Customer Reviews

Camille Saint-Saens: Organ Symphony/Tone Poems

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While this CD featuring some of Saint Saens most popular works is recorded using a favorable microphone technique and achieves excellent sound quality, for the 3rd symphony, the Organ parts were recorded in a church seperately and dubbed in at a later date. Performance purists will not like this fact since it is seperate performance times and locations of the same piece involving considerable patchwork and editing to pull it off. But both are done using the minimal microphone technique from the early days of stereo by RCA, Mercury and Decca, and one which many classical music listeners prefer as it gives a sound closer to being in the hall. So the disc presents something of a dichotomy. On the plus side the organ sounds as big and powerful as I've heard for this piece, and I like the performance of the Orchestra conducted by Maazel. He lets the pieces breath without too tight a rein. It sounds sensible. There is no strong signature exercised by the conductor. He let's the music through without contorting it. The other pieces included have no organ and so don't have any continuity issues. Danse Macabre is great. Overall the RCA BSO/Munch Organ symphony still rules but if you want a more recent one with good sound quality, this CD is worthy. I have heard a few others that are not as good as this one.

Personal preference is a massive aspect in the world of music. While one conductor will read a piece as elegant, another will see its bitter irony. One might focus on its desperation while another sees the glimmer of hope in the music. Unfortunatly, there are always individuals who must make their way through the musical hayfields to find the needle.

Pittsburgh, while being criticized of late for their orchestral style, does a fine job with the "Organ". Maazel lets the music move on its own, not by his direction. He doesn't lead the music, he keeps it under control. Of the other "top" recordings of the 3rd (Ozawa, Munch and Levine), Maazel's is the one where the music actually thrives. While Ozawa's finale is quite well done, he tends to fly through at times without a thought. Levine's is very well thought out but rarely does it ever take flight without his help. Munch's, while a classic, is not a thriller. It tends to bog down then flit off which makes for a confusing interpretation. While I have heard other recordings besides these, I have not heard them enough times to comment responsibly. The Maazel is the most elegant and passionate INTERPRETATION even if it is not the finest in ORCHESTRAL PLAYING. While Pittsburgh does a fine job, they are never as tight as could be expected, sometimes almost annoyingly so. It is for this reason (and because of the previously mentioned organ being recorded seperately then being edited in) that it recieves only 4 stars. The rest of the disc is very well done as well, Danse bacchanale being quite the showpiece to close the record.

As we follow in the footsteps of those needle-seekers who have come before us, let us keep our eyes open to the whole field and see the big picture. There will always be something to dislike, something to pick at or be indignant about. But perhaps with an open mind, those issues may start to grow on us and possibly be accepted.

Too many times, the Pittsburgh winds and strings have fallen prey to the bombastic playing by their colleagues in the percussion and brass sections. This time the organ is out of control as well. Though everyone plays superbly, the balance of the orchestral voices is annoying. EMI released a Saint-Saens 3rd approximately at the same time that is far superior to this recording. This is not one of Pittsburgh's finest.

While I can't compare this performance to others of this music, I can tell you that the sound is terrific and performance is beautiful, enough to give you a few goose bumps. The organ is very impressive. Highly recommended.

Camille Saint-Saens is often seen as a classicist who lived throughout the Romantic Era, well into the 20th century. In many views, he bridged the gap between the Romanticism and expressiveness of Hector Berlioz, the French Impressionist school of Debussy, and the modern ideas of Satie and Les Six. Saint-Saens had a musical voice some considered passé, against modern trends, but his music's simplicity was a voice all of his own. This CD shows Saint-Saens love of Liszt, and Saint-Saens' own balance of classicism and Romanticism.

Saint-Saens' Symphony No. 3, subtitled "organ", is a perfect example of classicism and romanticism living together in his compositional style. The work is 36-minutes long, and in four sections (fast, slow, scherzo, fast), but only in two movements. Despite a slow introduction, the first section is in a dance-like time; it's minor key and basic orchestrations hearken back to Beethoven, with an underlying energetic motion propelling the work forward. The second section is the slow lyrical one, featuring a prominent organ role, although it is the strings and winds which carry the melody, a lush melody with classical harmonic balance. An aggressive motive opens the second movement and third section of the symphony, again in a dance-like time and minor mode. The section lightens up a bit for a scherzo sound in the winds and an extroverted entrance by a solo piano, before the opening returns. All of the sections of the symphony have hinted at the theme presented in the final portion of the symphony, harkened by a full solo organ. Fanfares, a broad chorale, and a fugue show Saint-Saens' hold on the past, but the grandiose orchestration (including 2 pianos), far-reaching modulations and tempo relationships look at romanticism square in the face. A blazing finale and a breathless work.

