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Saint-Saens: Symphony No.3/Debussy: La Mer/Ibert: Escales | 
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| Creators: Claude Debussy, Jacques Ibert, Camille Saint-saens, Charles Muench, Ralph Gomberg, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Berj Zamkochian, Bernard Zighera, Leo Litwin
Label: RCA
Category: Music
List Price: $10.98
Buy New: $7.28
You Save: $3.70 (34%)
New (32) Used (17) from $3.13
Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 88354
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 61500
UPC: 090266150021
EAN: 0090266150021
ASIN: B000003FEG
Release Date: March 9, 1993
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | I. Adagio - Allegro moderato | | • | Poco Adagio | | • | II. Allegro maestoso - Presto | | • | Maestoso - Allegro | | • | De l'aube a midi sur la mer | | • | Jeux de vagues | | • | Dialogue du vent et de la mer | | • | Rome-Palermo: Calme | | • | Tunis-Nefta: Modere tres rythme | | • | Valencia: Anime |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Recorded in 1956 (Debussy, Ibert) and 1959 (Saint-Saens), these jewels from stereo's golden age, all Munch specialities, receive their finest transfers yet. Close use of the microphone suits Munch's La Mer, a seascape illuminated in primary colors rather than conventional pastels. Ibert's colorful Escales ("Ports of Call") gets an intense, bracing reading, and so does the Saint-Saens. Recorded balance in the latter's third movement, though, is distorted and fuzzy during loud tuttis when the organ and orchestra kick in simultaneously. And one might desire more contrasted dynamics and articulation in the finale's fugal build-up. But don't let tiny blemishes like these deter you from buying this lovable disc. --Jed Distler
Amazon.com
This is another of Charles Munch's blazing collaborations with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the French repertory, and a fine example of how this conductor could take a warhorse and turn it back into a serious piece of music--serious but not dull. The opening Allegro is impassioned, the Adagio is intensely poetic and expressive, and the finale generates real edge-of-the-seat excitement. The "Living Stereo" remastering has restored the lifelike presence of the original recording and minimized the effects of tape saturation in the loudest passages. The glorious tone of the orchestra comes through loud and clear, along with a thrilling sense of Symphony Hall ambience. Debussy's La Mer and Ibert's Escales... make a generous coupling and are every bit as impressively performed. --Ted Libbey
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| Customer Reviews:
 Saint-Saens conducted with powerful sensitivity August 11, 2008
N. Freidin (Huntington, WV)
The Third Symphony, with the dramatic entry of the organ in the fourth movement (Maestoso/Allegro), is Saint-Saens's most popular symphonic work. It needs brilliant sound, but also great sensibility, for example in the second movement (Poco adagio). Pacing here is the key.
It is not surprising that this symphony was one of the first (in 1959) recorded in the 'Living Stereo' series by RCA Victor.
This release manages to combine excellent sound, thanks to the innovative engineers of the day, and a thoughtful, sensitive, interpretation, under the baton of Charles Munch, conducting the superb BSO, with Berj Zamkochian at the organ.
True, some of the louder passages may sound a bit woolly to modern ears, but nothing recorded since can compare with Munch's feel for this symphony. No other conductor has managed to integrate the different moods, from reflective to boastful, so expertly.
I have other recordings of this symphony, for example, the much praised Maazel interpretion, with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (Sony). The more modern recordings are sonically superior, but they lack the powerful forward thrust intended by Saint-Saens.
The symphony is coupled with two orchestral poems, Debussy's 'La Mer' (1905) and the rarely performed 'Escales' (1924) by Ibert. Both showcase the brilliance of the BSO in the mid 1950s, then one of the finest orchestras in North America.
 Beautiful music . . . bad recording April 24, 2008
Eliu S. Cueto
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
The orchestration is beautiful but I can't get over the hiss of the analog recording. Such a shame.
Superior In Every Regard February 6, 2008
teva_man (United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This CD could easily turn a classical music phobe into a classical music
phile. I'm glad this recording is the first one of the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony I heard years ago - it is undoubtedly the most powerful, and probably one of the several best on record, if not the best. Even though it was done over 50 years ago now, the sound quality beats many recordings of today. A symphony orchestra and conductor can have good days and bad days, even in recordings - but this was one of Munch and the BSO's all-time triumphs. From the outset, the listener almost knows that this recording is going to be special somehow. Munch knew exactly what to do as far as balancing the dynamics, and thus, the 'forte' parts emerge so powerfully. The organ could have been a bit louder in the second movement - but this is more than made up for in the fourth movement. Wisely, the sound engineering allowed the organ to ring out on the last chord - but it could have been even louder. The Debussy, too, is near-perfect - most performances don't evoke the sea and all its subtleties and complexities and dynamics well enough, but I guess that's the beauty of recordings. The Ibert Escales ("Ports of Call") round out the disc nicely - they aren't performed as much, but should be.
Highly recommended.
Saen Saens No. 3 September 17, 2007
Konstantin
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Forget the other couplings, the Saint-Saens No. 3 makes this worth it. You won't be disappointed with this symphony!
Definitely NOT a waste of money, despite another reviewer's remarks August 7, 2007
Jerimy Bass (Durant, OK USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This review focuses mainly on the Saint-Saens. How did RCA, Charles Munch, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra manage to turn out what is probably the best ever recording of Saint-Saens' Organ Symphony? Simple. They treated it as a serious piece of music, and not as an old war horse. Many of the old "war horse" versions are played too slow, especially in the last movement, and sound like they're trying to show off. However, my first exposure to this work was a "serious" performance, by Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra on Sony, which is why I didn't enjoy the slow going in the "war horse" performances. Although that performance was great, I found the organ too predominant. Then, I got the Munch recording, which has a more perfect balance of organ and orchestra.
For me, this recording would rank in the top three versions of this work. I know a lot of people love the recording by Paul Paray and the Detroit SO on Mercury, and it is a classic indeed. Good as that one is, this one is better. RCA had a few advantages over Mercury when it made this recording. First, Symphony Hall. By 1959 (the year this recording was made), RCA had figured out how to properly record in this venue, and was able to take advantage of one of the finest concert halls in the world, as compared to Ford Auditorium on the Paray recording, which was never considered acoustically perfect. Second, an orchestra in its golden age, having started with Pierre Monteux, through Serge Koussevitzky, and so on. And third, richer sound, as compared to the dry sounding Mercury recordings.
And in conclusion, I'd like to make a comment to the reviewer who said this recording was "too fast" and told us not to waste our money on it: Could Charles Munch help it if he tried to take an old war horse and turn it back into a serious piece of music?
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