BaL 7.02.15 - Saint-Saëns: Symphony no. 3

[Stanfordian]

my firm favourite is the Boston / Munch, a sensation in its day but presumably Norris felt it was too far back to qualify.

[/QUOTE]

Hiya tigajen, The Boston / Munch recording is my first choice of the Organ Concerto too.

[BBMmk2]

Hiya tigajen, The Boston / Munch recording is my first choice of the Organ Concerto too.[/QUOTE]

Is the in the Living Stereo series?

[Bryn]

Hiya tigajen, The Boston / Munch recording is my first choice of the Organ Concerto too.

Is the in the Living Stereo series?

It's on disc 2 of Volume 1.

However, there is also a hybrid SACD version, currently up for grabs at a low price via the amazon.co.uk marketplace.

[Stanfordian]

Hiya tigajen, The Boston / Munch recording is my first choice of the Organ Concerto too.

Is the in the Living Stereo series?[/QUOTE]

Hiya maestro,

Yes it certainly is.

[Barbirollians]

It did seem a little odd that the Barenboim performance was only mentioned once during the programme, but ended up as first choice.

I was struck by the harsh and ugly sounds that most of the organs made, all of them were far removed from the experience we would have in the hall.As is so often the case, early examples of the quiet opening of the piece sounded impossibly remote, although this was rectified later in the programme. The presenter seemed to attach great importance to a few bars of rippling piano, a nice moment certainly, but he did make rather a thing of it,

One version that seems to have disappeared is the CBSO performance conducted by Louis Fremaux, a beautiful performance IMHO. It was one of EMI's more successful quadraphonic discs, and still sounds well in 2 channel stereo. Of the half dozen versions I have, my firm favourite is the Boston / Munch, a sensation in its day but presumably Norris felt it was too far back to qualify.

I think that the Fremaux was one if the few CFP CDs still available recently .

[BBMmk2]

Those 'Living Stereo, series are really worth every penny, imo.

[tigajen]

It's on disc 2 of Volume 1.

However, there is also a hybrid SACD version, currently up for grabs at a low price via the amazon.co.uk marketplace.

THe SACD version is the one I have,coupled with La Mer and Escales

[tigajen]

Those 'Living Stereo, series are really worth every penny, imo.

Off thread a bit I also have ,and love the Munch Berlioz requiem also SACD. The chorus is sometimes a bit lacking in power ,but otherwise it is glorious(if that is right word for a requiem!) particularly Simoneau.

[BBMmk2]

Off thread a bit I also have ,and love the Munch Berlioz requiem also SACD. The chorus is sometimes a bit lacking in power ,but otherwise it is glorious(if that is right word for a requiem!) particularly Simoneau.

Have you the LSO/Previn recording of the Requiem?

[Nick Armstrong]

So Barenboim's version is chosen and available in two forms, one being remastered. Wouldn't it be good to have a recommendation between them and to know which version is to be played tomorrow

Yes I thought the same. I wonder which GN was using for his review and for the extracts played. (I can feel a tweet to Mr McGregor coming on )

I must say I was really entranced by the passages from the Barenboim/CSO/Litaize recording played by GN on the programme - the difference in time and space between the solo part and the orchestral astonishingly overcome - the blend of the sound of the organ and the woodwind in one of the extracts was ear-catching. Presumably the technique used is to have the organ part (recorded the previous month) being reproduced while the orchestra recorded 'to it' - so the players and in particular Barenboim could 'accompany' both in terms of timing and tone colour. It's a triumph - and I was sure I owned it already - but on checking the shelf find that my CD is Levine / Simon Preston! Tricks of memory....

It was a very interesting BaL I thought, as far as it went - GN's technique seemed to have been to decide to compare about 6 versions from the dozens, as a very limited field was covered in the programme, I thought (with that soupy Tjeknavorian recording oddly played twice, presumably as a cautionary tale of How Not To Do It). As such it was a similar approach to that of the France-Musique critics: take a half-dozen and play those off against each other. It's slightly unsatisfactory. (Ironically, one of the regular critics on that France-Musique show was the organist on one of the 'select' discs this time: Vincent Warnier, on the Slatkin disc)

So no Levine, no Munch, and like others above:

I'm a little surprised he didn't mention the Eschenbach as it was Chris de Souza's BaL top choice in December 2007. The recording also captures the deep (32 ft ?) organ registers where you feel the sound rather than hear it. Not all recordings do and I always feel slightly cheated by recordings that don't.

- no problem of availability, as far as I can see. It's odd that the top choice only 7 or so years ago doesn't even make the final now.

But accepting those limitations, I was glued to GN's review. And indeed the comparative merits of the various organs (as the actress said to the Bishop's Conference) were fascinating to have demonstrated in close juxtaposition.

I agree with both the following:

I was struck by the harsh and ugly sounds that most of the organs made, all of them were far removed from the experience we would have in the hall.

I was surprised GN didn't mention the very different noises we heard out of the various Cavaille-Cols that he played side by side as it were. One of them at least was not at all what I wanted to hear: saturated treble 'fizz' and very little weight in the bass The style of presentation at this point meant I didn't really catch which was which, so as to avoid this fizzy one at all costs!

The really disappointing ones were those on the Slatkin and Karajan recordings, I think - not sure whether to describe the sound as nasal or constipated or both... but the Slatkin was especially disappointing as he'd done great things in the earlier movements, imho.

For me, the absolute winner purely in the organ stakes, which had me laughing out loud it's so shamelessly BIG, was the Jansons recording with Wayne Marshall aboard the St-Ouen machine in Rouen: GN commented that the CD version was discontinued (and the CD prices on amazon are huge); but it's readily available to download for £3.16:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001K9N7S2/ref=dm_cd_album_lnk

So I have... and am listening as I type, with a silly grin all over my face at That Organ!!! It's absolutely outrageous!

The St-Sulpice organ with Roths père & fils ran it a pretty close second - and those toothsome HIPP wind instruments did it for me - definite purchase.

So I'm tempted to get all three of the finalists, Roth, Barenboim and the outsider Morlot (?!) - this BaL just reminded me what a great piece this is, and how it can sound radically different in various venues, none of which is necessarily 'right' (interesting discussion earlier about it being premièred in St James's in a hall + organ setting; I must find out where the French première was, anyone know off hand?)

[tigajen]

Have you the LSO/Previn recording of the Requiem?

No,I have,as well as the Munch,Beecham/Lewis,McCreesh/Murrayand Bernstein/Burrows.I have considered the Previn but as I have never been an admirer of Robert Tear's voice I left it. I guess you feel I may have been too hasty?

[Nick Armstrong]

Don't hesitate over the Roth disc, because you also get the fascinating coupling of the 4th Piano Concerto performed by Jean-François Heisser on an 1874 Erard piano. It's a terrific disc.

You're not wrong Micky!! Just listening to the slow movement of the Symphony now - sumptuous, yet not sickly sweet, just ear-seducingly textured and gorgeous in full studio master splendour on the main HiFi...

It's definitely Saint-Saens Sunday in this house!!

[MickyD]

Glad you are enjoying yourself, Cali! I don't think we hear nearly enough Saint-Saens these days. 'Phaeton' used to be a popular short piece, but I haven't heard it in years.

[Nick Armstrong]

Glad you are enjoying yourself, Cali! I don't think we hear nearly enough Saint-Saens these days.

Worth staying in for....!!

[Flosshilde]

Ah - just slipped into something more comfortable, have you, Cali?