Saint-Saens' four tone poems have Lizst to thank for their influence, and Saint-Saens honors Liszt with some colorful portraits, two of which are on this CD. Phaeton is the story of Helios' (the Sun God) son, who attempts to drive his father's chariot, but can't control the ride. In the 8-minute poem, the listener can discern the galloping horses, a brave theme for Phaeton in the trumpet, almost a fanfare, and the rising harmonies evoking the ride's ascent. Triumph moves to chaos when Phaeton loses control, and the ensemble's climax occurs when Zeus saves the day by hurling a lightning bolt, destroying the chariot. Danse Macbre, 6 minutes, is a tone poem which describes Death playing his violin to accompany a crowd of dancing skeletons. A sprite, but melancholy tone is elicited on a solo violin, at once catchy and descriptive. The rhythmic vitality and almost modal harmonic setting reminds me of Russian sounds, but the imaginative orchestration (including rattling bones on xylophone) are all Saint-Saens'. Taken from Samson and Delilah, the seven-minute Danse Bacchanale is a showcase for Saint-Saens' gift of melodic writing and colorful orchestrations, as well as dramatic music. It opens with an almost mid-Eastern flavor, but bounds into a rhythmic and exotic dance of revelry.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under Lorin Maazel gives a first-class recording of this Saint-Saens music. The symphony is a bit understated (except for the outgoing second movement), but Maazel brings out the melodic and harmonic interest, instead of barreling through the music, so I appreciate the understated approach; the tempos are moderate. Maazel lets the ensemble loose, however, on the character pieces, and they bristle with excitement and fervor. The orchestra has a superb sound all around, the brass is particularly fine. The organ is equally represented, a natural, full sound; one peculiarity: the organ was recorded a year or years after the orchestra had recorded the music; you can't tell on the CD, however, and the sonics are exquisite. The Sony recording is specifically recorded from the conductor's viewpoint in a natural atmosphere; all voices speak very clear and naturally. The only drawback to the CD doesn't lie in performance, material, or interpretation, but the amount of music, which equals 59 minutes, a bit slim. If you can afford full-price, this is well worth the time.

A real disappointment. Other reviews speak of the bombast of this recording of S-S' Organ Symphony, and the fillers. I found the CD just acceptable. It sounds about as French as Pittsburgh (and Maazel was born in Paris), although the Pittsburgh Symphony is first-rate. The organ is subdued and dubbed-in. Many other more exciting performances available. Although remastered, try either of Ormandy's with Virgil Fox or E. Power Biggs. Both are budget CD's and pack quite a wallop. And, of course there's The Philadelphia Orchestra...

Lorin Maazel's recording of Saint-Saens' Organ Symphony is splendid: he lets the music breathe without twisting and distorting it, as many others do. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, which I will state is not one of my favorites, plays this work as perfectly as I've ever heard it. The brass and strings in particular stand out. The slow movement is taken at a slower tempo than many other recordings, but it never sounds slack, it's actually quite beautiful at this tempo. The finale is about as exciting a performance as I've ever heard, and it is not artificially speeded up as others (e.g. Eschenbach/Philadelphia) do in order to generate that excitement. The organ, recorded separately, sounds bold and brilliant, and nothing about it gives away that it wasn't played together with the orchestra. The sound quality is outstanding; just crank up the volume a bit to hear all the details.

Maazel gets the two tone poems and the Samson and Delila Bacchanale just right. The latter in particular is very exotically and excitingly played. Too many recordings of the Organ Symphony come with either a) a version of Carnival of the animals (which I don't care for, plus it occupies a totally different sound world from the Organ Symphony) or b) other works for organ by different composers or c) very little (Levine/Berlin PO) or nothing (Ormandy's digital recording). This CD features three of Saint-Saens' most popular orchestral works in stunning performances, along with one of the most satisfying performances of the Organ Symphony that I've ever heard. With the great sound quality and the low asking-price, this is the recording of the Organ Symphony to get!

After writing this review, I was gratified to see that the Penguin Guide to Compact Discs (1997/8 Yearbook, p. 355) gave this CD a perfect 3 stars and raves of its virtues. Here are excerpts: "Maazel's new Sony recording must go to the top of the list for audacious spectacle in the finale. The recording [is] rich and spacious... The organ part...makes a superb impact. The first entry is impressive indeed, and the following organ statement of the finale's main theme...has never been presented more tellingly on record. The performance overall is direct and exciting... The finale is a tour de force. Maazel presses the music onwards thrillingly to its close... The close is overwhelming, cymbals ringing out, and the downward descent of the organ pedals underlining the whole edifice, while Maazel's accelerando in the coda tautens the excitement even further. Phaeton, too, has never come off more effectively on record... Dance macabre is similarly spirited (with a fine violin solo), and there is real abandon at the close of the Bacchanale from Samson and Dalila."

Yes, there is a bombastic side to the French character, and Saint Saens was as Gallic as you can get.

But there has to be some rationale to the noise, and noise is all we get here. Maazel should know better; he grew up in Paris, was conductor of the Orchestre National for a stretch, so why didn't he record this there where the orchestral idiom gave him half a chance as an interpreter?

The Pittsburgh, long the most Teutonic of American orchestras, is uncomfortable here; and the performance sounds like a string of patched-in takes...not that edits "sound" but the rubati are pulled around to produce slush one instant, whizz another. The winds are steadfast, the strings--chocolate, the brass--nary a fizz or bubble. We're getting eisewein when we've ordered something from Epernay.

This issue, sad to say, is as bad as the Karajan/Berlin debacle of a few years back with Gaston Litaize tracked in from Chartres: An orchestra at sea, a conductor at sea, an organist inland in the loft. There are indeed forces working against success here.

There are a number of worthy issues of this around; Paul Paray leads the pack, of course, but check out Martinon, Munch, or even the Pretre (real cathedral sound here) for just starters. Maazel, while not exactly wallowing in offal, doesn't do the catalog much good with a repertoire decision like this.