Widor: The Organ Symphonies, Vol. 1 Joseph Nolan

• Charles-Marie Widor (1844 - 1937): Organ Symphony No. 6 in G Minor, Op. 42, No. 2:
• 1 I. Allegro 09:05
• 2 II. Adagio 07:23
• 3 III. Intermezzo 06:16
• 4 IV. Cantabile 05:41
• 5 V. Finale 06:35
• Organ Symphony No. 5 in F Minor, Op. 42 No. 1
• 6 I. Allegro vivace - Più lento 10:21
• 7 II. Allegro cantabile 08:03
• 8 III. Andantino quasi allegretto 08:24
• 9 IV. Adagio 04:33
• 10 V. Toccata: Allegro 06:11
• Total Runtime 01:12:32

Info zu Widor: The Organ Symphonies, Vol. 1

Organ Symphony No.6 in G minor, Op.42, Organ Symphony No.5 in in F minor, Op.42 Volume 1 in a new collection of Charles-Marie Widor’s Organ Symphonies, performed by Joseph Nolan on the magnificent Cavaillé-Coll organ of L'église de la Madeleine, Paris. Bridging the generations from Mendelssohn to Messiaen, Empire to Republic, Widor was born to the organ. His Lyonnaise kinsfolk were organ-builders, he showed early talent for the instrument, and for decades was the embodiment of its might and splendour across the Gallic domain - his ‘Organ Symphonies’ were genre-defining in their influence.

Joseph Nolan is an internationally renowned organist, acclaimed as ‘brilliant and such an astute musician’ (Gramophone UK). He was appointed to Her Majesty’s Chapels Royal, St James’s Palace in 2004, and has since been invited to perform and record in some of the world’s premiere venues - including the refurbished Organ of Buckingham Palace Ballroom (SIGCD114) and the Organ of Saint-Sulpice in Paris (SIGCD167). The Cavaillé-Coll Organ of La Madeleine, Paris is a similarly renowned instrument, with former chief-organists including Camille Saint-Säens and Gabriel Fauré.

“These performances are full of spontaneity yet for all Nolan’s brilliance he allows the requirements of the composer always to take priority. The sympathy and expression that Nolan gives to this music and the assurance of his results will undoubtedly give this recital a special place amongst organ collectors” (Musicweb International)

"Nolan’s interpretations are musically first-class ... organ enthusiasts should certainly acquire this disc for the sake of Nolan’s admirable musical intelligence." (International Record Review)

"Nolan hovers over all like some musical demiurge, fleet of feet and fingers as he negotiates the massive chords and filigree passagework of faster movements such as the closing Vivace of Symphony No 6; thoughtful and sensitive yet smouldering with creative tension in slower movements" (Limelight Magazine)

"Gothic music meets Gothic organ here in performances that encompass a broad expressive spectrum from quiet meditation to dramatic thunder and lightning." (The Times)

Jospeh Nolan, organ

Joseph Nolan
an APRA award-winning British Australian organist, has been described by ABC Radio National as “one of the great organists of our time” and by Limelight (Australia) as “indisputably one of the world’s finest organists.” Critics have consistently praised his artistry, with BBC Radio 3 Record Review admiring his “miraculous playing,” Gramophone (UK) celebrating his “towering technique, vivid virtuosity, and inspired interpretive insight,” and Fanfare (USA) comparing him to Cameron Carpenter, noting Nolan’s “jaw-dropping virtuosity, with both finger-work and footwork that leave one astonished at his dexterity.”

Renowned for his interpretations of Widor’s complete organ works, Nolan’s recordings are widely considered the benchmark, earning two Gramophone Critics’ Choice awards and numerous five-star reviews from leading publications such as The Criterion (New York), MusicWeb International, and ClassicalSource. His performances reach audiences worldwide via broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, Pipedreams USA, Radio France, Radio Sweden, and ABC Classic.

As an exclusive artist with Signum Classics—Gramophone’s Label of the Year—Nolan’s discography is a testament to his reputation, featuring performances on some of the world’s most celebrated organs in iconic venues such as St Sulpice, La Madeleine, and St Etienne du Mont in Paris; St Sernin, Toulouse; St François de Sales, Lyon; St Bavo, Haarlem; St Ouen, Rouen; Buckingham Palace, London; and Eglise St Martin, Dudelange.

Nolan is in high demand as a soloist with major orchestras. His Sydney Opera House debut with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, alongside acclaimed US mezzo-soprano Susan Graham and conductor David Robertson, was lauded by Limelight and The Sydney Morning Herald, who remarked, “I have never heard the Sydney Opera House organ sound better.” His world premiere performance of Mary Finsterer’s Stabat Mater with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at St Patrick’s Cathedral won Performance of the Year and Work of the Year at the 2024 Arts (APRA) awards under conductor Ben Northey.

Joseph Nolan has also appeared as a concerto soloist with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra at St Peter’s Cathedral, Canberra Symphony Orchestra at Llewellyn Hall, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, Queensland Symphony Orchestra at QPAC, West Australian Symphony Orchestra at Perth Concert Hall, and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, where he performed with Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero and conductor Alexander Shelley on a national tour of New Zealand.

Nolan’s formative years were shaped at The Royal College of Music in London, where he studied with Professor Richard Popplewell, won the Canon Bark prize for most promising organ student, graduated with First Class Honours for his BMus recital at Temple Church, and pursued postgraduate studies with Marie Claire Alain in Paris, supported by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust and the Hattori Foundation.

After returning to London, Nolan was appointed to Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace in 2004, where he regularly performed at Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace, including the inaugural concert on the refurbished Grand Ballroom organ. He was the first solo artist to feature on a commercial recording of the Grand Ballroom organ at Buckingham Palace.

In 2008, Nolan became Master of Music at St George’s Cathedral in Perth, Western Australia, recruited by Dean Dr John Shepherd. He founded the Cathedral Consort and Cathedral Concert Series in 2009, both now considered cultural treasures of Western Australia, with The Australian and West Australian newspapers describing their performances as “elite and world class.”

Under his leadership, the Cathedral Consort has performed at the Perth Festival, for Musica Viva, and in collaboration with The Hilliard Ensemble, The Academy of Ancient Music, and The King’s Singers. The project “Gloria,” a collaboration between the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, St George’s Cathedral Consort, and contemporary dance group Co3, conducted by Nolan, earned unanimous five-star reviews and won the 2023 Australian Performing Arts Mainstage award.

In April 2024, Nolan conducted “Gloria” again, this time featuring Vivaldi’s Gloria and Handel’s Dixit Dominus, at Perth Concert Hall. Limelight magazine included this concert among the top ten in Australia for 2024. Most recently, Nolan led WASO and St George’s Cathedral Consort in “Devotion and Glory” at Winthrop Hall in April 2025, earning five stars from Limelight Magazine, with William Yeoman describing the West Australian premiere of Mary Finsterer’s Stabat Mater as “an extraordinary performance of an extraordinary work.” This concert was broadcast by ABC Classic in May 2025.

Booklet für Widor: The Organ Symphonies, Vol. 1