Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 'Organ Symphony' / Piano Concerto No. 4

 
Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 'Organ Symphony' / Piano Concerto No. 4 cover
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CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS
Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 'Organ Symphony' / Piano Concerto No. 4
Daniel Roth (organ), Jean-François Heisser (piano) / Les Siècles, François-Xavier Roth

[ Harmonia Mundi / CD ]

Release Date: Friday 19 November 2021

This item is currently out of stock. It may take 6 or more weeks to obtain from when you place your order as this is a specialist product.

Camille Saint-Saëns, virtuoso pianist, organist and conductor, was also a great admirer of Liszt. His Symphony no.3, which adds both his chosen keyboard instruments to the orchestra, and his Piano Concerto no.4 utilise the codes of the old master, the better to transcend them.

As partner of Les Siècles since 2017, harmonia mundi felt it was a must to reissue these fiery readings of two masterpieces in the great French Romantic tradition, for which François-Xavier Roth invited two eminent soloists.

"a truly one-off spectacle in which the organ's presence in that famous finale is felt as in virtually no other recording. Also included is an equally compelling account of the Fourth Piano Concerto, recorded the previous year at the OpéraComique, with Jean-François Heisser playing a wonderful 1874 Érard piano." BBC Music

"The two sections that comprise the finale can be fiery and exhilarating, if not a little bombastic, with the organ blazing the trail. Here, again, Maestro Roth, with his father, organist Daniel Roth, and Les Siecles do a fine job capturing the excitement of the score with a good forward thrust, a driving beat, and a wonderfully pulsating rhythm. When the organ enters in the final movement, it is as grand and imposing as we would expect it to be; it is also passionate and vibrant, pretty much dominating the orchestra, as it should. Overall, a good performance." ClassicalCandor