with Variation No.4, Adagio, being quite profound.
Grimwood rightly suggests that Widor’s Carnival (1889) is modelled on Schumann’s eponymous album. He describes this twelve-movement collection as “sexy, profound, whimsical, dangerous, [and] occasionally silly.” Like the elder composer’s work, it is a vivid sequence of character pieces portraying masked revellers, friends, lovers, and alter egos: Widor presents a “varied cast” without always giving a hint as to who is who.
The collection is framed by two
marches, Timbales et Trompettes and the cheeky Finale. The
loveliest is Francesca, who may or may not nod to the Italian noble
woman of Rimini, portrayed by artists, writers, and composers since Dante. This
is ravishing music, which could well stand alone. There are various dances
here, including a fine Bal Masqué, a vibrant Hongroise and an
elfin Entrée Turque. And one wonders who Zanetto (a young poet
and minstrel from the later Pietro Mascagni 1896 opera?) and Rosita were
modelled on. This is a wonderful collection of pieces, that typically should be
heard together (with the aforementioned exception).
The notes explain that Widor’s Cinq Pièces, op. 71, was probably completed around 1895. They were not published until 1903 followed by subsequent revisions and later editions. The stunning opening Valse gaie has several contrasting sections, staccato, complex whimsical and with clear nods to Schumann. This is succeeded by the brief, lugubrious Valse triste, which is excessively chromatic. The Kermesse carillonnante has been described as “Widor’s most bravura style piano piece, made to measure for concert use…” This is a celebration of a saint’s festival, and features insistent chromatic runs, bell-like sonorities, vivid arpeggios, and hints of waltzes. Different in mood is the “desolate” Valse oubliée, however relief is brought about by a delightful Schubertian waltz as the contrasting theme. This is a love lost and recalled. Daniel Grimwood provides a suggested narrative for Après la Fête, which implies “morning-after recollections of a party stabbed through with pangs of guilt a drunken misdemeanour or other.” I am not quite so sure about this contention: again, there seems to be some angst here that suggests a misunderstanding with the beloved… Overall, the Cinq Pièces’s graceful textures and virtuosity place them within the French piano tradition shaped by Saint‑Saëns, Franck and Fauré.
The delicious Nocturne (1892) was originally part of the incidental music for Auguste Dorchain’s play Conte d’Avril, based on Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night. The liner notes suggest that this present transcription came by way of the third movement (there a Romance) of the Suite for flute and piano, op.34 (1884).
It does not come as a shock to discover that the final track on this disc presents Widor’s own piano transcription of his most legendary movement from his best-known organ work, the Toccata. The pedal part is cleverly absorbed by the left hand, with the beloved figurations still complete in the right. It makes a splendid conclusion to an interesting and novel recording.
Daniel Grimwood is noted for his performances of 19th-century virtuosic piano repertoire, particularly of the works of German composer, Adolph von Henselt. He has appeared at significant venues worldwide, including the Wigmore Hall, and Symphony Hall, Birmingham, as well as venues in Europe, Egypt, Lebanon, and Oman, and Australia. Grimwood is a Research Associate at the University of York, specialising in 19th-century performance practice. For enthusiasts of British music, his recording of works by Doreen Carwithen and William Alwyn (Edition Peters, EPS007, 2019) was warmly received by critics.
With clear, vibrant sound and scholarly liner notes, this release successfully rescues Widor’s piano output from the shadows of his organ symphonies. Daniel Grimwood proves to be the ideal advocate for these "character pieces," successfully navigating their varied moods. It is a novel, refreshing recording that leaves the listener with a single thought: why has it taken this long to hear them?
Track Listing:Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937)
Variations sur un Thème original, op. 29 (1892)
Carnaval, op. 61 (original version) (1889)
Cinq pièces op. 71 (c.1895, rev. pub.1923)
Nocturne: Andantino, from Conte d’Avril op. 64 (1892)
Toccata. Allegro (arr. Widor) From Organ Symphony No. 5 op. 42 (1879)
Daniel Grimwood (piano)
rec. 17-18 December 2025, Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, University of York, York.
Danacord DACOCD 1008
With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published.
