Toccata (Widor); Reginald Goss-Custard at Kingsway Hall, London.

THE HMV 163 FILES.
This performance of Widor's famous toccata possibly set a speed record at its times: it lasts only 3'17'' and fits a single side of a 10'' record, to be compared with the performance of Widor himself, which lasts nearly 7 minutes and is split over two sides of a 12'' record:
• Widor plays Widor: Toc...
This record is not in good playing conditions, and especially some loud bass passages were permanently damaged by the use of a poorly tracking tonearm in a remote past. Nonetheless, it is a remarkable testimony of how the same piece can be played in radically different ways by different performers; which is even more remarkable if the listener remembers that Widor was still alive - and recorded his Toccata himself - by the time in which this record was also issued.
La Voix De Son Maître (HMV) modèle 163.
His Master's Voice E 416: Toccata (Widor); Reginald Goss-Custard, F.R.C.O. at Kingsway Hall, London (1926).
Treated with Ibota wax.
Burmese Colour Needles; Medium gauge.

[@burmesecolourneedles4680]

Hahaha, it might still be a speed record! Was there a 'dare' involved? We will never know! It loses some musical sense for me, but it's an astonishing document (from 1926) and you've managed to capture the audio very well, congratulations. Again I'm impressed with the performance of the HMV 163.

[@highinfidelity72]

Dearest Andy, what a pleasure to read *you* on *my* channel this time around! 😊 I knew it wouldn't take you long to find out that I kept my promise to compare the two recordings of Widor's Toccata! Should I find a meaning in this extraordinarily fast take by Goss-Custard, I would say that it makes easier to catch that there is a melody in the pedals. The deliberately slow tempo adopted by Widor in person, makes a bit harder to follow what the pedals do. In this respect, the recording by Goss-Custard may be useful as an "ear trainer": to understand what's in the Toccata, by which parts it is composed, and then enjoy better the "official" slow version by Widor. The finale (which sounds to me a bit different by that played by Widor) is quite thrilling too.

[@burmesecolourneedles4680]

@@highinfidelity72 A pleasure always to correspond with you dear Marco! Here's another fast performance which I love - not as fast as Goss-Custard - and very slightly uneven rhythmically - but the articulation and musical sense are just incredible. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fautqKelfa98g80 I had this LP as a teenager and loved it. Demessieux's performance of Messiaen's Transports De Joie is also astonishing, the most outrageous I have ever heard (she takes extreme liberties) but my favourite by far because of the POETRY she brings out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qn7VgKyJpqmmfLM