Fantasia Symphony Op. 64 Org Op. 64

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 Further crucial information was finally found in his extensive correspondence, encompassing thousands of previously unpublished letters.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
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SKU: CA.1039414

ISBN M-007-25222-9. Key: C minor. German/English. Text: Christoph Kuffner.

In a mixture of cantata and concert piece, Beethoven set a hymn to art in his Choral Fantasy. The work, about 20 minutes in length, is often seen as a precursor to the Ode to Joy in the 9th Symphony. After a piano introduction, a dialog between piano and orchestra develops in the space of just 400 measures, before the soloists and chorus enter for the last 200 measures. (If necessary, the solo parts can be sung by members of the chorus or a semi-chorus.) In the main section, headed Finale (beginning with the double basses and celli), the theme from Beethoven's early song Gegenliebe (WoO 118, also used in the Ode to Joy) is presented, varied and finally used in the March in F major. The main source of the Choral Fantasia for the edition is the first edition of the parts, published in 1811 and corrected by Beethoven; alongside this an English edition of the parts published by Clementi (1810) has been consulted for comparison. The edition contains an English singing version in a translation by Natalia Macfarren from the 19th century. Score and part available separately - see item CA.1039400.

SKU: CA.1039412

ISBN M-007-25220-5. Key: C minor. German/English. Text: Christoph Kuffner.

In a mixture of cantata and concert piece, Beethoven set a hymn to art in his Choral Fantasy. The work, about 20 minutes in length, is often seen as a precursor to the Ode to Joy in the 9th Symphony. After a piano introduction, a dialog between piano and orchestra develops in the space of just 400 measures, before the soloists and chorus enter for the last 200 measures. (If necessary, the solo parts can be sung by members of the chorus or a semi-chorus.) In the main section, headed Finale (beginning with the double basses and celli), the theme from Beethoven's early song Gegenliebe (WoO 118, also used in the Ode to Joy) is presented, varied and finally used in the March in F major. The main source of the Choral Fantasia for the edition is the first edition of the parts, published in 1811 and corrected by Beethoven; alongside this an English edition of the parts published by Clementi (1810) has been consulted for comparison. The edition contains an English singing version in a translation by Natalia Macfarren from the 19th century. Score and part available separately - see item CA.1039400.

SKU: CA.1039413

ISBN M-007-25221-2. Key: C minor. German/English. Text: Christoph Kuffner.

In a mixture of cantata and concert piece, Beethoven set a hymn to art in his Choral Fantasy. The work, about 20 minutes in length, is often seen as a precursor to the Ode to Joy in the 9th Symphony. After a piano introduction, a dialog between piano and orchestra develops in the space of just 400 measures, before the soloists and chorus enter for the last 200 measures. (If necessary, the solo parts can be sung by members of the chorus or a semi-chorus.) In the main section, headed Finale (beginning with the double basses and celli), the theme from Beethoven's early song Gegenliebe (WoO 118, also used in the Ode to Joy) is presented, varied and finally used in the March in F major. The main source of the Choral Fantasia for the edition is the first edition of the parts, published in 1811 and corrected by Beethoven; alongside this an English edition of the parts published by Clementi (1810) has been consulted for comparison. The edition contains an English singing version in a translation by Natalia Macfarren from the 19th century. Score and part available separately - see item CA.1039400.

SKU: CA.1039419

ISBN M-007-25223-6. Key: C minor. German/English. Text: Christoph Kuffner.

In a mixture of cantata and concert piece, Beethoven set a hymn to art in his Choral Fantasy. The work, about 20 minutes in length, is often seen as a precursor to the Ode to Joy in the 9th Symphony. After a piano introduction, a dialog between piano and orchestra develops in the space of just 400 measures, before the soloists and chorus enter for the last 200 measures. (If necessary, the solo parts can be sung by members of the chorus or a semi-chorus.) In the main section, headed Finale (beginning with the double basses and celli), the theme from Beethoven's early song Gegenliebe (WoO 118, also used in the Ode to Joy) is presented, varied and finally used in the March in F major. The main source of the Choral Fantasia for the edition is the first edition of the parts, published in 1811 and corrected by Beethoven; alongside this an English edition of the parts published by Clementi (1810) has been consulted for comparison. The edition contains an English singing version in a translation by Natalia Macfarren from the 19th century. Score and parts available separately - see item CA.1039400.

SKU: CA.1039448

ISBN M-007-25224-3. Key: C minor. German/English. Text: Christoph Kuffner.

In a mixture of cantata and concert piece, Beethoven set a hymn to art in his Choral Fantasy. The work, about 20 minutes in length, is often seen as a precursor to the Ode to Joy in the 9th Symphony. After a piano introduction, a dialog between piano and orchestra develops in the space of just 400 measures, before the soloists and chorus enter for the last 200 measures. (If necessary, the solo parts can be sung by members of the chorus or a semi-chorus.) In the main section, headed Finale (beginning with the double basses and celli), the theme from Beethoven's early song Gegenliebe (WoO 118, also used in the Ode to Joy) is presented, varied and finally used in the March in F major. The main source of the Choral Fantasia for the edition is the first edition of the parts, published in 1811 and corrected by Beethoven; alongside this an English edition of the parts published by Clementi (1810) has been consulted for comparison. The edition contains an English singing version in a translation by Natalia Macfarren from the 19th century. Score and part available separately - see item CA.1039400.

