Saint-Saens: Symphony No. 3 Organ

SKU: BA.BA10303-01

ISBN 9790006559503. 33 x 26 cm inches. Key: C minor. Preface: Michael Stegemann.

The third symphony by Camille Saint-Saens, known as the Organ Symphony, is the first publication in a complete historical-critical edition of the French composer's instrumental works.

I gave everything I was able to give in this work. [...] What I have done here I will never be able to do again.Camille Saint-Saens was rightly proud of his third Symphony in C minor Op.78, dedicated to the memory of Franz Liszt. Called theOrgan Symphonybecause of its novel scoring, the work was a commission from the Philharmonic Society in London, as was Beethoven's Ninth, and was premiered there on 19 May 1886. The first performance in Paris followed on 9 January 1887 and confirmed the composer's reputation asprobably the most significant, and certainly the most independent French symphonistof his time, as Ludwig Finscher wrote in MGG. In fact the work remains the only one in the history of that genre in France to the present day, composed a good half century after the Symphonie fantastique by Hector Berlioz and a good half century before Olivier Messiaen's Turangalila Symphonie.

You would think that such a famous, much-performed and much recorded opus could not hold any more secrets, but far from it: in the first historical-critical edition of the Symphony, numerous inconsistencies and mistakes in the Durand edition in general use until now, have been uncovered and corrected. An examination and evaluation of the sources ranged from two early sketches, now preserved in Paris and Washington (in which the Symphony was still in B minor!) via the autograph manuscript and a set of proofs corrected by Saint-Saens himself, to the first and subsequent editions of the full score and parts. The versions for piano duet (by Leon Roques) and for two pianos (by the composer himself) were also consulted. Further crucial information was finally found in his extensive correspondence, encompassing thousands of previously unpublished letters. The discoveries made in producing this edition include the fact that at its London premiere, the Symphony probably looked quite different from its present appearance ...

No less exciting than the work itself is the history of its composition and reception, which are described in an extensive foreword. With his Symphony, Saint-Saens entered right into the dispute which divided French musical life into pro and contra Wagner in the 1880s and 1890s. At the same time, the work succeeded in preserving the balance between tradition and modernism in masterly fashion, as a contemporary critic stated:The C minor Symphony by Saint-Saens creates a bridge from the past into the future, from immortal richness to progress, from ideas to their implementation.

On 19 March 1886 Saint-Saens wrote to the London Philharmonic Society, which commissioned the work:

Work on the symphony is in full swing. But I warn you, it will be terrible. Here is the precise instrumentation: 3 flutes / 2 oboes / 1 cor anglais / 2 clarinets / 1 bass clarinet / 2 bassoons / 1 contrabassoon / 2 natural horns / [3 trumpets / Saint-Saens had forgotten these in his listing.] 2 chromatic horns / 3 trombones / 1 tuba / 3 timpani / organ / 1 piano duet and the strings, of course. Fortunately, there are no harps. Unfortunately it will be difficult. I am doing what I can to mitigate the difficulties.

As in my 4th Concerto [for piano] and my [1st] Violin Sonata [in D minor Op.75] at first glance there appear to be just two parts: the first Allegro and the Adagio, the Scherzo and the Finale, each attacca. This fiendish symphony has crept up by a semitone; it did not want to stay in B minor, and is now in C minor.

It would be a pleasure for me to conduct this symphony. Whether it would be a pleasure for others to hear it? That is the question. It is you who wanted it, I wash my hands of it. I will bring the orchestral parts carefully corrected with me, and if anyone wants to give me a nice rehearsal for the symphony after the full rehearsal, everything will be fine.

