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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 May 2024
[see Fig. 29]
Shortly after my book Widor: A Life beyond the Toccata was published, Dr. Larry Palmer sent me an email on May 28, 2011, congratulating me on the completion of the biography. He attached the scan of a five-page letter he owns, written by Widor on June 10, 1894. I am grateful for his permission to publish this letter here.
Addressed to an unidentified woman, Widor's letter was in response to her request for a list of his works that were lacking from various publishers’ catalogues. Although the list ends at opus 69, with the impending publication of the Third Symphony, for Organ and Orchestra, it shows Widor's oeuvre as he surveyed it at that date. Interestingly, he omitted many opus numbers, perhaps in the belief that there was no question about them: opp. 7, 10–13, 15, 19–21, 26, 31, 41–42, 46, 50, 57, 62. None of these works is unaccounted for today. See Near, Widor: A Life, Appendix 2: “List of Musical Works,” 408–54.
In five instances, Widor's letter indicates works for an opus number left blank at the time of my compilation in 2011: Lorenzo, op. 27 (an unpublished opera); Psaume 112, op. 38 (unpublished); Salutaris, op. 55 (Hamelle); Jeanne d’Arc, op. 65 (Hamelle); Suite espagnole, op. 67 (unpublished)— this may be the Ouverture espagnole, published in 1897, three years after the letter was written. Also, Widor left opus 23 as (unpublished)—this became Trois motets.
In addition, he assigned an opus number to works differing from their published opus number. Opus 1, Ouverture (unpublished) is certainly the Ouverture portugaise; this opus number was taken over by Variations de Concert sur un thème original, for Piano; a revision of this work became op. 29. Opus 2, Six duos, for Piano and Organ [Piano and Harmonium] became opus 3, and opus 2 was reassigned as Pages intimes for Piano. Opus 2bis (Quatre petits trios, published by Schott) are arrangements of four of the Six duos, and thus would become opus 3bis. Opus 3 (unpublished Trio) is unidentifiable. Opus 33 is given as Concerto for Violin (unpublished); this opus number was taken over by Six valses, for Piano; the Violin Concerto was never reassigned an opus number.
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