Widor's ancestry, musical education, and heritage (1844-63) -- The first creative period (1864-79) -- The years of mastery (1880-94) -- The twilight of Widor's compositional career (1895-1909) -- Mr. Widor, member of the Institute of France (1910-37) -- Appendixes. 1. Published literary works. 2. List of musical works. 3. A cross-section of musicians during Widor's life. 4. Chronology

This collection features church and concert works for the organ and includes such popular pieces as Bach's "Toccata" and "Fugue in D Minor" andthe "Toccata" from Charles-Marie Widor's 5th Organ Symphony."

Yuletide favorites by 24 composers appear in this compilation of traditional and classical works. Assembled by a noted organist, it features simplified pieces by Buxtehude, Guilmant, Berlioz, and many others.

Louis Vierne (1870-1937), a student of C�sar Franck and Charles-Marie Widor, was organist of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris for 37 years, until his death at the console during a recital. Widor's successor as the organ's great French symphonist - an assessment the passage of time has proved correct - Vierne's music has remained in the repertoire of organists throughout the world, never undergoing the periodic eclipses experienced by his contemporaries. Vierne's autobiography, Mes Souvenirs, originally published serially in the 1930s, is here available in a profusely illustrated, extensively annotated English translation. Rollin Smith's Louis Vierne: Organist of Notre Dame Cathedral is the first major study of the great organist of Notre-Dame and includes chapters on his American tour, recordings, contemporary reminiscences, definitive textual corrections, the organ symphonies, his death and succession, and a thematic catalogue of his organ works.

The greatest French organist of his day, Widor (1844–1937) composed 10 organ "symphonies" — actually solo compositions usually consisting of 6 or 7 short movements, that treat the organ as a kind of self-contained orchestra. Series I includes Symphonies Nos. 1–4, Op. 13 and Symphonie No. 5, Op. 42. Frequently performed today. Glossary of French terms.