Hyperion to record all five Saint-Saens symphonies with the Utah Symphony

[Bruckner1896]

The Utah Symphony under Music Director Thierry Fischer will record live (with "patch" sessions) all five Saint-Saens symphonies during the 2017-2018 season, with other assorted more popular orchestral compositions of the composer to fill out the three CDs.  Trois tableaux symphoniques d'après La Foi will also be recorded.  As far as I can tell with somewhat limited access to all relevant discographic histories, the latter piece is a real rarity on recordings -- Amazon only shows a 2000 CD release on the Pan Classics label with the Basler Sinfonie-Orchester under Ronald Zollman.  I would expect the first recording to be released in late 2018, although I have not been able to discern any official dates.   Saint-Saens in not exactly an unsung composer, but his four symphonies beyond the "Organ" certainly are unsung compositions.

Fischer has been Music Director here in Salt Lake City since the 2009 season, and has helped to dramatically increase the passion, polish and color of the orchestra after somewhat of a hiatus after legendary music director Maurice Abravanel ended his decades-long tenure in the late 1970s.  Fischer has just renewed his contract through the 2021-2022 season.  From personal contact with key members of the Symphony's artistic administration, I know that Fischer has attempted to get Hyperion to agree to proposals for recordings for a number of years.   Here is a link to the relevant webpage of the Utah Symphony:

http://www.utahsymphony.org/17-18press#

Recent commercially released recordings by the Utah Symphony have not been of unsung composers or compositions.  Fischer and the Utah Symphony have released two recordings/CDs on the Reference Recordings label in the last few years, just to provide a little discographic update for these upcoming Hyperion recordings.  These released recordings include Mahler 1 and an Andrew Norman, Augusta Read Thomas, Nico Muhly disc -- all living composers.  Alexander Nevsky was recorded last November and should be released by the end of the year, while a Mahler 8 recording made in February 2016, which was to be released soon, appears to have been moved to a 2018 release.

Although Naxos has ventured in recent years into the Saint-Saens complete symphonies with the Malmo Symphony and Marc Soustrot, the number of recorded cycles beyond that one in discographic history is still rather limited -- Martinon, I believe, to be exact -- but I still could be incorrect.

I have followed this online forum for a number of years and appreciate its level of detail, debate, and knowledge.  Thank you.

[TerraEpon]

What would really be cool is if they recorded the three fragmented symphony movements, though I'm not clear on how much exists of those.

Still, there's one orchestral Saint-Saens piece that has eluded me -- Overture d'Un Opera Comique Inacheve, Op. 140 (despite the number it's a really early work IIRC).

There's also some incidental music, the orchestral version of the Serenade in Eb, Op. 15 (supposedly), and orchestrations of Gavotte in c, Op. 23 and Valse Nonchalante, Op. 110.

But, ya know, instead we'll get Danse Macarbe, Marche Militaire Francaise (MAYBE the whole suite if lucky), Le Rouet d'Omphale, La Jeunesse d'Hercule and Phaeton.

[eschiss1]

When the Utah Sym first recorded those Mahler symphonies of course there were very few Mahler complete cycles around... things change

[musiclover]

Those three symphony movements sound like a tasty proposal. I didn't know anything about those. What are they then?

[M. Yaskovsky]

First I'd to sort out what Utah is, but now I know Do they have a proper organ to make the recording of the 3rd symphony as splendid as possible?

[eschiss1]

Briefly (very!) it's the 45th state of the United States of America, added in 1896. The Utah Symphony has a website at www.utahsymphony.org.

One can get those recordings of Mahler's numbered symphonies (not 10 though, or Das Lied, or Klagende... but some rather good Mahler song recordings as extra tracks) by the Utah Symphony (and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir) cheaply as a download at Amazon. On the history see http://www.utahsymphony.org/the-orchestra.

