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Technical Notice
| Classical Composer: | Saint-Saëns, Camille |
|---|---|
| Work: | Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 78, "Organ" |
| Year Composed: | 1886 |
| Instrumentation: | 3+1 333/4331/timps.2 perc.piano.organ/str |
| Publishers: |
G. Schirmer, Inc. Edwin F. Kalmus Schott Music Éditions Durand Manuscript |
| Duration: | 00:36:00 |
| Period: | Romantic |
| Work Category: | Orchestral |
Work Information
Available Recording(s)
The third and last of the numbered symphonies that Saint-Saëns wrote, the so-called Organ Symphony, was completed in 1886, the year of the famous private jeu d'esprit, Le carnaval des animaux. It was dedicated to the memory of Franz Liszt, who died that year in Bayreuth.
The two movements of the work include the normal structure of a four-movement symphony, with the use of cyclic thematic material, melodies or fragments of melodies that recur and provide over-all unity, a technique used by Cesar Franck in his own symphony, which he had started in the same year.
The first movement, after a slow introduction, leads to a theme of Mendelssohnian character, followed by a second subject of a gentler cast. The organ introduces a slow movement of sadder complexion, in which memories of the cyclic theme recur, as it undergoes its Lisztian metamorphosis into something still richer and stranger. A following section takes the place of a scherzo, opening with an energetic string melody, and framing a more lyrical passage at its heart. The final part of the symphony is again started by the organ, introducing an orchestral fugato. This last movement is of considerable variety, including a chorale that makes an early appearance in an unusual form, polyphonic writing and a brief pastoral interlude, replaced by the massive climax of the whole symphony.
Writer: Keith Anderson
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