Background
Widor was born at Lyon on February 21, 1844 to a family of organ builders.
Widor was born at Lyon on February 21, 1844 to a family of organ builders.
He was organist of St. Sulpice, Paris, professor of organ and composition at the Paris Conservatoire, and permanent secretary of the Académie des Beaux Arts. A pupil of Nicolas Jacques Lemmens and François Joseph Fétis he won fame as a virtuoso, composer, and teacher. He composed in many forms and is best known for his organ symphonies.
A well-known treatise on orchestration, a large body of musical criticism, and an incomplete edition of the organ works of J. S. Bach, undertaken with Albert Schweitzer, are evidences of his prolific labors.
(Ilona Prunyi, piano - New Budapest Quartet)