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

[Mark Thomas]

"The prospect of a little-known Saint-Saëns orchestral work might not set the heart racing". What??? Hyperion's management need to check what their advertising copywriters are doing.

[Alan Howe]

Quite so. Its inclusion here would be my reason for buying the CD!

[adriano]

Don't forget the complete Saint-Saens Symphonies under Jean Martinon (EMI, 1973).

[hyperdanny]

actually those sound snippets are enticing..where Alan Howe hears lumbering I hear a real maestoso, but in truth I never cared for the whirlwind, slam-bang performing approach toward the S.S. 3, à la Munch, to cite the most famous example--
I always felt that it reduces this gorgeous. innovative and complex opus to a showpiece, which is only a part of the story.
I believe i will add this to the roster of my 3rds (I have at least 6 or 7 , this is one of the few pieces where I like to have different versions)

[hyperdanny]

and yes , Mark Thomas is totally right: in my previous post I had attributed the stupid (and self-defeating!) snide remark to MDT..instead it comes directly from Hyperion's website....even worse.

[Alan Howe]

Let's not get too stuck on S-S's 3rd Symphony, which is hardly unsung, but concentrate here on its far less familiar companion on the CD.

[Christopher]

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

THANK YOU for drawing our attention to this - wow what a beautiful piece - 6 minutes of utter serenity.  Have had it on loop ever since buying yesterday (seriously, I need to stop that...).

[Christopher]

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

Hello TerraEpon - in what other versions does this Serenade exist apart from the orchestral one?

[TerraEpon]

There's a version for Violin, Viola, Harp and Organ on the disc "Triumphal Music for Organ and Orchestra" released by Guild (a great CD along with its companion, "Masterworks for Organ & Orchestra")

[mjmosca]

Has anyone purchased the set as yet, and thoughts on the other four symphonies? I am particularly interested in the unpublished Symphony "Urbs Roma", which Martinon does to perfection [my opinion]. Despite that I would love to have additional recordings, showing different view points. I have the Soustrot recording, which I enjoy, but prefer Martinon. [Rather like the slower pacing in the snippets of the Symphony #3]. And the Symphony #2 is another masterpiece- how does it fare in this new set?

[Alan Howe]

No. I'm not convinced - yet. I'd have to try the CDs to find out. All I can say so far is that what I've heard of the performance of No.3 isn't very encouraging. Of course, there's not exactly a lot of competition in the other symphonies...

[Gareth Vaughan]

I tend to agree with Alan re. the performance of No. 3. Unfortunately, it is that CD which contains the real rarity: the Trois tableaux.

As an aside, if I may, what is your view, Hadrianus, of the Martinon set - performances AND recording quality? I used to have the Martinon 3 on LP (the HMV Greensleeve disk with Rouet d'Omphale and Danse Macabre played by another orchestra under Pierre Dervaux), but I'm afraid I got rid of all my LPs years ago and I never invested in the other symphonies.

[adriano]

Martinon's Saint-Saens: I have only the first EMI CD transfers (realised in 1989) and don't know whether they had been reprocessed again for the recent Martinon box.
In any case, since they had been issued (on LP,) I am perfectly happy living with those splendid 1975 recordings with the ORTF National Orchestra (as with Martinon's Ravel and Debussy). It's the appropriate sensuous French approach, with a genuine French Orchestra. The engineering has the typical Salle Wagram reverberation of that time, but it's great. Martinon was the right "gentleman conductor" for such music.
On the other hand, I consider that one must also have Karajan's magnificent "two nations" recording (1982, a Berlin orchestra and a Paris organ) of the "Organ" Symphony" (in my opinion, a more fascinating "larger bow" interpretation than Martinon's). The organ is the one of Notre-Dame's Cathedral. Martinon's recording is a "pure French" one; he uses the instrument of Les Ivalides.
Of course I still cherish Ansermet's Decca of the "Organ Symphony", which was the first which made me acquainted with this wonderful work - and with Saint-Saens anyway. It's one of Ansermet's best recordings of the 1960's - with an excellent sound balance.
Martinon's most exciting recording on EMI is the LP/CD with Florent Schmitt's "La Tragédie de Salomé" and "Psaume 47" - which (as far as I can remember) was never re-issued on separate CDs, only as a part of an anthology. This would deserve a super adio re-issue; it's sound is gorgeous - and the interpretations unforgettable. A FLAC version can be downloaded.
If Hyperion will use the usual Mormon Temple Hall, suppose the new UTAH recordings with Thierry Fischer will also come up with some more reverberation, considering what was done in the past with Maurice Abravanael's LPs :-)

[Kevin]

I've had the Martinon for a long time as well and they are exemplary. I can't think of better performances to make a case for these works than those. With the exception of the hybrid ''Organ'' symphony I don't think Saint Saen's best is to be found in his symphonies. He was far better at concertos and chamber genres in my view.

[Alan Howe]

I agree that Martinon's performances are pretty well unbeatable; however, the recording quality is very reverberant and a lot of detail goes missing as a result.

There are other performances of Symphonies 1 and 2 that ought to be considered, namely Prêtre, Inbal, Soustrot and Dumay (1). I wonder if someone has any of these?