When Saint-Saens hit upon the idea of adding an organ and a piano to the usual orchestral scoring is not known. The idea of adding an organ part to a secular orchestral work intended for the concert hall was thoroughly novel - and not without controversy. On the other hand, Franz Liszt, whose music Saint-Saens' Symphony is so close to, had already demonstrated that the organ could easily be an orchestral instrument in his symphonic poem Hunnenschlacht (1856/57). There was also a model for the piano duet part which Saint-Saens knew and may possibly have used quite consciously as an exemplar: theFantaisie sur la Tempetefrom the lyrical monodrama Lelio, ou le retour a la Vie op. 14bis (1831) by Berlioz. The name of the organist at the premiere ist unknown, as, incidentally, was also the case with many of the later performances; the organ part is indeed not soloistic, but should be understood as part of the orchestral texture.

In fact the subsequent success of the symphony seems to have represented a kind of breakthrough for the composer, who was then over 50 years of age.My dear composer of a famous symphony, wrote Saint-Saens' friend and pupil Gabriel Faure:You will never be able to imagine what a pleasure I had last Sunday [at the second performance on 16 January 1887]! And I had the score and did not miss a single note of this Symphony, which will endure much longer than we two, even if we were to join together our two lifespans!

About Barenreiter Urtext

What can I expect from a Barenreiter Urtext edition?< /p>

MUSICOLOGICA LLY SOUND
- A reliable musical text based on all available sources
- A description of the sources
- Information on the genesis and history of the work
- Valuable notes on performance practice
- Includes an introduction with critical commentary explaining source discrepancies and editorial decisions

... AND PRACTICAL
- Page-turns, fold-out pages, and cues where you need them
- A well-presented layout and a user-friendly format
- Excellent print quality
- Superior paper and binding

SKU: HL.44007487

UPC: 884088256036. 9x12 inches. English-German-French-Dut ch.

Symphonic Metamorphosis was commissioned by the Sierra Vista High School Symphonic Band, Las Vegas (NV). The composer was given free hand to choose the style of the new commission and originally planned to use the opportunity to fulfil a long-held ambition to write a set of variations on the famous chorale from Saint-Saens' Third Symphony (Organ); in beginning work he was so moved by the work's highlights that he decided to include more than just the chorale melody. Therefore, while Symphonic Metamorphosis starts out as an original set of variations for concert band, it is gradually subsumed by other elements in the symphony (particularly the slow movement), and the piece closes with a finale that has been reorganized and rescored from the majestic closing pages of the symphony.

SKU: CY.CC2902

The dramatic Finale and Maestoso from the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony No. 3 has been brilliantly arranged for 6-part Trombone Ensemble by Jeremy Niles Kempton.
This 4 minute work is appropriate for advanced performers.
Instrumen tation is:
6 Trombones with optional Timpani and Organ.

SKU: AP.98-RWS220101

The Finale to Saint-Saëns’ 3rd Symphony (with Organ) is a shimmering, sparkling explosion of color that stands out among the classical repertoire as one of its most exciting endings! Evan VanDoren has masterfully captured Saint-Saëns’ unique compositional color and style, adjusting the key for maximum playability, while staying true to the original work!

SKU: CL.RWS-2201-00

The Finale to Saint-Saëns’ 3rd Symphony (with Organ) is a shimmering, sparkling explosion of color that stands out among the classical repertoire as one of its most exciting endings! Evan VanDoren has masterfully captured Saint-Saëns’ unique compositional color and style, adjusting the key for maximum playability, while staying true to the original work!

SKU: BT.CMP-0736-03-010

Due to careful cueing and skillful arranging, your band can play the Finale from the renowned â??Organ Symphonyâ? even if you donâ??t have a pipe organ or an organist available. The big, powerful sound of this Saint-Saens classic has been faithfully transcribed by James Curnow for your band.What a superb closer for your concert! Imagine the possibilities if you will be performing in a church or anywhere a real pipe organ is available! What an experience for your musicians!This is the ideal tool for work on balance and playing full value notes with a big, beautiful symphonic tone quality. Unlike anything else available for band today, you are sure to enjoy working with this forcefularrangement this year.Indomitable!