Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 "Organ" / Dukas: L'Apprenti Sorcier (The Sorcerer's Apprentice)

Paul Dukas (Composer), Camille Saint-Saens (Composer), James Levine (Conductor), Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra), Simon Preston (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Simon Preston
• Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: James Levine
• Composer: Paul Dukas, Camille Saint-Saens
• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• Run Time: 47 minutes
• ASIN: B000001G85
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,150 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

MUSIC: (Camille Saint-Saens) Symphonie No. 3 in C minor, op. 78 "Organ", 1. adagio-allegro moderato, 2 Poco adagio, 3 Allegro moderato - presto - allegro moderato, 4. Maestoso - allegro - molto allegro - pesante; and, (Paul Dukas) The Sorcerer's Apprentice - Scherzo after a ballade by Goethe. (c) 1987 by Polydor International GmbH (Hamburg), catalogue number D 125505. Stereo.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A towering performance of a magnificent symphony., May 16, 2000

By 

N. Daniele Pietro "hyperdanny" (Milano, MI Italy) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 "Organ" / Dukas: L'Apprenti Sorcier (The Sorcerer's Apprentice) (Audio CD)

Probably 90% of Saint-Saens' discography is formed by recordings of a few masterpieces: this one, and some concertos ( Piano n.2, Cello n.1, Violin n.3). Not a bad achievement for a composer sometimes accused by the snobbier critics of being academic, but a pity nonetheless, because his large output deserves a deeper knowledge. Try, for example, the 5 piano Concertos on Emi (Collard/RPO/Previn) or the little-known other four symphonies (there are a mid-price 2-disc set from Martinon/Emi and a splendid, hard-to-find Erato disc that couples n.1&2 conducted by Pretre). Maybe Saint-Saens wasn't the most profound of the composers but, at his best, he had a prodigiously fluent, charming inventiveness and superbly accomplished technique. Levine's task was very challenging, but in my opinion he scores over all his competitors, even the most revered (Karajan, Ormandy, Maazel). There's a sense of thrill and theatrical grandeur about this performance that I find irresistible, and this is achieved without brashness or vulgarity. Actually there are several finely nuanced moments: the slow movement (strings with haunting organ chords in the background) is wonderful and the part for pianoforte concertante has never been so clearly and delicately presented. I think that the decision to record the organ together with the orchestra -very often they are taped separately-, greatly contributed to the sense of occasion and Simon Preston's is a superb contribution: his entry in the finale, for example, is not merely loud, but genuinely majestic. The Berliners play marvelously for Levine: every orchestral section (and S.-S. uses them all without inhibitions!) displays that blend of aristocratic virtuosity and white-hot intensity that is almost unmatched by any other orchestra. Also , the Dukas is more than a simple fill-up, because it's presented with a thrust and fire to rival Stokowski , and there's no higher praise! Unlike many other DG horribly coarse recordings from the 80's, this is also well recorded: if the tutti are still a bit brash, the overall sound is incredibly full and immediate , analitically captured by the engineers and massively delivered to the listener, with stunning dynamics. An all-time personal favorite.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, April 4, 2004

By 

Prescott Cunningham Moore (San Francisco, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 "Organ" / Dukas: L'Apprenti Sorcier (The Sorcerer's Apprentice) (Audio CD)

This is the CD to buy if you are looking for the definitive recorded version of both Saint-Saëns' great "Organ" Symphony and Dukas' Sorcerer's Apprentice. James Levine brings vision and energy to these famous orchestral staples. Levine and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra play with vigor, power, and gusto in this polished, yet spontaneous sounding recording from DG. I will agree with some of the other reviewers in saying that the performance does not sound particularly "French." Indeed, the orchestral forces are not as smooth as in Dutiot's recoding or as idiomatic as with Munch. As with most modern Berlin recordings, the strings still retain the famous (or infamous) Karajan sound, the brass is tubby, but powerful, and the winds, while recessed, are present and appropriately piquant when necessary. Climaxes are terribly exciting while the sublime second movement is quite well done. Simon Preston's accompaniment, recorded, as often is done these days, during a different session, is present without being overpowering. All in all, this recording of the "Organ" Symphony is top-notch.

Dukas' musical career rests on a handful of works, the most famous being the Sorcerer's Apprentice. Made famous by Disney's Fantasia, this work is truly a masterpiece of the French romantic tradition. Its influence on future composers also makes this a historically important work. Stravinsky, who was a pupil of Dukas, was certainly inspired by this piece in some of his earlier works. While Levine and the Berlin players were quite fine in the symphony, they really deliver the goods here. The opening is appropriately atmospheric, the "broom" theme chuckles nicely, and the large tutti flood and subsequent broom hacking episode are big and boomy but still retain a great deal of transparency. The recapitulation features some stunning work from the brass, and somehow the Berliners sound much more French here than you would have expected.

DG's sonics are clear throughout, although at under 50 minutes, it would have been nice to have included more filler, either another Saint-Saens tone poem, or another french showpiece.

There are plenty of good performances of both of these works, but this is a fine version that certainly beats out many of the recent Organ Symphonies, including Eschenbach's Philadelphia outing, and stands along side the reference editions listed above. There are fewer fine Sorcerer's Apprentices, but this one is about as fine a performance as you'll find. A winner.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificently performed, better than Karajan, March 27, 2003

By 

Shota Hanai (Torrance, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 "Organ" / Dukas: L'Apprenti Sorcier (The Sorcerer's Apprentice) (Audio CD)

Currenlty, I own two different recordings of Saint-Saens' Organ Symphony. Both is under the same company (Grammophon), and played by the same orchestra (Berlin Phil).

This recording, with the orcehstra under the baton of Maestro James Levine, and the organ soloist being Simon Preston, is magnificently played. I rate it a superb performance. The balance between the organ and the orchetra is great. No brass overblowing, and no strings making a drudging heavy play. The timpi, especially each different detail of the mighty second-half of the concluding movement (the music you might have heard in the movie "Babe") is just the way I favor; crisp, smooth, and a perfect timing on ending the piece.

The other recording I own is with Pierre Cochereau on organ, and the conductor being the famous Herbert von Karajan. Yes, that performance is great, but it's a bit too "heavy". Karajan was a man who tends to add weight on the orchestra's sound pretty often, but I didn't think the Organ Symphony had to be so compressed. At some time, the organ is a bit overpowering the orcehstra. I didn't quite like the tempi either.

Both recordings is great, but I rather recommend this CD under Levine.