Podcast: Saint-Saëns and the King of Instruments

NBD0045bThis month’s new Naxos High Definition Audio Disc features the recently-restored Cavaillé-Coll organ which is now housed in the Lyon Auditorium. It’s played here by Vincent Warnier in an all-Saint-Saëns programme. Dating back to 1878, this huge instrument was relocated, re-built and then lovingly restored to its original glory in 2013. Saint-Saëns enjoyed a long and loyal relationship with the Cavaillé-Coll firm and its organs. An organist himself, he wrote skilfully for the instrument, as witnessed here in the three featured works—both for solo organ and with orchestra. In this podcast Rick Phillips takes us through a virtuosic transcription of the Danse Macabre, Cyprès et Lauriers (Cypresses and Laurels) and the great Symphony No. 3, known as the “Organ Symphony.” The Orchestre National de Lyon is conducted by Leonard Slatkin.

View album details of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 ‘Organ’ / Danse Macabre / Cyprès et Lauriers at naxos.com
Catalogue No.: Naxos Blu-ray Audio NBD0045

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