Widor's Toccata from Wurzburg Cathedral

Hans Musch playing Widor's Toccata from Symphony No 5 Op.42 on the Klais organ in Wurzburg Cathedral. I have only included this piece as its very rare to find recordings from Wurzburg Cathedral, one of largest organs built by Klais. Apart from this one, there is a recent recording on the German Unda Maris label and thats about it.

Hans Musch was born in 1935 in Leutkirch and studied in Rome, Freiburg and Munich and worked at the College of Music in Freiburg im Breisgau since 1966. And thats all the info I have been able to find out about him.

The Klais organ was built in 1969 and was completely new, since the last Klais organ (built in 1937) was destroyed in 1945 when the cathedral sustained heavy damage. The choir and transcepts were rebuilt to their baroque splendour but the nave was rebuilt into a more Romanesque style with a flat wooden ceiling. As you can see from a few photos in the video, the console is a five manual beast modelled on Cavaille-Coll's great examples in Notre Dame and St Sulpice but totally finished in black, even to having black naturals on the keyboard with white sharps. It contains 6,654 pipes and 86 speaking stops. There is a small 'swallows nest' choir organ of 20 stops, but this is to be joined by another choir organ of 52 stops to be built by Steinmeyer in 2010! To me it has a characteristic Klais sound, although nowhere near as overbearing as its organ in Cologne Cathedral with its unusual mixtures and recent bombastic reeds.

This recording comes from a Christophorus CD 74606 which features the complete 5th symphony of Widor and Franck's Choral No.3 and Cantabile. It was originally recorded in 1969 and reissued on CD in 1990, but I have no idea if this title is currently available.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Pipe
• Organ
• Klais
• Wurzburg
• Cathedral
• Widor
• Hans
• Musch

[kasha1932]

Wonderful...but this breaks up very badly at the end. Maybe you can fix it.

[JFSnail]

@kasha1932 Sorry cannot detect any issues with video or audio, can you be more specific? thanks.

[organpipes61]

Absolutely wonderful! This has to be my favorite organ piece of all and your performance is outstanding! Thank you so much for sharing your magnificent talent with us. God bless you with many more years of great success!

[johannesr89]

Sehr schöne Einspielung... Ich war schon ganz enttäuscht, dass sämtliche Aufnahmen hier auf Youtube so schrecklich unmusikalisch und nur auf Tempo aus sind... So ist es genau richtig... Und dann noch aus meiner Wahlheimat Würzburg ^^ schön :)

[Flyingredhead79]

I grew up listening to my church organist play this while I did my acolyte duties. While I've always loved it, I never knew the name of the piece until the royal wedding last spring. I'm so glad I found this recording! The notes are clear and he keeps the tempo up, just like I remember it from when I was an acolyte! Thank you for posting! I've always wanted this as my wedding recessional... now to find a groom!

[BluesHarp60]

My Hometown of Wuerzburg!!! I used to be in the Choir of this Cathedral when I was young! WOW what great Memories! Thanks for this Video!!!

[rocksoliddude1]

5 people are hopeless at the organ

[causabon99]

Bravo! - and I love Wurzburg, and St. Kilian, whenever I manage to make it on holiday to Germany, all too infrequent these days. Great organ sound.

[kasha1932]

WONDERBAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love the sound of this organ! Sometimes I walk on my treadmill to this particular piece of music...just my speed! I also like the photos that have been added since the last time I visited. Thanks so much!

[kathgeall]

A lovely piece of music played on a magnificent organ I endorse connhorn1963 comments wonderful I believe this music was played at Princess Anne and Captain Mark Philips wedding .

[connhorn1963]

This performance of Widor's Toccata is the most satisfying that I can find on you tube. The tempo is right and Hans Musch uses subtle rubato. I find nothing to fault and the end is as beautifully wrought as the beginning.

[TheOneAndOnlyYeti]

Wow ... Da muss ich hin! Das muss ich gesehn haben :-)

@ MegaDani141 ... so hässlich ist die Empore nun auch wieder nicht^^

[MCR1235]

when i get married im going to have this played when i walk out the church :)

[MegaDani141]

Hässlich Empore, WUNDERSCHÖNE ORGEL xD

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