Symphony for organ

Apart from the Orchestra, the Orgue is the only instrument soloist for which type-setters wrote Symphonie S.

According to the movement of the musical evolution, the French invoice of organ of the 19th century, after one short period known as of the romantic organ , ends in the symphonic organ under the impulse of César Franck and Aristide Cavaillé-coll. The symphony for organ thus appears like the girl of the French school of organ. It is however a completely new kind breaking with the traditional tradition of the organ and seeking, as well by the form as by the stamps, to approach the orchestra. It will be at the origin of a revival without precedent in the history of the music of organ, so much from the point of view of the new principles of composition and registration which it generates (use of great sound plans, development of the plays of detail) that novel methods of play that it asks the interpreter.

The symphony for organ thus did not follow the long evolution of the symphony for orchestra since it is born at the 19th century in full symphonico-romantic period and profits from the start of the fundamental contribution of the type-setters post-beethovéniens in the manner of structuring it. Thus the symphony for organ generally includes/understands 5  movements connected to each other by a topic, a tonality and exhibitor various figures suitable for the romantic music: be a prelude to, lovesong, pastoral, scherzo , andantino , walk, final. Another characteristic of symphony for organ is that, although it is intended to be played in church, since it is there that the majority of the organ is, it is never a work in religious matter and it is intended only for the concert.

It is also advisable to stress that the symphony for organ is a typically French musical genre. The symphonic organ will be marked by four emblematic figures of the composition for organ: César Franck, Charles-Marie Widor (which composed ten symphonies for organ), Alexandre Guilmant and Louis Vierne (which wrote six symphonies for organ).

Major works to discover the symphony for organ - Discography

Certain works became references impossible to circumvent if one wants to discover the symphony for organ: work for organ by Susan Landale - CALLIOPE CAL 9941.2 5th and 6th symphony - Olivier Latry with ND of Paris - BNL 112617
  • Louis Vierne: 6 symphonies without exception, 4 first being most known.
6 symphonies by Pierre Cochereau - FYCD 028, SOCD 812, FYCD 029/30
6 symphonies by Ben Van Oosten - DG (DIGITAL Reconding) MD+GL 3211/12, MG+GL3213/1 4 Marcel Dupre by Pierre Cochereau - FYCD 020 Initiatory Symphony for 3 organ by Jean Guillou - Philips 6504 038 (LP recorded in 1971)

Symphonies for organ solo

César Franck (1822-1890)

  • Large symphonic part opus 17 (1863)

Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937)

  • Symphony n° 1 for organ in C minor opus 13
  • Symphony n° 2 for organ in major D opus 13
  • Symphony n° 3 for organ as a semi minor opus 13
  • Symphony n° 4 for organ in minor F opus 13
  • Symphony n° 5 for organ in minor F opus 42
  • Symphony n° 6 for organ in minor ground opus 42
  • Symphony n° 7 for organ in the minor opus 42
  • Symphony n° 8 for organ in so major opus 42
  • Symphony n° 9 for organ opus 70 “Gothic”
  • Symphony n° 10 for organ opus 73 “Romance”

Louis Vierne (1870-1937)

  • Symphony n° 1 for organ opus 14 (1899)
  • Symphonie n° 2 for organ opus 20 (1903)
  • Symphonie n° 3 for organ opus 28 (1911)
  • Symphonie n° 4 for organ opus 32 (1914)
  • Symphonie n° 5 for organ opus 47 (1924)
  • Symphonie n° 6 for organ opus 59 (1930)

Joseph-Ermend Bonnal (1880  -   1944)

  • Symphony according to Media Vita (1932)

Charles Tournemire (1870-1939)

  • symphonic Part opus 16 (1899)
  • symphonic Imagination for organ opus 64 (1934)
  • Symphony-choral of organ in 6 connected parts opus 69 (1935)
  • Symphony crowned for organ in 4 connected parts opus 71 (1936)
  • Two crowned symphonic frescos opus 75 and 76 (1939)

Emile Bumblebee (1884-1974)

  • symphonic Symphony opus 10
  • Allegro opus 32

Fernand of Tombelle (1854  -   1928)

  • Pascale Symphony for organ (Entered episcopal - Offertoire - Exit)

Augustin Barié (1883-1915)

  • Symphony for organ opus 5 (1911)

Alexandre Cellier (1883  -   1968)

  • symphonic Continuation for organ in G major (1906)
  • symphonic Part (1911)

Clarence Dickinson (1873  -   1969)

  • Organ Symphony “Storm King” (1920) - (Symphony for organ “Storm of the king”)

Charles Quef (1873  -   1931)

  • symphonic Part - opus 11

Georges Jacob (1877  -   1950)

  • Symphony into semi major for Organ (1906)

Marcel Dupre (1886-1971)

  • Symphony-Passion opus 23 for organ (1924)
  • Symphonie n° 2 in C minor opus 26 for organ (1929)

Andre Fleury (1903-1995)

  • symphonic Allegro (1927)
  • Symphony n° 1 (1938/1943)
  • Symphony n° 2 (1946/1947)

Jean Langlais (1907-1991)

  • Symphony n° 1 for organ (1941)
  • Symphony n° 2 for organ (1976)
  • Symphony n° 3 for organ (1979)

Pierre Cochereau (1924-1984)

  • Symphony for organ (1950-1955)
  • Innumerable impromptu symphonies immortalized in recordings

Jean Guillou (1930)

  • Simfonietta for organ - opus 4 (1958)
  • initiatory Symphony for 3 organ - opus 18 (1969  -   1971)
  • initiatory Symphony for four hands (transcription of the preceding one) opus 18 (1990)

Jean-Louis Florentz (1947-2004)

  • the Cross of the South, symphonic poem for organ (opus 15 - 1999)
  • the black Child, tells symphonic for Large-Organ of 14 tables (opus 17 - 2002)

Marc Giacone (1954)

  • cosmic Symphony for organ (1981)
  • Symphonic poem (2001)
  • symphonic Fresco “Shades and lights” for organ (2004)

Symphonies for orchestra with obliged organ

It should be noted that there exists very little of symphonies with obliged organ, works which one should not confuse with the concerto for organ. The limit between “symphony with organ” and “Concerto for organ” can be in the following way defined:
  • the Concerto is a dialog between the instrument Soliste and the Orchestre, this last being primarily used to accompany and introduce the solos. It is thus clear that in the concerto the Soliste has a prevalent position.
  • the symphony with organ is initially a Symphonie. It is thus about a work based on the orchestral mass where each Instrumentiste has a role to play. The organ intervenes there to add an additional color to the orchestra without he to him being necessarily asked soloists parts, even if he is true that by his width and its power, he can dominate all the orchestra.
  • But the type of work depends initially on what its author wishes. One can note it with the example of Jospeh Jongen which maintains ambiguity by baptizing its work “Symphonia concertante” , which wants to be to thus be a symphony with the accents of concerto or a concerto in symphonic matter…

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)

  • Symphony n° 3 with organ in minor C - opus 78 (1886)

Joseph Jongen (1873-1953)

Marcel Dupre (1886-1971)

  • Symphony in minor ground for organ and orchestra - opus 25 (1928)

See too

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