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- Liszt and Berlioz developed the compositional technique of thematic transformation, in which a theme or motif recurs throughout a large-scale work, evolving and changing in various ways. Saint-Saëns’ Third Symphony develops in this way. In the opening bars, we can hear the motif taking shape through a series of disjointed fragments.
thelistenersclub.com/2021/02/17/saint-saens-third-symphony-with-organ-scaling-the-summit/Saint-Saëns’ Third Symphony, “With Organ”: Scaling the Summit
The Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78, was completed by Camille Saint-Saëns in 1886 at the peak of his artistic career. [1] It is popularly known as the Organ Symphony, since, unusually for a late-Romantic symphony, two of the four movements use the pipe organ.
- Liszt’s Influence on Saint-Saëns
- The Rise and Fall of Saint-Saëns’ Influence
- The Structure of The Organ Symphony
- The Symphony’s Reputation, and Saint-Saëns’
Joseph Haydn defined the symphony. Beethoven transformed it. German culture owned it during the years it dominated classical music. The late nineteenth century saw many composers of other nationalities striving to break loose from German domination. Most of them took inspiration from Franz Liszt. Liszt had begun his career as a popular piano virtuo...
In 1871, Saint-Saëns complained that the name of a living French composer on a concert of instrumental music scared the audience away. So he co-founded the Société Nationale de Musique to combat this prejudice. It presented premieres of new French music and succeeded beyond expectation. Soon enough, other concert societies began to program some of ...
Saint-Saëns described the Organ Symphony as having two parts rather than the standard four movements of a conventional symphony. A plaintive introduction leads to a spirited allegro that starts as a sonata form. Its quiet but restless theme resembles the plainchant Dies irae,which both Berlioz and Liszt used so prominently. Rhythmically, each pair ...
The Organ Symphony found great success in England and the US, but it made little impression in France at first. Later, the “big tune” in the finale became a cliché, heard in the movie Babe, in a pop song of the late 1970s, and elsewhere. We mustn’t let its familiarity obscure the audacious compositional innovations that produced it. “I gave everyth...
Feb 17, 2021 · Saint-Saëns’ Third Symphony develops in this way. In the opening bars, we can hear the motif taking shape through a series of disjointed fragments. Then, with the arrival of the Allegro moderato, it emerges fully formed ( 1:18 ).
Aug 26, 2021 · A slow-developing movement, throughout the c.10 minutes of this movement, Saint-Saëns moves the theme around to different sections of the orchestra, whilst still keeping the music interesting and developing. Saint-Saëns uses shards of plainsong throughout the symphony to unify themes, and this movement is perhaps the clearest example of this.
Saint-Saens' Symphony # 3 ("Organ"), is the composer's most famous instrumental work. In this article, we discuss the composer's outlook the symphony's structure, some of its most impressive recordings, and then some sources of information, both for this article and for further reading.
May 1, 2023 · Recorded in front of a live audience and geared for both classical fans and novices, this interactive concert explores the Finale of French composer Camille Saint-Saëns' epic masterwork,...
Nov 9, 2021 · The kind of sound Saint-Saëns had in mind is one of several contested notions of authenticity surrounding the Third Symphony. Another is the dedication to Franz Liszt, who died shortly before its publication. The symphony's argument proceeds through the technique of developing variation, pioneered by Liszt in his piano music.
