Saint-Saëns; Debussy; Ibert - Symphony No. 3; La Mer; Escales (Charles Munch)

Information

Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns; Claude Debussy; Jacques Ibert

• Saint-Saëns - Symphony No. 3 in C minor "Organ", Op. 78
• Debussy - La Mer, L. 109
• Ibert - Escales

Berj Zamkochian, organ

Boston Symphony Orchestra

Charles Munch, conductor

Date: 1959; 1956

Label: RCA

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Review

There is an enormous amount to admire in Munch’s reading of Saint-Saëns’ ‘Organ’ symphony, right from the glowing strings of the opening through to the truly superbly articulated first-movement climax. Munch gets real delicacy from his Bostonians in the Poco adagio, and the organ’s entry in the finale is certainly highly impressive. Perhaps the Scherzo could be more on-the-ball, though. This remains one of the top recommendations for this piece (I rate Frémaux and the CBSO alongside it – EMI Eminence CDEMX2259).

But the real value of this disc lies in the Debussy. This has to be one of the most sensitive of all La mers, fluent and fluid with a real francophile feel to the dancing rhythms – this is a real Frenchman’s response to the sea, wherever he may be. If the ‘Jeux de vagues’ could possibly be more elusive, it remains a convincing account. The final movement, ‘Dialogue du vent et de la mer’, is supremely harmonically sensitive, the Bostonians’ responses miraculously fast to Debussy’s language. Brass blaze forth magnificently towards the end, the recording helping to delineate the various strands in this notoriously difficult ending.

Finally, Jacques Ibert’s Escales of 1922, music that seems to fit perfectly into this programme. Heard in a performance as carefully-prepared as this one, it seems laughable that this delightful, masterly-scored work is not heard more often. Munch underlines the sensuality of the first movement (‘Rome-Palerma’, marked ‘Calme’). There is even a feeling of ecstasy at the climax of this movement, and dark clouds are few and far between. The very snake-charmer-like oboe of ‘Tunis-Nefta’ is immensely appealing (Ralph Gomberg is the superb oboist here). The bustling, castanet decorated ‘Valencia’ makes for a playful finale. The sense of the Bostonians having fun is almost palpable.

A wonderfully programmed, disc, the sound is fully up to its claim of ‘Hi-Fi Spectacular!’. But the standard and integrity of the performances take this way higher than a mere sonic show-disc.

— Colin Clarke

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Camille Saint-Saëns (9 October 1835 – 16 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic era. A musical prodigy, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire and followed a conventional career as a church organist, then freelance pianist and composer. Saint-Saëns held only one teaching post at the École de Musique Classique et Religieuse in Paris; his students included Gabriel Fauré. His best-known works include concertante works for violin, cello and piano, the Danse macabre, the opera Samson and Delilah, the third ("Organ") symphony and The Carnival of the Animals.

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Claude Debussy (22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer who was among the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His orchestral works include Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (1894), Nocturnes (1897–1899), Images (1905–1912), and La mer (1903–1905). His piano works include sets of 24 Préludes and 12 Études. Throughout his career Debussy also wrote mélodies based on a wide variety of poetry, including his own. His works have strongly influenced a wide range of composers including Béla Bartók, Olivier Messiaen, George Benjamin, and the jazz musician Bill Evans.

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Jacques Ibert (15 August 1890 – 5 February 1962) was a French composer. Educated at the Paris Conservatoire, he won the Prix de Rome despite studies' interruptions caused by World War I. Ibert enjoyed a prolific career, composing operas, ballets, chamber and choral works, film and incidental music, and piano pieces. He is best known for orchestral works such as Escales and Divertissement, which illustrate his stylistic range from lyrical romanticism to playful wit. Alongside his composing, Ibert held major administrative posts, including director of the Académie de France in Rome and later the Paris Opera.

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Charles Munch (26 September 1891 – 6 November 1968) was an Alsatian French conductor. After studying violin in Paris and Berlin, he became professor of violin at the Strasbourg Conservatoire, leader of the Strasbourg Orchestra (1919–25), and later leader of the Gewandhaus Orchestra at Leipzig. Münch gained prominence as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1949 to 1962, directing 39 world and 17 U.S. premieres. His leadership helped define the sound of the Boston Symphony during the mid-20th century. His legacy includes numerous recordings that capture his vibrant interpretations.

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