Saint-Saëns: Symphonies, Vol. 2 Thierry Escaich, Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège & Jean Jacques Kantorow

• Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 - 1921): Symphony in F Major, R. 163 "Urbs Roma":
• 1 Saint-Saëns: Symphony in F Major, R. 163 "Urbs Roma": I. Largo - Allegro 10:26
• 2 Saint-Saëns: Symphony in F Major, R. 163 "Urbs Roma": II. Molto vivace 05:39
• 3 Saint-Saëns: Symphony in F Major, R. 163 "Urbs Roma": III. Moderato, assai serioso 11:48
• 4 Saint-Saëns: Symphony in F Major, R. 163 "Urbs Roma": IV. Poco allegretto - Andante con moto 11:00
• Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 78, R. 176 "Organ":
• 5 Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 78, R. 176 "Organ": I. Adagio - Allegro moderato - Poco adagio 19:03
• 6 Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 78, R. 176 "Organ": IIa. Allegro moderato - Presto 07:19
• 7 Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 78, R. 176 "Organ": IIb. Maestoso - Allegro 08:06
• Total Runtime 01:13:21

Info zu Saint-Saëns: Symphonies, Vol. 2

The present album is the second of two recorded by the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège and Jean-Jacques Kantorow to commemorate the centenary of the death of Camille Saint-Saëns. On the first instalment the team offered us ‘deeply impressive performances in stunning sound’ (theclassicreview.com) of the composer’s first and second symphonies and the unnumbered Symphony in A major, but now the time has come for Saint-Saëns’ crowning glory in the symphonic genre: his Symphony No.?3 in C minor, generally known as the ‘Organ Symphony’. The work was composed in 1886, and Saint-Saëns had planned to dedicate it to Liszt but the latter’s death the same year caused the dedication in the published score to be modified to ‘in memory of Franz Liszt’. It is written for a larger orchestra than his previous symphonies, with the unusual addition of a piano and an organ – the two instruments that Liszt (and Saint-Saëns himself) favored. Without being a virtuoso vehicle, the organ part is central to the work – especially in the grandiose ending – and it is here performed by the renowned organist Thierry Escaich, playing the great organ of Liège’s Salle Philharmonique. On the album, the symphony is preceded by the ‘Urbs Roma’ symphony, composed in 1856 by a 21-year-old Saint-Saëns. It was written for a competition, and its title – ‘the city of Rome’ – was one of the subjects prescribed by the organizers. In the absence of an explanation by the composer, it is unclear how the music relates to the subject. Another enigma is why Saint-Saëns omitted the symphony from his catalogue of works, even though it actually won him a first prize. In consequence, ‘Urbs Roma’ remained unpublished until 1974 and is rarely heard even today.

Thierry Escaich, organ
Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège
Jean Jacques Kantorow, conductor

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Booklet für Saint-Saëns: Symphonies, Vol. 2