Search - Matthias Eisenberg :: Saint-Saëns: Symphonie No.3 "Organ"/Cyprès et Lauriers

We need to hear recordings like this!

Timothy Mikolay | Pittsburgh, PA | 02/01/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have become tired of over blown recordings of this piece. Munch's spontaneous effort with farting trombones in the fourth movement and Maazel's and Karajan's cruddy idea of dubbing the organ onto the master have not stood the test of time like Dutoit's and James Levine's with Simon Preston. But this 1997..Classics CD, with Michel Plasson conducting and Matthias Eisenberg playing a Puget organ in the Notre Dame La Daurade basilica in Toulouse, France is a unique classic. Everyone here conveys the utmost understanding of the score from beginning to end with terrific line and this isn't even the best quality of this reading. It seems that the acoustic of the basilica was tended to with great detail by Plasson and engineer Daniel Michel for even the big brass entrances are never out of balance and the organ embellishes the overall sound, even in the fourth movement with the powerful reed entrances. This results in what I believe to be a truly "french" recording and should be considered a benchmark. When I bought this CD through BMG, that was only dealer selling it at the time because it was strictly an import. I was excited to find it on Amazon[.com] because I would like anyone who truly enjoys Saint-Saens' greatest work to get this CD. I have had a difficult time listening to any other rendition since I bought it."

Excellent recording

Cowboy Bill | Omaha, NE USA | 05/15/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A nimble performance that doesn't overplay the symphony's lusher moments yet doesn't shy away from the real emotion underlying the piece. The organ played by Eisenberg hasn't the deep-throated Anglo-German vioce often employed in recordings of the Third Symphony; instead it features a reedier, lighter feel that, as another reviewer here rightly puts it, gives the performance a decidedly appropriate French feel. (I've been partial to the Dutoit version on London/Decca for years, but after hearing Plasson's I must admit Dutoit's recording now seems a bit too busy for my ears, although I still find it excellent overall.)EMI's recording here is excellent. The instrumental sound is well-balanced, open and true -- not too closely micked but so distant the performance loses presence.Overall, a superb recording. I'm at a loss to explain why EMI allows some of its finest recordings (like this one) to float in and out of print."

Wow!!!

David C. Green | Suwanee, GA USA | 08/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a huge fan of the "Organ" Symphony by Saint-Saens, and this recording is further proof that it is splendid. A huge help to this recording is that of the French venue in which it was recorded. As another reviewer stated, it gives the piece an appropriate French feel to it. I also have to say that the orchestra and organist are all at the top of their game. The rhythmic accompaniments in the first half of the first movement are crisp and clear. The slow second half of the first movement (when the organ first enters) has a nice lush sound that is furthered by the acoustical environment in which this was recorded. Also, for those who have not heard "Cypres et Lauriers" before, this disc is excellent. Here again, the performers give it their all, and it really comes across. Overall, I would say this is my favorite recording of the Symphony, and also probably THE recording for the Cypres."