Symphonie n°3 "avec orgue" de Camille SAINT-SAENS (Allegro) Orchestre National de Lille Direction: J.C CASADESUS Ph.LEFEBVRE au Grand Orgue de Notre Dame de Paris
For those wondering,the Caville-Coll organ of Notre Dame sustained very little damage during the 2020 fire at Notre Dame. It is being repaired,cleaned and tuned by the French Canadian organ firm Casavant-Freres. The stone arch and balcony the organ is beneath protected it from any heat and water damage. Only some dust,soot, and mild smoke damage was found. The organ was completely intact and playable immediately following the fire. It has been removed for cleaning and repair and is due to be reinstalled by the end of this year.
One good thing this recording proves: good orchestras CAN play successfully and sound excellent in large churches and cathedrals - muddiness doesn't have to be insurmountable. Such a performance ought to be an encouragement for more orchestral concerts - and also recordings - in such venues so that it's no longer is necessary to record an organ and an orchestra separately, Hallelujah!!!! In spite of the defects, this indeed DOES merit a full 5 stars!!!!
What a wonderful performance of one of the grandest pieces in the symphonic literature. It was obviously accomplished under some challenging conditions but these musicians are playing at the top of their game. Our comments, pro or con, won't matter. It's a done deal. Bravi tutti!
Finally ! A conductor who allows the organist to make use of the ‘reed stops’ and the rumbling 32’ pedal stops! And isn’t concerned about the orchestra’s ego of possibly being drowned-out!
There is something terribly wrong with anyone who can't appreciate the magnificence of this stirring masterpiece by Saint Sans, it is suspenseful, gripping, melodic, historical. I can associate this wondrous symphony with the French Alps, ascending the Eiffel Tower, the peace and tranquility of the Loire Valley, the Brittany coast, oh it is so dramatic yet stirs so many emotions
@@weightlessliving9856 Yes, parts of Camille Saint-Saens's masterpiece is played at the French Exhibit in Orlando but I have heard the complete symphony in Philadelphia, New York, Budapest and Vienna
Did you see the size of that Pipe Organ? No wonder that have to cut that thing apart to remove it from Notre Dame Cathedral! Geez! I'm just glad that that Pipe Organ didn't get damaged by the fire that ripped through Note Dame Cathedral on April 19, 2019!
@@pilouetmissiou Je découvre, maintenant, votre question. L'orgue de Notre-Dame va être totalement démonté et nettoyé. La console a été, elle aussi, descendu pour nettoyage, il y a peu. Pas de dégats importants mais beaucoup de poussières ! Cette restauration va durer au moins 3 ans avant que l'on puisse ré-entendre respirer ce fabuleux instrument.
April 15 2019 ... In memory of Our Grand Lady, Notre Dame. She was created to glorify Jesus Christ and has done so for 850 years through countless events. Here we can remember her in just one of her moments of grandeur.
That building was built to satisfy the ego of a bishop based on the then prevalent "Mine is bigger than yours" mentality that swept Europe and England in the period of cathedral building. (1000~1400). This was followed by the same compulsion when it came time for organs to be installed. They learned that bigger was, indeed, better. Gloify JC, no had he returned and asked what this was all about he probably would have walked away thinking about the egos man had come to possess. He who gave his sermons in open air wearing only cotton robes - You look at the gold trimmed finery the clergy has decorated themselves with over the years and realize that this is all about power and money. The ability to frighten people into submission through the threat of this mysterious "Haeaven, "Hell" and life hereafter. Bullshit.
Watching this through tears, while wondering how much (if any) of the organ was damaged in the fire. I know much of the sanctuary was. I visited Notré-Dame in 1989, and I can't wait to see how close the builders will come to restoring the cathedral to its original beauty.
The sheer power of the organ is striking...without it the piece would not be complete and would sound like every other symphonic work...the organ separates the piece and places it in a category of its own. St Saens was a genius!
Absolutely love Symphony Number 3! ^^ Camille Saint-Saens is a mathematical and musical genius,you can hear the symmetry and beauty in all his work but this one in particular is my favorite! Thank you for uploading this amazing performance!
tres beau , un tempo diffent a celui que j'ai fait , mais c'est le gout du directeur qui mène son orchestre , tres belle prestation beau vidéo et bravo à M. Lefebvre que j'admire beaucoup....superbe ...5 étoiles
I personally had no idea that the song from Babe is based on this beautiful piece. I was looking for a CD that had "Carnival of the Animals" on it, and the symphony was part of it. I was shocked when I found out. Btw... I bet a lot of children would have gotten scared when the organ let loose. I woulda gotten goosebumps of delight!
10 years later, and I'm here replying to you... I would love to be there in person, to hear the full power of the organ! Same feelings as you did have or more!
Many years ago at a live performance, a couple in front of me did not know the piece and when the organ played the opening chord, they nearly jumped out of their seats.
Sad day for human history and the world of music as Notre Dame suffered the ravages of a horrific fire April 15, 2019. So many great artificats, including the cathedral's iconic pipe organ are now lost. So many great figures in music spent time at Notre Dame: Saint-Seans, Dupre, Widor, Bruckner, Andre and Franck. Let's keep her spirit alive through pictures, film and art.
It seems the main organ is dusty but hasn't been to much damaged. It is planned to clean it and displace it (work of some months). However the choir organ is completely wet.
What a glorious work! the entire symphony is a compelling experience- and this performance was indeed magnificent. I thought that the pacing was perfect. Sometimes the work is taken too fast, but not here! And to hear it in such a location with the long decay of sound- a very moving experience! thank you for posting!
This is good. This piece is usually played in concert halls with very short and dry reverberation and often quite weak and colourless organs. Sometimes it's even a horrible mix done in a studio with orchestra and organ in different locations. But here we have the real thing! Full cathedral acoustics and one of the most powerful organs in the world, with a sound that is as French as it can be.
Jedoch hat die Technik den Orgelton *etwas zu weit* gedrosselt; zu Beginn des letzten Teils wird es deutlich! Das sollte *nicht* Aufgabe des Toningenieurs sein, sondern die Registrierung der Orgel muss dem übrigen Klang so angepasst werden, dass alles harmoniert. Das heißt auch, eventuell auf das volle Plenum zu verzichten, wenn die Orgel zu laut ist. Dies müssen *Dirigent und Organist* abstimmen, nicht erst die Klangnachbearbeitung im Studio, die hier mAn. nicht recht gelungen ist! (siehe auch Kommentar @simonsteam)
Just listening to this again after not listening to it for a while. When that organ blasts, I get chills down my spine. Handel's Halleluiah Chorus is the only other piece of music that gives me the chills.
Émouvant quand on pense à l'état de Notre-Dame actuellement. L'orgue est sauvé. J'espère que l'acoustique qui résultera des matériaux et savoir-faire traditionnels que l'on possède en France sera de nature à nous offrir de sublimes concerts à la hauteur de cette Grande Dame.
régal+++ ; j'adore le plan sur le piano à 4 mains, et le coup d'oeil de la pianiste vers le chef Casadesus pour faire sonner pile le retour des grandes orgues ; et en tout premier lieu, la pêche du chef qui donne à cette interprétation une dynamique incroyable.
The moment I saw "Babe" in cinema, I was staring at the end titles waiting for the music section.... And low and behold I found out it was a Saint Saens piece. And I could go out and buy the LP (CD's were too expensive as a student). Wonderfull piece. Excellent performance here. Sounds exactly like the LP.... funny that. Love it, including the four-handed piano player XD.
Magnificent performance of this grand masterpiece- great pacing and sense of continuity, but rubato and shaping of all of the great melodic lines. What a stupendous experience- exhilarating! thank you!
This is magnificent! This American hinterlander cried when the Notre dame burned. The bond between the United States and France is absolute. Neither country would exist without each other.
I don’t know the two ladies playing the piano, but I hope someone does. Please tell them how happy they made a senior citizen in Texas with their playing what to me was a perfect performance of the most crucial portion of this work. Sheer joy and orchestral wonderment.
My local orchestra (Dallas Symphony Orchestra) performed this when I was 17-years-old (in 2009) and I'll never forget it. I went the week of my birthday. The organ blasted me back against my seat as I was overwhelmed with involuntary tears of joy and triumph. The notes soared as the orchestra seemingly bathed the entire symphony hall with light, swept space clean, and left nothing but the joy of an unobstructed effort.
(Florence) ai assisté à ce concert, avec les mêmes interprètres, la même année 1997, dans l'Auditorium du nouveau siècle, à LILLE, lieu de la création de l'ONL par son chef dynamique JCC., qui publie aujourd'hui des mémoires captivantes. Eh bien,je garde encore des frissons de ce concert spectaculaire. UN GRAND MERCI à tous les musiciens grands, moyens, débutants, à tous sauf aux moins bons ! et aux compositeurs bien sûr ! Florence T-M
c'est exceptionnel cette vidéo. Certes 20 ans nous séparent de ce concert, c'est là qu'on se rend compte que les prises de sons ont fait des progrès considérables pour se rappeler ce genre de concert. Mis a part le son, un grand concert dans un grand monument. Merci...
I play in a large church (the organ is in the loft at the rear of the church) , and I can attest that once MASS starts, the organist and choir may as well be on the dark side of the moon. We solved part of the problem by having a small speaker in the loft so we can hear what is being said on the altar.
Have to say I was there for this concert.and the organ did sound incredible.much better than this recording.and at the final cord it blew us away with its power/was well above the orchestra and we were sat at least halfway down the nave!
il y a aussi une version filmé avec Pierre Cochereau et Daniel Barenboim tournée au début des années 80,me semble t-il! si quelqu'un avait ça dans ses archives!... ;-) :-)
@goodchappy it isn't that they aren't in tune... it is because of the acoustics of the hall and microphone placement.... in such a big space the sound is going to sag....which makes it go flat... the microphones were next to the orchestra which is why the pitches for the orchestra sounds higher... there is a big delay in how the sound travels from way up top where the organ is situated and way down low where the orchestra was situated. if you were there, you'd have never heard the difference.
It's so sad that every time I hear this I think of Babe...but altogether this is a great performance from everyone--the awesome organ and piano work are real standouts.
Grace a que l'orchestre est ici situé au-dessous de l'orgue - et aussi donné l'acoustique de la cathédrale! - sans le casque sur les oreilles il sera presque impossible pour synchroniser l'orgue avec les autres optimalement. Même si l'organiste peut voir le chef d'orchestre sur un ou plusieurs écrans du télévision a circuite fermée (sans cela on aurait encore plus des difficultés), la casque est indispensable pour proprement ecouter l'ensemble et donc avoir une idée de la balance.
And it IS stellar on the part of all the musicians including the organist and the conductor! There's nothing to regret or look down upon. Personally, I wish yours truly could have been there in the audience... I only wish that the recording engineers had brought sound equipment that would match the video capabilities they lavished on this event and so have done proper justice to it audio-wise. [My suspicion leans towards them being the villains - I doubt the organist was holding back.]
I've been in Notre Dame, but that's the first time I've heard the organ. It is a marvelous instrument, but I wonder how the Mormon Tabernacle organ would sound.
Hello, does anyone know where the FULL concert at Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris, on 11th April 1997, is available to watch? Besides the 3rd symphony by Saint-Saëns, the Organ Concerto in G minor by Francis Poulenc was performed. I was at that concert which I remember quite well, very impressive. To my knowledge only the Poulenc piece was released in CD (Naxos 8.554241) afterwards, so we miss two parts if the live recording here (full symphony by Saint-Saëns, & Poulenc). Thank you!
Absolutely beautiful, even if the recording level is too low (pity)!!! Nevertheless, I'm surprised at how the orchestral (and also organ) sound is otherwise clear - were they close-miking them all? [I'd have expected considerably more difficulty otherwise in hearing as much detail and crispness given what one would expect in an exceedingly reverberant building like what Notre-Dame de Paris is supposed to be - one would have expected a far muddier result. Thank goodness it isn't!! WONDERFUL!!
One observation I'd make is that the keys on the manual being played (the Positif?) are not all sitting level (e.g. the E5) . This is an organ-maintenance issue and a surprising oversight for a prestigious building such as Notre Dame and can cause problems in 'runs'.
Music and art are EXTREMELY subjective. I am not dissing this performance, but my own personal favorite rendering of this symphony is that of Charles Munch and the Boston Symphony because that is the recording that introduced me to this masterpiece. I will say, however, that I think that the audio is atrocious. I thought that being recorded in Notre Dame, the audio would be incredible, but to me it just isn't. The organ doesn't sound terrible, but I have heard better. It is a nice version, but it won't make me forget Munch's version.
My guess would be to synchronize with the orchestra considering the distance which may exist between the organ console and the players. His headphone feed is probably from microphones located very near the orchestra.
I don't know about the 'French culture' tag: I've a recording of Cochereau with the Berlin Phil (a phone-line job), and again, the organ sounds very muted (and that's with the Boisseau trumpets pre-restoration...).
This recording is a real disappointment for me... The sound of the organ should be at least twice as loud with the Cochereau chamades... The sound engineer did a very bad job with the sounds balance....
When Notre Dame's repairs are completed, this magnificent performance should be repeated here in celebration.
With the same performers 27 years on...
For those wondering,the Caville-Coll organ of Notre Dame sustained very little damage during the 2020 fire at Notre Dame. It is being repaired,cleaned and tuned by the French Canadian organ firm Casavant-Freres. The stone arch and balcony the organ is beneath protected it from any heat and water damage. Only some dust,soot, and mild smoke damage was found. The organ was completely intact and playable immediately following the fire. It has been removed for cleaning and repair and is due to be reinstalled by the end of this year.
Long overdue....despite the fire!
One good thing this recording proves: good orchestras CAN play successfully and sound excellent in large churches and cathedrals - muddiness doesn't have to be insurmountable. Such a performance ought to be an encouragement for more orchestral concerts - and also recordings - in such venues so that it's no longer is necessary to record an organ and an orchestra separately, Hallelujah!!!! In spite of the defects, this indeed DOES merit a full 5 stars!!!!
There’s also a performance of Daniel Roth at St Sulpice of the 3rd. It sounds brilliant as well.
The piano segments done loudly and with four hands perfect.
What a wonderful performance of one of the grandest pieces in the symphonic literature. It was obviously accomplished under some challenging conditions but these musicians are playing at the top of their game. Our comments, pro or con, won't matter. It's a done deal. Bravi tutti!
In addition to the great sounds, the conductor is enjoying himself immensely. Nice to see!
The hardest working conductor I've ever seen.
Finally ! A conductor who allows the organist to make use of the ‘reed stops’ and the rumbling 32’ pedal stops! And isn’t concerned about the orchestra’s ego of possibly being drowned-out!
There is something terribly wrong with anyone who can't appreciate the magnificence of this stirring masterpiece by Saint Sans, it is suspenseful, gripping, melodic, historical. I can associate this wondrous symphony with the French Alps, ascending the Eiffel Tower, the peace and tranquility of the Loire Valley, the Brittany coast, oh it is so dramatic yet stirs so many emotions
There is something terribly wrong with the dreadful sound quality on this video.
For me it’s Babe the sheep pig ,quite apt given that Saint -Saens composed Carnival of the Animals .
@George Brown You are describing Impressions de France at Epcot 😁
@@weightlessliving9856
Yes, parts of Camille Saint-Saens's masterpiece is played at the French Exhibit in Orlando but I have heard the complete symphony in Philadelphia, New York, Budapest and Vienna
@@glennperrytony Absolutely brilliant!! I think Johnathon Scott’s arrangement for Pipe Organ without orchestra is phenomenal.
I am looking forward to the day when this music sounds again.
That's two of us .
Did you see the size of that Pipe Organ? No wonder that have to cut that thing apart to remove it from Notre Dame Cathedral! Geez! I'm just glad that that Pipe Organ didn't get damaged by the fire that ripped through Note Dame Cathedral on April 19, 2019!
the one man playing the organ has so much power over the entire room, it must be the greatest rush in the world.
Le génie de Camille Saint-Saëns, la puissance du Cavaillé-Coll .................. UNE MERVEILLE ! Bravo et merci.
J'espère que le Cavaillé-Colla été sauvé ? en savez-vous quelque chose ?
@@pilouetmissiou Je découvre, maintenant, votre question.
L'orgue de Notre-Dame va être totalement démonté et nettoyé.
La console a été, elle aussi, descendu pour nettoyage, il y a peu. Pas de dégats importants mais beaucoup de poussières ! Cette restauration va durer au moins 3 ans avant que l'on puisse ré-entendre respirer ce fabuleux instrument.
@@jacquesbruno2436 je m'en réjouis !! Un est parti en fumée récemment non à...Nantes ?? Un incendie aussi ... Très ancien aussi...quel dommage...
@@pilouetmissiou, schmeißt doch diese Kirchenschänder raus! *Aber Avanti!*
Gran Recuerdo de Notre Dame y Gran Obra Musical de Camile Saint Sant, con La Gran Sinfónica de París. Gracias Atte Felipe Torres
April 15 2019 ... In memory of Our Grand Lady, Notre Dame. She was created to glorify Jesus Christ and has done so for 850 years through countless events. Here we can remember her in just one of her moments of grandeur.
That building was built to satisfy the ego of a bishop based on the then prevalent "Mine is bigger than yours" mentality that swept Europe and England in the period of cathedral building. (1000~1400). This was followed by the same compulsion when it came time for organs to be installed. They learned that bigger was, indeed, better. Gloify JC, no had he returned and asked what this was all about he probably would have walked away thinking about the egos man had come to possess. He who gave his sermons in open air wearing only cotton robes - You look at the gold trimmed finery the clergy has decorated themselves with over the years and realize that this is all about power and money. The ability to frighten people into submission through the threat of this mysterious "Haeaven, "Hell" and life hereafter. Bullshit.
Hey now don't be sad. It'll be rebuilt in a few years like the fire never happened. Everything goes back to normal.🙂
@@organbuilder272Good God, don’t be such a spoil-sport Debbie Downer!
Watching this through tears, while wondering how much (if any) of the organ was damaged in the fire. I know much of the sanctuary was. I visited Notré-Dame in 1989, and I can't wait to see how close the builders will come to restoring the cathedral to its original beauty.
I never tire of this magic and stirring orchestral work. The two pianists at the beginning of the last movement are captivating by their intensity
Am in total agreement with you re the pianists, just exquisite
@@peterknowles3198 Thank you, Peter. Unfortunately I am deaf now but I thank God I was privileged to hear such beautiful music before then.
@@glennperrytonyGeorge, so sorry to hear of this, but I'm sure this memory shines bright
Dios! Esto es magnífico!
The sheer power of the organ is striking...without it the piece would not be complete and would sound like every other symphonic work...the organ separates the piece and places it in a category of its own. St Saens was a genius!
Já se passaram 25 anos e parece que foi ontem, atualíssimo. Obrigado, merci France! BRASIL!
Absolutely love Symphony Number 3! ^^ Camille Saint-Saens is a mathematical and musical genius,you can hear the symmetry and beauty in all his work but this one in particular is my favorite! Thank you for uploading this amazing performance!
tres beau , un tempo diffent a celui que j'ai fait , mais c'est le gout du directeur qui mène son orchestre , tres belle prestation beau vidéo et bravo à M. Lefebvre que j'admire beaucoup....superbe ...5 étoiles
I personally had no idea that the song from Babe is based on this beautiful piece. I was looking for a CD that had "Carnival of the Animals" on it, and the symphony was part of it. I was shocked when I found out.
Btw... I bet a lot of children would have gotten scared when the organ let loose. I woulda gotten goosebumps of delight!
10 years later, and I'm here replying to you... I would love to be there in person, to hear the full power of the organ! Same feelings as you did have or more!
Many years ago at a live performance, a couple in front of me did not know the piece and when the organ played the opening chord, they nearly jumped out of their seats.
I would have loved to see that! 😁
Sad day for human history and the world of music as Notre Dame suffered the ravages of a horrific fire April 15, 2019. So many great artificats, including the cathedral's iconic pipe organ are now lost. So many great figures in music spent time at Notre Dame: Saint-Seans, Dupre, Widor, Bruckner, Andre and Franck. Let's keep her spirit alive through pictures, film and art.
It seems the main organ is dusty but hasn't been to much damaged. It is planned to clean it and displace it (work of some months). However the choir organ is completely wet.
Toujours un immense plaisir d'entendre ce concerto, direction prestigieuse et son organiste Philippe Lefevre
Hopefully the organ will thunder through the Notre-Dame just in time for the 2024 Olympics in Paris!
Yes yes .. I expect !!
Wouldn't a live performance of this piece - in the Cathedral - be a GREAT soundtrack for the lighting of the torch!
Absolument magnifique!
Monique MALAURIE Oui!!
absolutely MAGNIFICENT!
That organ !!
Im so happy, so much joy, such beauty, such colour ..............thank you!
I have sung in this place and it is awesome....no other way to describe it !
What did you sing?
In a word, glorious.
magnifique interprétation de Saint Saens sous la conduction de Jean Claude Casadesus
What a glorious work! the entire symphony is a compelling experience- and this performance was indeed magnificent. I thought that the pacing was perfect. Sometimes the work is taken too fast, but not here! And to hear it in such a location with the long decay of sound- a very moving experience! thank you for posting!
This is good. This piece is usually played in concert halls with very short and dry reverberation and often quite weak and colourless organs. Sometimes it's even a horrible mix done in a studio with orchestra and organ in different locations. But here we have the real thing! Full cathedral acoustics and one of the most powerful organs in the world, with a sound that is as French as it can be.
Richtig!!👍👍👍👍👍
Jedoch hat die Technik den Orgelton *etwas zu weit* gedrosselt; zu Beginn des letzten Teils wird es deutlich! Das sollte *nicht* Aufgabe des Toningenieurs sein, sondern die Registrierung der Orgel muss dem übrigen Klang so angepasst werden, dass alles harmoniert. Das heißt auch, eventuell auf das volle Plenum zu verzichten, wenn die Orgel zu laut ist. Dies müssen *Dirigent und Organist* abstimmen, nicht erst die Klangnachbearbeitung im Studio, die hier mAn. nicht recht gelungen ist!
(siehe auch Kommentar @simonsteam)
Just listening to this again after not listening to it for a while. When that organ blasts, I get chills down my spine. Handel's Halleluiah Chorus is the only other piece of music that gives me the chills.
Il est incroyable.
Émouvant quand on pense à l'état de Notre-Dame actuellement. L'orgue est sauvé. J'espère que l'acoustique qui résultera des matériaux et savoir-faire traditionnels que l'on possède en France sera de nature à nous offrir de sublimes concerts à la hauteur de cette Grande Dame.
Leider kommt wohl nur eine
"Verschlimm-besserung"....!
*Mögen Sie dennoch recht behalten!*
régal+++ ; j'adore le plan sur le piano à 4 mains, et le coup d'oeil de la pianiste vers le chef Casadesus pour faire sonner pile le retour des grandes orgues ; et en tout premier lieu, la pêche du chef qui donne à cette interprétation une dynamique incroyable.
niiiiiiice. very nice 😁😁😁😁😁👍👍👍👍
This makes me cry. In the best way.
The moment I saw "Babe" in cinema, I was staring at the end titles waiting for the music section.... And low and behold I found out it was a Saint Saens piece. And I could go out and buy the LP (CD's were too expensive as a student). Wonderfull piece. Excellent performance here. Sounds exactly like the LP.... funny that. Love it, including the four-handed piano player XD.
Magnificent performance of this grand masterpiece- great pacing and sense of continuity, but rubato and shaping of all of the great melodic lines. What a stupendous experience- exhilarating! thank you!
Gives me goose bumps!
Vraiment très beau
Magnificoo
Fantastique!!! Grand Philipe!!! Et Saint-saens!!!
Uma pequena audição de como deve ser a eternidade para quem fez o bem ao próximo. Divine sounds! Magnifique!
Magnificent!
The Stradivarius of organs.
chuckles .
Une très belle interprétation dans un lieu magique
This is magnificent! This American hinterlander cried when the Notre dame burned. The bond between the United States and France is absolute. Neither country would exist without each other.
Me too, the sight was stunning and so sad.
Amazing music!❤️❤️❤️
La France, le 19ème siècle, Saint-Saens dans toute leurs splendeurs !
j'ai vomi...
There are many excellent recordings out there, yet there is a certain "punch" the Cavaille-Coll adds the others don't.
It is the 'growl' of Cavcaille Coll
5his recording is grim!
I don’t know the two ladies playing the piano, but I hope someone does. Please tell them how happy they made a senior citizen in Texas with their playing what to me was a perfect performance of the most crucial portion of this work. Sheer joy and orchestral wonderment.
I wish I could have been there for that concert!
Sublime!!!
Awesome!
Merveilleux, avec Jean-Claude Casadesus et Philippe Lefèvre ainsi que le piano à quatre mains ! J'aime aussi le mouvement assez rapide ...
Yes indeed fabulous
My local orchestra (Dallas Symphony Orchestra) performed this when I was 17-years-old (in 2009) and I'll never forget it. I went the week of my birthday. The organ blasted me back against my seat as I was overwhelmed with involuntary tears of joy and triumph. The notes soared as the orchestra seemingly bathed the entire symphony hall with light, swept space clean, and left nothing but the joy of an unobstructed effort.
Vraiment magnifique en plus avec tous les jeu de l'orgue
Bravo
(Florence) ai assisté à ce concert, avec les mêmes interprètres, la même année 1997, dans l'Auditorium du nouveau siècle, à LILLE, lieu de la création de l'ONL
par son chef dynamique JCC., qui publie aujourd'hui des mémoires captivantes.
Eh bien,je garde encore des frissons de ce concert spectaculaire. UN GRAND MERCI à tous les musiciens grands, moyens, débutants, à tous sauf aux moins bons ! et aux compositeurs bien sûr ! Florence T-M
00:35. What beauty of video capture!
c'est exceptionnel cette vidéo. Certes 20 ans nous séparent de ce concert, c'est là qu'on se rend compte que les prises de sons ont fait des progrès considérables pour se rappeler ce genre de concert. Mis a part le son, un grand concert dans un grand monument. Merci...
Saint-Saens and his organ performance is fantastic performed by the Lille National Orchestra!
Bravissimo! Wow! What a performance. It is a shame the organ fell really silent at parts but whatever. This was excellent as a whole. Well done!
I love the opening so so much!!! :)
Very Nice , Thanks for sending me this.
I was in 2001 in the Notre Dame in Paris
en heard de fenominal accoustic.
I play in a large church (the organ is in the loft at the rear of the church) , and I can attest that once MASS starts, the organist and choir may as well be on the dark side of the moon. We solved part of the problem by having a small speaker in the loft so we can hear what is being said on the altar.
Have to say I was there for this concert.and the organ did sound incredible.much better than this recording.and at the final cord it blew us away with its power/was well above the orchestra and we were sat at least halfway down the nave!
il y a aussi une version filmé avec Pierre Cochereau et Daniel Barenboim tournée au début des années 80,me semble t-il! si quelqu'un avait ça dans ses archives!... ;-) :-)
This is an AMAZING arrangement however the prize for me goes to the film and sound engineers for capturing the excitement of the performance.
Grandiose !
J'aurais aimé y assister !
superbe
@goodchappy it isn't that they aren't in tune... it is because of the acoustics of the hall and microphone placement.... in such a big space the sound is going to sag....which makes it go flat... the microphones were next to the orchestra which is why the pitches for the orchestra sounds higher... there is a big delay in how the sound travels from way up top where the organ is situated and way down low where the orchestra was situated. if you were there, you'd have never heard the difference.
Glorious! You can hear when the chamades come in over full organ! I pray that this organ returns to its full glory when the cathedral is restored!
Did this performance ever get professionally recorded? It is outstanding!
I see. Thanks for the info. I am a novice at these things. I thought this was a stellar performance all around. :D
FOR THE EMPEROR!
It's so sad that every time I hear this I think of Babe...but altogether this is a great performance from everyone--the awesome organ and piano work are real standouts.
Magnificent ! I have a dear friend who studied with Maurice Durufle' on this organ in the 1970's.
Good for Casadesus and Lefèvre for apparently not deploying the organ's chamades prematurely, prior to the descending scale and final chord.
Grace a que l'orchestre est ici situé au-dessous de l'orgue - et aussi donné l'acoustique de la cathédrale! - sans le casque sur les oreilles il sera presque impossible pour synchroniser l'orgue avec les autres optimalement. Même si l'organiste peut voir le chef d'orchestre sur un ou plusieurs écrans du télévision a circuite fermée (sans cela on aurait encore plus des difficultés), la casque est indispensable pour proprement ecouter l'ensemble et donc avoir une idée de la balance.
And it IS stellar on the part of all the musicians including the organist and the conductor! There's nothing to regret or look down upon. Personally, I wish yours truly could have been there in the audience...
I only wish that the recording engineers had brought sound equipment that would match the video capabilities they lavished on this event and so have done proper justice to it audio-wise. [My suspicion leans towards them being the villains - I doubt the organist was holding back.]
Che meraviglia :'(
The Saint Saens needs an organ like the large CAvaille Colls to have the required oomph !!!
8:02 Organ Pedel part
I've been in Notre Dame, but that's the first time I've heard the organ. It is a marvelous instrument, but I wonder how the Mormon Tabernacle organ would sound.
Fred Snook Not this good!
I love performing this piece!
Hello, does anyone know where the FULL concert at Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris, on 11th April 1997, is available to watch? Besides the 3rd symphony by Saint-Saëns, the Organ Concerto in G minor by Francis Poulenc was performed. I was at that concert which I remember quite well, very impressive. To my knowledge only the Poulenc piece was released in CD (Naxos 8.554241) afterwards, so we miss two parts if the live recording here (full symphony by Saint-Saëns, & Poulenc). Thank you!
Excelente,.-
E deixaram queimar essa igreja sublime...
Absolutely beautiful, even if the recording level is too low (pity)!!! Nevertheless, I'm surprised at how the orchestral (and also organ) sound is otherwise clear - were they close-miking them all? [I'd have expected considerably more difficulty otherwise in hearing as much detail and crispness given what one would expect in an exceedingly reverberant building like what Notre-Dame de Paris is supposed to be - one would have expected a far muddier result. Thank goodness it isn't!! WONDERFUL!!
One observation I'd make is that the keys on the manual being played (the Positif?) are not all sitting level (e.g. the E5) . This is an organ-maintenance issue and a surprising oversight for a prestigious building such as Notre Dame and can cause problems in 'runs'.
my!
The bottom keyboard is the Grand-Orgue (Great manual)
GLORY TO THE ALLFATHER!
I was at this concert with my wife. If anyone can point to a source for the entire performance recording, we would both deeply appreciate it!
congratulations
Music and art are EXTREMELY subjective. I am not dissing this performance, but my own personal favorite rendering of this symphony is that of Charles Munch and the Boston Symphony because that is the recording that introduced me to this masterpiece. I will say, however, that I think that the audio is atrocious. I thought that being recorded in Notre Dame, the audio would be incredible, but to me it just isn't. The organ doesn't sound terrible, but I have heard better. It is a nice version, but it won't make me forget Munch's version.
My guess would be to synchronize with the orchestra considering the distance which may exist between the organ console and the players. His headphone feed is probably from microphones located very near the orchestra.
I don't know about the 'French culture' tag: I've a recording of Cochereau with the Berlin Phil (a phone-line job), and again, the organ sounds very muted (and that's with the Boisseau trumpets pre-restoration...).
This recording is a real disappointment for me... The sound of the organ should be at least twice as loud with the Cochereau chamades...
The sound engineer did a very bad job with the sounds balance....