This is another “big hall” recording of Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony that attempts to capture all the tremendous sonic energy of the music in one acoustic. The Salle Wagram has sufficient reverberation to accomplish this task, but it comes at a price. When the orchestra is going full tilt, much inner detail is lost. Further, the organ sounds bereft of pedal tones, which are essential if the Poco Adagio and the Maestoso are to make the intended effect. As for the performance, Georges Prêtre paces the first movement well, generating as much tension as the swampy acoustic will allow. However, his finale gets bogged down in leaden tempos that make it seem interminable. Charles Munch’s 1958 recording with the Boston Symphony still reigns supreme as both a performance and a recording (those pedal tones are astonishing), but Ormandy with Philadelphia (on Sony) is a good second choice, especially at budget price.
The Ormandy disc also includes a delightful performance of the Carnival of the Animals (led by Philippe Entremont) that makes a stronger impression than Prêtre’s, which is sabotaged by distressingly bleached out sound. It’s an even bigger shame that Poulenc’s Model Animals suite (1942) was recorded under these same circumstances, because it’s a stunningly beautiful work whose delicately shaded timbres cry out for a natural acoustic setting. However, Prêtre & Co. deliver a wonderfully poetic performance of this lovely music, which for some listeners will be reason enough to acquire this disc.
