Saint-Saëns Orchestral Works
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Camille Saint-Saëns
Label: Harmonia Mundi
Magazine Review Date: 5/1988
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 53
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: HMC90 5197
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Symphony No. 3, 'Organ' |
Camille Saint-Saëns, Composer
Camille Saint-Saëns, Composer French Radio New Philharmonic Orchestra Jean-Louis Gil, Organ Marek Janowski, Conductor |
| (La) Jeunesse d'Hercule |
Camille Saint-Saëns, Composer
Camille Saint-Saëns, Composer French Radio New Philharmonic Orchestra Marek Janowski, Conductor |
Composer or Director: César Franck, Camille Saint-Saëns
Label: Eurodisc
Magazine Review Date: 5/1988
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 51
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: 610 509
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| (3) Chorales, Movement: No. 3 in A minor |
César Franck, Composer
César Franck, Composer Edgar Krapp, Organ |
| Symphony No. 3, 'Organ' |
Camille Saint-Saëns, Composer
Bamberg Symphony Orchestra Camille Saint-Saëns, Composer Christoph Eschenbach, Conductor Edgar Krapp, Organ |
Composer or Director: Hector Berlioz, Camille Saint-Saëns
Label: Eminence
Magazine Review Date: 5/1988
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 44
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: CD-EMX9511
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| (Le) carnaval romain |
Hector Berlioz, Composer
Andrew Litton, Conductor Hector Berlioz, Composer Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra |
| Symphony No. 3, 'Organ' |
Camille Saint-Saëns, Composer
Andrew Litton, Conductor Camille Saint-Saëns, Composer Ian Tracey, Organ Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra |
Composer or Director: Camille Saint-Saëns
Label: Harmonia Mundi
Magazine Review Date: 5/1988
Media Format: Vinyl
Media Runtime: 0
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: HMC5197
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Symphony No. 3, 'Organ' |
Camille Saint-Saëns, Composer
Camille Saint-Saëns, Composer French Radio New Philharmonic Orchestra Jean-Louis Gil, Organ Marek Janowski, Conductor |
| (La) Jeunesse d'Hercule |
Camille Saint-Saëns, Composer
Camille Saint-Saëns, Composer French Radio New Philharmonic Orchestra Marek Janowski, Conductor |
Composer or Director: Camille Saint-Saëns
Label: Harmonia Mundi
Magazine Review Date: 5/1988
Media Format: Cassette
Media Runtime: 0
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: HMC40 5197
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Symphony No. 3, 'Organ' |
Camille Saint-Saëns, Composer
Camille Saint-Saëns, Composer French Radio New Philharmonic Orchestra Jean-Louis Gil, Organ Marek Janowski, Conductor |
| (La) Jeunesse d'Hercule |
Camille Saint-Saëns, Composer
Camille Saint-Saëns, Composer French Radio New Philharmonic Orchestra Marek Janowski, Conductor |
Author:
From the two new recordings Janowski's must unfortunately be discounted. The first and third movements are fast-paced and busy but lack adrenalin, while the Poco adagio flows evenly and the finale, after its massive organ entry, hardly keeps one on the edge of one's seat. The recording is rather diffuse, it suits La jeunesse d'Hercule better, but this is made to sound rather boring, which it is not.
Eschenbach's Eurodisc is another matter. It has a strong forward thrust from the first bar to the last (its onward sweep reminds me of Munch's exhilarating 1960 Boston version on RCA). After an expansively romantic account of the slow movement which is highly involving, the bite and vigour of the scherzo are particularly effective; then the organ entry makes the grandest possible effect and the excitement is well sustained until the closing bars. In short, this is first class, and the recording is suitably spectacular without going over the top like the EMI Eminence version bathed in the resonance of Liverpool Cathedral. The coupling of the Cesar Franck Choral will please some more than others—the performance reaches a powerful climax but is not otherwise distinctive. Levine's coupling on DG, an irresistible account of Dukas'sL'apprenti sorcier, though less apparently appropriate, caps what is still the finest account in the catalogue of the symphony, played with enormous eloquence by the Berliners. Dutoit's Decca version is by no means to be dismissed, but it has no coupling.
The EMI Eminence CD offers a reasonable mid-price alternative, but the use of Liverpool Cathedral with its long reverberation period is only really impressive in the hugely spectacular finale a positive swimming bath of sound, and especially in the closing bars where, like the famous brass chord which ends the Berlioz Carnaval romain Overture, the echoing resonance brings a real thrill. Elsewhere the microphones are placed close enough to provide a detailed orchestral picture and on CD the wide amplitude offers few problems, and everything registers comfortably (without the touch of over-brilliance, even harshness which appears on the LP). Yet the overall effect inevitably sounds somewhat contrived. In Le carnaval romain the violins seem almost too smooth and the ear notices particularly in the slow movement of the symphony that the overall tension is rather relaxed, although Litton's warm lyrical feel is attractive. Of course the relatively steady tempos throughout (compared with Eschenbach and Levine) are partly dictated by the acoustics and Litton's timing cleverly accommodates the reverberation.R1 '8805040'
Eschenbach's Eurodisc is another matter. It has a strong forward thrust from the first bar to the last (its onward sweep reminds me of Munch's exhilarating 1960 Boston version on RCA). After an expansively romantic account of the slow movement which is highly involving, the bite and vigour of the scherzo are particularly effective; then the organ entry makes the grandest possible effect and the excitement is well sustained until the closing bars. In short, this is first class, and the recording is suitably spectacular without going over the top like the EMI Eminence version bathed in the resonance of Liverpool Cathedral. The coupling of the Cesar Franck Choral will please some more than others—the performance reaches a powerful climax but is not otherwise distinctive. Levine's coupling on DG, an irresistible account of Dukas's
The EMI Eminence CD offers a reasonable mid-price alternative, but the use of Liverpool Cathedral with its long reverberation period is only really impressive in the hugely spectacular finale a positive swimming bath of sound, and especially in the closing bars where, like the famous brass chord which ends the Berlioz Carnaval romain Overture, the echoing resonance brings a real thrill. Elsewhere the microphones are placed close enough to provide a detailed orchestral picture and on CD the wide amplitude offers few problems, and everything registers comfortably (without the touch of over-brilliance, even harshness which appears on the LP). Yet the overall effect inevitably sounds somewhat contrived. In Le carnaval romain the violins seem almost too smooth and the ear notices particularly in the slow movement of the symphony that the overall tension is rather relaxed, although Litton's warm lyrical feel is attractive. Of course the relatively steady tempos throughout (compared with Eschenbach and Levine) are partly dictated by the acoustics and Litton's timing cleverly accommodates the reverberation.R1 '8805040'
Saint-Saëns Orchestral Works
Franck Chorale; Saint-Saëns Symphony No.3
Berlioz & Saint Säens Orchestral works
Saint-Saëns Orchestral Works
Saint-Saëns Orchestral Works
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