Saint-Saëns, Poulenc & Widor: Works for Organ

The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and conductor Kazuki Yamada are joined by organist Christopher Jacobson for two contrasting works. Saint-Saëns's famed "Organ Symphony" is a colourful and well-loved work, while Poulenc's Concerto for Organ, String Orchestra and Timpani is a serene piece with moments of playfulness. Another classic fo the organ repertoire, the Toccata from Widor’s Organ Symphony No. 5, concludes the album.

Featuring

Kazuki Yamada
Christopher Jacobson
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Camille Saint-Saëns
Francis Poulenc
Charles-Marie Widor

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Composer Biography

Charles-Marie Widor, born into a family of organists and organ builders, was assistant to Saint-Saëns at La Madeleine in Paris and held a temporary post at St. Sulpice for 63 years.

Recording & Production

This album was recorded at Victoria Hall in Geneva, a prestigious concert hall built in 1894 as a tribute to England's Queen Victoria.

Recording & Production

The 'Toccata' from Widor's Organ Symphony No. 5 was recorded as a bonus track after the main sessions finished a day early, as Widor himself dedicated the original Victoria Hall organ in 1894.

Composer Biography

Camille Saint-Saëns, a child prodigy on par with Mozart, offered to play any of Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas from memory at his public debut at age ten.

Instruments

The organ heard on this recording in Victoria Hall, Geneva, was built by Dutch organ builders Van den Heuvel to imitate the style and sounds of 19th-century French organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll.

Composition History

Francis Poulenc's Organ Concerto was commissioned by Winnaretta Singer, Princesse Edmond de Polignac, a talented organist and host of an influential Parisian salon.