Widor Allegro or Toccata - Which is Best

The two most popular pieces by Charles-Marie Widor are probably his Allegro from the 6th Organ Symphony and the Toccata from the 5th Organ Symphony. But which really is the best? Take the poll and help me decide.

To make the comparison fair I have featured performances of both pieces by Olivier Latry on the great Cavaillé-Coll organ in Notre Dame de Paris. I explain why below.

Charles-Marie Widor (1844 - 1937) was a French organist and composer who wrote numerous pieces for organ, including eight organ symphonies.  Sponsored by the great organ-builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, at the age of 25, Widor was appointed as the organist at the major Parisian church of St Sulpice (which is now famous from the Dan Brown novel, the Da Vinci Code) where Cavaillé-Coll had just installed a new organ.

This instrument has a reputation of being one of Cavaillé-Coll's finest constructions, and which remains true to the original sound.  I could have featured that instrument in this hub.  In 1934, Marcel Dupré succeeded Widor as organist at St Sulpice, and he in turn by Daniel Roth.  I could have featured Daniel Roth as the organist here, but personally I strongly prefer the performances by Olivier Latry on the great organ of Notre Dame cathedral, also in Paris.  That's another Cavaillé-Coll organ.

Is that down to the organ, or to the organist?  I think that's an interesting question.  If you agree then there are links at the bottom which will help you listen to the Allegro and Toccata played on a variety of organs by different organists.  You can even listen to the Toccata played on the Notre Dame organ by an organist other than Olivier Latry.  For now, though, the priority please is to determine whether the Allegro or the Toccata is the world's favourite piece of Widor. 

If you need to remind yourself of how these pieces sound, then there are videos just below the poll.  I'd suggest you listen anyway if you like these pieces as I think these are fantastic performances.  (If you like them, there is a CD of Olivier Latry playing both the 5th and 6th symphonies so that includes both the Allegro and the Toccata.)