An organ symphony is a piece for solo pipe organ in various movements. It is a symphonic genre, not so much in musical form (in which it is more similar to the organ sonata or suite), but in imitating orchestral tone color, texture, and symphonic process.
Though the very first organ symphony was written by German composer Wilhelm Valentin Volckmar in 1867, the genre is mainly associated with French romanticism. César Franck wrote what is considered to be the first French organ symphony in his Grande Pièce Symphonique, and the composers Charles-Marie Widor, who wrote ten organ symphonies, and his pupil Louis Vierne, who wrote six, continued to cultivate the genre. Modern composers such as Aaron Copland and Jean Guillou have written organ symphonies as well. The genre is considered to have been brought to fruition in the second organ symphony of André Fleury.
This page lists the best known symphonies for solo pipe organ and symphonies for orchestra and organ. Organ concertos (such as those by George Frideric Handel, Francis Poulenc, and David Briggs) are not listed here.
Alles Vergängliche. Symphony for organ (2007)
Symphony for organ, Op. 5 (1911)
First Symphony for Organ "Symphonie pour orgue", Op. 18 (1918)
Second Symphony for Organ, Op. 37 (1923)
Symphonie d'après Media Vita (1932)
Symphonie, Op. 10
Allegro symphonique, Op. 32
Alexandre Eugène Cellier (1883–1968)
Suite symphonique for organ in G major (1906)
Pièce symphonique (1911)
Symphonie for organ (1950–1955)
Numerous improvised symphonies recorded
Organ Symphony “Storm King” (1920)
Symphonie-passion for organ, Op. 23 (1924)
Symphonie No. 2 in C minor for organ, Op. 26 (1929)
André Fleury (1903–1995)
Allegro symphonique (1927)
Symphonie No. 1 (1938/1943)
Symphonie No. 2 (1946/1947)
La Croix du Sud, poème symphonique for organ, Op. 15 (1999)
L’Enfant noir, conte symphonique for grand-organ in 14 figures, Op. 17 (2002)
Grande Pièce Symphonique, Op. 17 (1863)
Symphonie Cosmique (Cosmic Symphony) for organ (1981)
Poème symphonique (2001)
Fresque Symphonique "Ombres et Lumières" for organ (2004)
Six Symphonic Variations for organ (2006)
Sinfonietta for organ, Op. 4
Symphonie Initiatique for 3 organs, Op. 18 (1971)
Symphonie Initiatique for 4 hands (the same as above, transcribed for four hands), Op. 18 (1990)
Symphonie in E major for organ (1906)
Symphony in F-sharp minor for organ, Op. 143
Symphonie No. 1 for organ (1941)
Symphonie No. 2 for organ (1976)
Symphonie No. 3 for organ (1979)
Symphony for organ No. 1 (1990)
Symphony for organ No. 2 "Let there be light" (1993)
First Symphonie, Op.18, 5 mvts. (1993)
Second Symphonie, Op. 31, 4 mvts. (2001)
Pièce symphonique, Op. 11
Symphonie Dominicale
Symphonie Mariale
Symphonie pour orgue I (1993–94)
Symphonie pour orgue II (1994)
Symphonie pour orgue III (1994)
Symphonie pour orgue IV (1994)
Symphonie pour orgue V (1995)
Symphonie pour orgue VI (1996)
Symphonie pour orgue VII (1996)
Symphonie pour orgue VIII (2002)
Symphonie pour orgue IX (2003)
Symphonie pour orgue X (2003)
Symphonie pour orgue XI (2005)
Symphonie pour orgue XII (2014)
Symphony No. 1 for Organ (1924)
Second Symphony for Organ (1929–32)
Third Organ Symphony (1949–53)
Symphony in G (1930)
Sinfonia Brevis (1965)
Fernand de La Tombelle (1854–1928)
Symphonie pascale for organ (Entrée épiscopale – Offertoire – Sortie)
Pièce symphonique, Op. 16 (1899)
Fantaisie symphonique for organ, Op. 64 (1934)
Symphonie-choral d'orgue in 6 parts, Op. 69 (1935)
Symphonie sacrée for organ en 4 parts, Op. 71 (1936)
Two fresques symphoniques sacrées, Opp. 75, 76 (1939)
Symphonie No. 1 for organ, Op. 14 (1899)
Symphonie No. 2 for organ, Op. 20 (1903)
Symphonie No. 3 for organ, Op. 28 (1911)
Symphonie No. 4 for organ, Op. 32 (1914)
Symphonie No. 5 for organ, Op. 47 (1924)
Symphonie No. 6 for organ, Op. 59 (1930)
Symphony on Themes of Herzog Ernst von Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha in D major, for organ, Op. 172 (1867) - the first organ solo symphony, and one of very few German organ symphonies
Symphonie No. 1 for organ in C minor, Op. 13
Symphonie No. 2 for organ in D major, Op. 13
Symphonie No. 3 for organ in E minor, Op. 13
Symphonie No. 4 for organ in F minor, Op. 13
Symphonie No. 5 for organ in F minor, Op. 42
Symphonie No. 6 for organ in G minor, Op. 42
Symphonie No. 7 for organ in A minor, Op. 42
Symphonie No. 8 for organ in B major, Op. 42
Symphonie No. 9 for organ, Op. 70 « Gothique »
Symphonie No. 10 for organ, Op. 73 « Romane »
Symphony for Organ (1960)
Symphony No. 8 for Organ and Orchestra (1993)
Aaron Copland (1900–1990)
Symphony for Organ and Orchestra
Symphonie in G minor for organ and orchestra, Op. 25 (1928)
Alexandre Guilmant (1837–1911)
Symphony No. 1 for organ and orchestra in D minor, Op. 42 (1874)
Symphony No. 2 for organ and orchestra in A major, Op. 91
Symphony Concertante for organ and orchestra.
Symphony No.3 "Symphony–Poem" (1947)
Symphony No. 4 "An Organ Symphony"
Symphony No. 3 with organ
Symphony No. 3 for Organ and Orchestra, Op. 43 (1965)
Symphonie pour orgue et orchestre, Op. 42 (1882)
Symphony No. 3, Op. 69 (1894) – organ and orchestra
Sinfonia sacra, Op. 81 (1908) – organ and orchestra
Symphonie antique, Op. 83 (1911) – soloists, chorus, organ and orchestra
Organ symphony Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA