Charles-Marie Widor; Louis Vierne - The Organ Symphony (Rie Hiroe)

Information

Composer: Charles-Marie Widor; Louis Vierne

• Widor - Symphonie pour orgue No. 10 "Romane"
• Vierne - Symphonie pour orgue No. 6, Op. 59

Rie Hiroe, organ

Date: 2026

Label: HORTUS

_____________________

French composers Charles-Marie Widor and Louis Vierne elevated the organ symphony to its artistic zenith. Widor, the father of the genre and longtime organist at Saint-Sulpice, composed his Tenth Symphony, "Romane," inspired by Toulouse's Basilica of Saint-Sernin; the work utilizes the radiant Easter Gregorian chant "Haec dies" across four movements to symbolize resurrection and divine joy. Conversely, Vierne, the near-blind titular organist of Notre-Dame, crafted his intricate Sixth Symphony in 1930 as a final musical testament. Its advanced chromatic language, augmented harmonies, and whole-tone inflections transcend traditional tonality, creating a sublime sonic prayer balanced between light and shadow.

Born 1965 in Tokyo, organist Rie Hiroe is an internationally acclaimed musician who began her piano studies at age four before transitioning to the organ. She completed her advanced musical education with distinction across prestigious institutions in Japan and Germany, including the Toho Gakuen College of Music, the Tokyo State University for Music and Art, and the music academies of Hannover and Stuttgart. A decorated virtuoso, Hiroe-Lang has won numerous international organ competitions, culminating in the prestigious Grand Prix d’Interprétation and Audience Prize at the Chartres International Organ Competition. This landmark victory launched a robust international concert career spanning Europe, North America, South America, South Africa, and Japan.

High Resolution 24-bit / 44.1 kHz