Camille Saint-Saëns

[relm1]

I quite like this Organ Symphony with Pittsburgh/Maazel.  The tempo is slow, but the organ is mighty.

[VonStupp]

I quite like this Organ Symphony with Pittsburgh/Maazel.  The tempo is slow, but the organ is mighty. 

I like this one too! 

I usually don't mind if the organ has to be recorded separately, but organist Anthony Newman was recorded at St. Ignatius Loyola in New York 3 years after the orchestra set down their portion. The delay seems unusual.

VS

[relm1]

I like this one too! 

I usually don't mind if the organ has to be recorded separately, but organist Anthony Newman was recorded at St. Ignatius Loyola in New York 3 years after the orchestra set down their portion. The delay seems unusual.

VS

Yes, I thought it was strange that the organ wasn't part of the performance.  BUT, as someone who was heard dozens of recordings, I still find this the finest interpretation of the work regardless of that fact.  I'm ok with this because it's not that different from nearly any recording being an edit of multiple performances frequently on different occasions and sometimes venues too. 

[Olias]

Don't know if this has been mentioned but the Utah Symphony has a three CD set of the symphonies with some other works which is very good.

[Mirror Image]

Don't know if this has been mentioned but the Utah Symphony has a three CD set of the symphonies with some other works which is very good.

The Thierry Fischer cycle is pretty good, but not in the same league as Mǎcelaru on Warner or the older Martinon cycle. Just my two cents.

[vers la flamme]

Recommendations for recordings of Samson et Dalila?

[relm1]

Recommendations for recordings of Samson et Dalila?

The full opera or just the Bacchanale?

[vers la flamme]

The full opera or just the Bacchanale?

Hearing the Bacchanale was what prompted me to ask this question, but I am open to exploring recordings of either the full opera or just the bacchanale.

[Franco_Manitobain]

Hearing the Bacchanale was what prompted me to ask this question, but I am open to exploring recordings of either the full opera or just the bacchanale.

This is a reminder to me to open the wrapping on this thrift shop CD I got a few weeks ago for $1.  It includes the Bacchanale (which I have never heard).  Nor have I ever heard the 3rd symphony in full, believe it or not.

[vers la flamme]

This is a reminder to me to open the wrapping on this thrift shop CD I got a few weeks ago for $1.  It includes the Bacchanale (which I have never heard).  Nor have I ever heard the 3rd symphony in full, believe it or not.

It's one of my favorite symphonies by anyone! I don't have that recording, but I'm sure it's excellent. Remind me, is that with the Chicago or the OdP?

[Franco_Manitobain]

It's one of my favorite symphonies by anyone! I don't have that recording, but I'm sure it's excellent. Remind me, is that with the Chicago or the OdP?

Chicago for the symphony, and OdP for the rest.

[DavidW]

I didn't click with the organ symphony until I heard it live.  Now I love it!

[relm1]

This is a reminder to me to open the wrapping on this thrift shop CD I got a few weeks ago for $1.  It includes the Bacchanale (which I have never heard).  Nor have I ever heard the 3rd symphony in full, believe it or not.

My eyesight isn't great, but what orchestra is this with? Just helps me know the era.

[Franco_Manitobain]

My eyesight isn't great, but what orchestra is this with? Just helps me know the era.

It is Chicago SO for the symphony and Orchestre de Paris for the remainder.

[Roasted Swan]

Hearing the Bacchanale was what prompted me to ask this question, but I am open to exploring recordings of either the full opera or just the bacchanale.

Back in the mid 1980's when I played for the Opera House in Parma Italy we performed Samson & Delilah.  Its a wonderfully theatrical piece.  For sure following in the (then) tradition of French Grand Opera with big set pieces/spectacular sets/opportunities for the corps de ballet to have a run-out (hence the bacchanale).  The orchestration is brilliant - sitting "inside" a work like this you really get to appreciate the little telling details.  But the big thing for me then was the singing of the two title roles.  Not at all what you'd expect in terms of idiomatic/Francophone voices but instead two big old-school Italian powerhouses - Carlo Cossutta and Fiorenze Cossotto.  Cossutta's voice was certainly quite worn by then but he was a proper presence.  Cossotto as just extraordinary.  Delilah has 2 'big' arias in the work; "Printemps qui commence" and the gorgeous "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix".  Cossotto was too old, wrong voice - pretty much wrong in every way in fact but when she sang those you believed her absolutely.  It was an example of a singer by sheer force of will and personality dominating a 2000 seat opera house with their utter charisma.  One of my most treasured professional musical experiences.  So yeah, I like Samson & Delilah.....

The problem with a memory like that is no version matches up to it (totally getting that the memory is probably very rose-tinted!!).  For quite a few years the Barenboim OdP was the 'main' version but Domingo isn't right for me but then neither is Carerras for Davis.  In fact there is no modern version with truly idiomatic principals so really take your choice!

[Daverz]

Recommendations for recordings of Samson et Dalila?

Ralph Moore has a survey here (PDF):

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2019/May/Saint-Saens_Samson_survey.pdf

[pjme]

It includes the Bacchanale (which I have never heard)

You just may have heard it many times (since 1877...) without knowing, but disguised as (my guesses):

arranged for brass band/winds & percussion
pianosolo, high school ensembles, organ, clarinet choirs...
mandolin & guitar orchestra
as filmscore : accompaniment to: arabian market, belly dancers, snake charmers, exotic festival...strip acts?
harmonium and "Salonmusik", on cruiseships, cinema orchestras and cinema organs in the twenties and thirties
buskers....

These are totally hilarious....

[relm1]

I didn't click with the organ symphony until I heard it live.  Now I love it!

Yeah, it's quite a spectacle. 

[pjme]

Henry VIII, resurrected in Brussels

Opera Saint saens

[Maestro267]

Why does the 2nd Cello Concerto usually get completely ignored in box sets? They'll have all five piano concertos, all three violin concertos but only the 1st Cello Concerto. Why? I assume there actually *is* a 2nd Cello Concerto. There has to be, otherwise why would the other one always have "No. 1" added to its title? You would just call it the Cello Concerto if that was the only one that got out into the world.