SKU: CA.1039411

ISBN M-007-25219-9. Key: C minor. German/English. Text: Christoph Kuffner.

In a mixture of cantata and concert piece, Beethoven set a hymn to art in his Choral Fantasy. The work, about 20 minutes in length, is often seen as a precursor to the Ode to Joy in the 9th Symphony. After a piano introduction, a dialog between piano and orchestra develops in the space of just 400 measures, before the soloists and chorus enter for the last 200 measures. (If necessary, the solo parts can be sung by members of the chorus or a semi-chorus.) In the main section, headed Finale (beginning with the double basses and celli), the theme from Beethoven's early song Gegenliebe (WoO 118, also used in the Ode to Joy) is presented, varied and finally used in the March in F major. The main source of the Choral Fantasia for the edition is the first edition of the parts, published in 1811 and corrected by Beethoven; alongside this an English edition of the parts published by Clementi (1810) has been consulted for comparison. The edition contains an English singing version in a translation by Natalia Macfarren from the 19th century. Score and part available separately - see item CA.1039400.

SKU: CA.1039403

ISBN M-007-18768-2. Key: C minor. German/English. Text: Christoph Kuffner.

In a mixture of cantata and concert piece, Beethoven set a hymn to art in his Choral Fantasy. The work, about 20 minutes in length, is often seen as a precursor to the Ode to Joy in the 9th Symphony. After a piano introduction, a dialog between piano and orchestra develops in the space of just 400 measures, before the soloists and chorus enter for the last 200 measures. (If necessary, the solo parts can be sung by members of the chorus or a semi-chorus.) In the main section, headed Finale (beginning with the double basses and celli), the theme from Beethoven's early song Gegenliebe (WoO 118, also used in the Ode to Joy) is presented, varied and finally used in the March in F major. The main source of the Choral Fantasia for the edition is the first edition of the parts, published in 1811 and corrected by Beethoven; alongside this an English edition of the parts published by Clementi (1810) has been consulted for comparison. The edition contains an English singing version in a translation by Natalia Macfarren from the 19th century. Score available separately - see item CA.1039400.

SKU: CA.1039409

ISBN M-007-25218-2. Key: C minor. German/English. Text: Christoph Kuffner.

In a mixture of cantata and concert piece, Beethoven set a hymn to art in his Choral Fantasy. The work, about 20 minutes in length, is often seen as a precursor to the Ode to Joy in the 9th Symphony. After a piano introduction, a dialog between piano and orchestra develops in the space of just 400 measures, before the soloists and chorus enter for the last 200 measures. (If necessary, the solo parts can be sung by members of the chorus or a semi-chorus.) In the main section, headed Finale (beginning with the double basses and celli), the theme from Beethoven's early song Gegenliebe (WoO 118, also used in the Ode to Joy) is presented, varied and finally used in the March in F major. The main source of the Choral Fantasia for the edition is the first edition of the parts, published in 1811 and corrected by Beethoven; alongside this an English edition of the parts published by Clementi (1810) has been consulted for comparison. The edition contains an English singing version in a translation by Natalia Macfarren from the 19th century. Score and parts available separately - see item CA.1039400.

SKU: CA.1039400

ISBN M-007-18767-5. Key: C minor. German/English. Text: Christoph Kuffner.

In a mixture of cantata and concert piece, Beethoven set a hymn to art in his Choral Fantasy. The work, about 20 minutes in length, is often seen as a precursor to the Ode to Joy in the 9th Symphony. After a piano introduction, a dialog between piano and orchestra develops in the space of just 400 measures, before the soloists and chorus enter for the last 200 measures. (If necessary, the solo parts can be sung by members of the chorus or a semi-chorus.) In the main section, headed Finale (beginning with the double basses and celli), the theme from Beethoven's early song Gegenliebe (WoO 118, also used in the Ode to Joy) is presented, varied and finally used in the March in F major. The main source of the Choral Fantasia for the edition is the first edition of the parts, published in 1811 and corrected by Beethoven; alongside this an English edition of the parts published by Clementi (1810) has been consulted for comparison. The edition contains an English singing version in a translation by Natalia Macfarren from the 19th century.

SKU: TM.06137SC

Allegro maestoso, Scherzo (Presto), Quasi Fantasia (Grave), Finale (Allegro guerriero).

SKU: FJ.OR5001S

English.

This feature-length work is the perfect way to integrate serious concert music with the rest of your winter program. A significant amount of original material is woven around the familiar carol We Three Kings. From the impressionistic sounds of the opening to the powerful and dramatic conclusion, this work covers the full gamut of textures and emotions. Amazing!

SKU: TM.06137SET

Allegro maestoso, Scherzo (Presto), Quasi Fantasia (Grave), Finale (Allegro guerriero).