Editing Charles-Marie Widor (section)

==Life==
[[File:Widor.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1|Widor as a young organist at [[Saint-Sulpice, Paris]], {{circa}} 1870]]
Widor was born in [[Lyon]] to a family of organ builders, and initially studied music there with his father, Hungarian-born François-Charles Widor,{{Efn|Born 28 May 1811 in [[Rouffach]]; died 7 April 1899 in [[2nd arrondissement of Lyon]].}} who was the titular organist of Saint-François-de-Sales from 1838 to 1889. His mother was Françoise-Elisabeth Peiron.{{Efn|Born 20 December 1817 in [[Annonay]].}} The French organ builder [[Aristide Cavaillé-Coll]], reviver of the art of organ building, was a friend of the Widor family; he arranged for the talented young organist to study in [[Brussels]] in 1863 with [[Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens]] for organ technique and with the elderly [[François-Joseph Fétis]], director of the [[Koninklijk Conservatorium (Brussels)|Brussels Conservatoire]], for composition. After this term of study, Widor moved to Paris where he resided for the rest of his life. At the age of 24, he was appointed assistant to [[Camille Saint-Saëns]] at [[Église de la Madeleine]].
[[File:Paris 06 - St Sulpice organ 01.jpg|thumb|upright=1|The great [[Cavaillé-Coll]] organ at [[Saint-Sulpice, Paris]]]]
In January 1870, with the combined lobbying of Cavaillé-Coll, Saint-Saëns, and [[Charles Gounod]], the 25-year-old Widor was appointed as "provisional" organist of Saint-Sulpice in Paris, the most prominent position for a French organist. The organ at St-Sulpice was Cavaillé-Coll's masterwork; the instrument's spectacular capabilities proved an inspiration to Widor. Despite his job's ostensibly "provisional" nature, Widor remained as organist at St-Sulpice for nearly 64 years until the end of 1933. He was succeeded in 1934 by his former student and assistant, [[Marcel Dupré]].

In 1890, upon the death of [[César Franck]], Widor succeeded him as organ professor at the [[Paris Conservatoire]]. The class he inherited was initially stunned by this new teacher, who suddenly demanded a formidable technique and a knowledge of [[Johann Sebastian Bach|J. S. Bach]]'s organ works as prerequisites to effective improvisation. In 1896 he gave up this post to become composition professor at the same institution. Widor had several students in Paris who were to become famous composers and organists in their own right, most notably the aforementioned Dupré, [[Louis Vierne]], [[Charles Tournemire]], [[Darius Milhaud]], [[Alexander Schreiner]], [[Edgard Varèse]], [[Hans Klotz]], and the Canadian [[Henri Gagnon]]. [[Albert Schweitzer]] also studied with Widor, mainly from 1899; master and pupil later collaborated on an annotated edition of J. S. Bach's organ works, published in 1912 – 1914. Widor, whose own master Lemmens was an important Bach exponent, encouraged Schweitzer's theological exploration of Bach's music.

Among the leading organ recitalists of his time, Widor visited many different nations in this capacity, including Russia, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Italy, Poland, and Switzerland. In addition, he participated in the inaugural concerts of many of Cavaillé-Coll's greatest instruments, notably the organs at [[Notre-Dame de Paris]], Saint-Germain-des-Près, the [[Trocadéro, Paris|Trocadéro]], and [[Church of St. Ouen, Rouen|Saint-Ouen de Rouen]].

Well-known as a man of great culture and learning, Widor was made a Chevalier de la [[Légion d'honneur]] in 1892, and reached the rank of a Grand-Officier de la Légion d'honneur in 1933. He was named to the [[Institut de France]] in 1910, and was elected "Secrétaire perpetuel" (permanent secretary) of the [[Académie des Beaux-Arts]] in 1914, succeeding [[Henry Roujon]].

In 1921, Widor founded the [[American Conservatory]] at [[Fontainebleau]] with Francis-Louis [[Casadesus]]. He was the director until 1934, when he was succeeded by [[Maurice Ravel]]. His close friend, [[Isidor Philipp]] gave piano lessons there, and [[Nadia Boulanger]] taught an entire generation of new composers.

At the age of 76, Widor married [[Montesquiou family|Mathilde de Montesquiou-Fézensac]] on 26 April 1920 at [[Charchigné]]. The 36-year-old Mathilde was a member of one of the oldest and most prominent families of Europe. They had no children; she died in 1960.

On 31 December 1933, at age 89, Widor retired from his position at Saint-Sulpice. Three years later, he suffered a stroke which paralysed the right side of his body, although he remained mentally alert to the last.  He died at his home in Paris on 12 March 1937 at the age of 93, and his remains were interred in the crypt of Saint-Sulpice four days later. His tomb bears an incorrect birth year (1845).