Widor Complete Organ Works, performed by Ben van Oosten ★★★★★
Charles Marie Widor, the principal organist at Saint Sulpice in Paris and the most distinguished organ position in all of France, commanded the international scene from the late 19th century up to his death in 1933. He had multiple distinguished students, including Louis Vierne, Dupre, Varese, as well as Albert Schweizer. Widor had a strong interest in the organ works of Bach, and these organ works definitely have the distinct imprint of Bach on them. These are very attractive works, and while his most memorable organ symphony is his 5th, it would be a disservice to one’s self to limit listening to only his 5th symphony, as the grand total of his oeuvre is remarkable and worth listening to. This set consists of 7 CDs, and Ben van Oosten does a marvelous and flawless job of performance. I have not heard other sets of Widor and so can’t offer a comparison, though this set seems to have a high rating on most public forums.