A book to treasure. CHURCH MUSIC QUARTERLY [John Henderson] Invaluable. . . . In Near's genial, well-paced narrative, a portrait of a highly erudite and humorous man emerges -- Widor's intimate recollections of such luminaries as Rossini, Anton Rubinstein and Liszt fizz with vitality. . . . A rich source of contemporary material and . . . a lively picture of Parisian musical life from the 1860s to 1937. . . . Beautifully produced and designed. GRAMOPHONE [Jeremy Nicholas] Excellent translation. . . . A fruitful resource for scholars and Francophiles alike. CHOICE Eminently readable [with] photographs not to be found in the published sources. . . . A treasure chest. . . . The final word on the life of a truly great man. . . . A standard of reference and essential reading for all devotees of the French Romantic school. ORGAN AUSTRALIA [Harold Fabrikant] John R. Near has honoured his subject by combining powerfully muscular English prose with research so staggeringly comprehensive as to be what fashionable circles would call 'a game-changer.' . . . New insights aplenty. . . . A pleasure to read and to own. THE ORGAN [R. J. Stove] Complete review reprinted at http://www.rjstove.net/articles/Widor-Organ_Salisbury.pdf The definitive work about the composer of one of the two most famous organ pieces in the world [the Toccata from Organ Symphony No. 5]. John Near struck pay dirt when he located a 103-page manuscript of an unpublished

"Souvenirs Autobiographiques" [that] allows Widor to speak for himself and allows his biographer many opportunities to elucidate those events. Absolutely indispensable! THE AMERICAN ORGANIST [Rollin Smith] John Near -- editor of the critical edition of Widor's ten organ symphonies -- is unquestionably the authority on the organist-composer. In this book he gives us an encyclopedic memoir, containing many new details about Widor's life and work. Without any doubt this biography will remain the definitive resource in the organ world and beyond. --Daniel Roth, Organiste-titulaire du grand orgue de l'Église Saint-Sulpice, Paris The documentation is wonderfully rich -- would that we had something comparable for earlier composers. . . . A major achievement. . . . A wealth of revealing information. TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT [Peter Williams] Detailed, richly documented account of Widor's long and fascinating life. . . Definitive. MUSIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATION