Camille Saint-Saëns:
Symphony no.3, C-minor, op. 78 "Organ-Symphony"
Samson et Dalila, op.47, Bacchanale
Le Déluge, op.45, prelude
Danse Macabre, op.40
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Daniel
Barenboim (op.78)
The Organ of the Chartres Cathedral,
Gaston Litaize
Orchestre de Paris, Daniel Barenboim
(opp. 47, 45, 40)
1976/81. Deutsche Grammophon (Galleria) 415 847-2 GGA (midprice)
The Organ-Symphony is one of the great orchestral showpieces. Its uninhibited pretentions of being a monument in the heroic vein of Beethoven, shines through from bar one troughout the incredible finale. This may well be music slightly on the light side, but for me its charm, vivacity and touchingly sincere pretentions, makes it irresistable. I quite simply love this piece of music.
Being a fullscale romantic symphony, makes "the
Organ" something of a rarity, as there are precious few examples of the
genre in French music. Berlioz and Franck are about the only ones besides
Saint-Saëns showing any interest in the same direction. The work came
about as a result of a comission by The Royal Philharmonic Society of London,
and the symphony was premiered by the composer as conductor on May 19 1886,
and was predictably enough a great success, as the the composer was at
the peak of his career. Saint-Saëns creation is a fascinating blend
of conservative classicism mixed with the new radical impulses of Franz
Liszt. The work is actually a four movement symphony, but the composer
have paired the movements with connecting passages. The theme transformation,
a concept he no doubt borrowed from the symphony's dedicatee Franz Liszt,
changes the basic theme to constantly fit its surroundings, thus providing
the work with a remarkable sense of unity. This is musical craftsmanship
at its finest.
The slightly uneasy mood in the opening adagio, continiuing through the allegro moderato. The luminous and beautiful Poco adagio is played with the most wonderful serenity, and is at no time overloaded with sentimentality. The second movement is a showcase of inventive orchestration. My only reservation to this recording is the pianos, which I find sounding slightly dryish, however this reservation is quickly blown away by the dazzling performance of the orchestra. The clarity and nerve of the strings, the boldness and unity of the brass is breathtaking. Even the organ is splendidly recorded with a large spicy sound, and helps making the finale into a spinechilling orgy of orchestral virtuosity. As you've gathered by now I quite like this recording, and thus have few reservations about wholeheartedly recommending it as a prime choice for Saint-Saëns' mighty Third.
© 1999 Arne.Mork@hum.uit.no
Get your own Free Home Page