[adriano]

In the 10-CD bargain box MUSICAL CONCEPTS MC 182, the Adagio of Symphony 10 is included, alongside with Symphonies 1-9. The first pressing of this CD re-issue had wrong entries (misplaced movements on CDs) and I wrote them to correct this, which they did. The 4-pages booklet is merely symbolical, in there too, there were some mistakes. Abravanel did a great jobv with the Mormons. It's good that this pioneering (originally well-balanced) enterprise is available again, in good transfers, the Symphonies were recorded between 1963 and 1974! Beverly Sills is the soloist in Symphony 2 and Natania Davrath in Symphony 4.

In my collection I have all complete Mahler Symphonies which have, so far, been recorded by a single conductor, this makes 28 boxes :-)

Abravanel's splendid Tchaikovsky and Brahms recordings also have been re-iussued on CD, this on VOX and on VANGUARD. His pioneering 2-CD "Homage to Satie" on VOX.

Thierry Fisher is an excellent conductor of French Music, so I am looking foward to this!

[JimL]

As far as an organ goes, I'm sure that they could use the one at the main Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City.  You know.  The same one the Mormon Tabernacle Choir uses.

[MartinH]

That's where they've done the 3rd in the past. Abravanel Hall is smaller without a "real" organ. But I have to say, that some of the recent digital organs are remarkable. They sound fantastic, deliver bone-shattering bass, brilliant highs and best of all - they stay in tune!

Abravanel's Mahler cycle was the first I had in the bad old LP days. Compared to later sets, it's just a non-starter, sorry to say. If you had been to a live performance of any of them you would likely walk away happy. Best of the set is the 4th. Its lighter scoring suited Abravanel. The recorded sound is better here than in the rest, too. The 2nd is pretty good overall. The big instrumental ones (5. 6. 7. 9) are just lacking weight, power and depth. The 7th was interesting only because it was the first recording of the newly printed Mahler Society score. The 8th pales in comparison to its contemporary recordings from Bernstein, Kubelik, Solti or even Wyn Morris. As a whole, the orchestra could be proud of their achievement, but alas, there are many better options. I don't think much of his Tchaikovsky either. Dull stuff compared to the likes of Bernstein and Karajan. Still, you have to give the man and his record companies (Vanguard or Vox) credit for taking on some repertoire which at that time was rare: Manfred Symphony, Gottschalk and others.

[edurban]

The tableaux from La Foi also appeared as part of Plassons' 1997 Toulouse Organ Symphony 2cd set with Cypres et Lauriers.  Somewhat oddly, La Foi was assigned a disc of its own even though the three tableaux only run 32+ minutes.  The setting is ancient Egypt, so there are elements of exoticism in the music, a certain grandeur in parts and a general feeling that the subject didn't really fire Saint-Saens' imagination.  A late-ish work, from 1907. 

David

[M. Yaskovsky]

Out December 2018, can't wait https://www.mdt.co.uk/saintsaens-symphony-no-3-organ-utah-symphony-thierry-fischer-hyperion.html

[hyperdanny]

too bad the MDT staff felt the need for a mildly snarky introductory blurb, even if they redeem themselves afterwards..........poor Saint-Saens, I don't know another major composer (and to me he really IS major) thet gets so patronised..I guess facility of writing and great success (without having to die first) weigh against him.

[TerraEpon]

FWIW that Serenade orchestral version I mentioned above came out on a Naxos disc earlier this year.

Nice to see another recording of La Foi....the Bacchanale, not so much x.x

[MartinH]

I've been around a while, and I still can't make sense of the recording industry. Let's be honest: how much interest could there possible be in this repertoire? Ok, the 3rd symphony is pretty popular, but unless a newcomer has some really special insight, how can you compete with the likes of Munch, Ormandy, Levine, Dutoit and some other classics? It can't be the sound since Hyperion doesn't mess around with SACD or Blu Ray. Those few people who care to hear the other symphonies already have a superb set on EMI from Martinon. But then I can't figure out who buys enough of the Romantic Piano Concerto series to make it profitable. For my money, there's a lot of Massenet that still needs recording.

[Alan Howe]

Ok, the 3rd symphony is pretty popular, but unless a newcomer has some really special insight, how can you compete with the likes of Munch, Ormandy, Levine, Dutoit and some other classics?

Quite right. Try the lumbering start of the finale here:
https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA68201