Van Oosten Ben

This third volume of the complete Widor organ music contains the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies--certainly the two most popular of Widor's organ compositions. In fact, in the concluding Toccata of the Fifth Symphony, we are dealing with the most popular single piece of organ music since the Toccata and Fugue in D minor of Bach. Academics love to sneer at Widor's Toccata as a tacky potboiler of a piece. It features an incredibly catchy tune that repeats itself to the point that you can't get it out of your head, and if it drives the official arbiters of taste insane, then that's their problem. The rest of us can simply enjoy it as the vivacious conclusion to a gorgeous piece of music. If you think that Widor is all flash, check out the haunting second movement. --David Hurwitz