When you are looking for a ‘complete works’
of anything you want a consistent, high quality guide through works
which may or may not be favourites, may have discoveries or works which
belong in a lower category of artistic function, but which all provide
a reliable sense of optimum satisfaction. Michael Cookson admired this
collection greatly (see
review),
and I concur very much with his conclusions.
If we’re talking reliable guides, then the MDG label has a rich
resource in Ben van Oosten, who has worked his way through most of
the romantic organ repertoire from Dupré to Widor and Guilmant
to Vierne, all of which are very well performed and recorded. This
Saint-Saëns set is made that bit more special through being performed
on an instrument that he would have known very well, having been organist
at the Église de la Madeleine, and part of a succession which
includes Lefébure-Wély and Fauré. The sound is
rich and atmospheric, with plenty of juicy bass, gorgeous contrasts
of colour and texture and enough detail to communicate the music without
sounding overly close and artificial.
Pick almost any piece from this set and you will be rewarded with
Saint-Saëns’s remarkable facility as a composer met by
a highly sympathetic interpreter. Pretty much at random, the
Fantaisie
Op. 101 is a lovely example of lyrically flowing, almost pastoral
lines and intriguing contrasts, plus that ever-evolving harmonic world
which always keeps you on your toes. The following
Op. 157
is another fascinating musical essay, a late piece which inspires
through its supreme development of simple ideas. The works are described
chronologically in the very fully documented booklet, while the pieces
as performed are chosen as nicely structured recitals per disc. This
has you leafing through the booklet on occasion, but a quick glance
at the opus numbers soon removes any problems.
CD 2 has the two sets of
Préludes et Fugues which are
deliciously contrasting pieces, Saint-Saëns relishing the ‘pure’
musical challenge of meeting J.S. Bach’s model in his own idiom.
Each of the six pairs is dedicated to a fellow organist. Have a listen
to the
Prélude et Fugue Op. 99 nr. 3; which was one
of the composer’s own favourites. The blistering
Prélude
has something of Widor’s famous
Toccata, and the fugue
which follows equals this in exuberance. If the remarkable opening
of the
Op. 109 set doesn’t have you scurrying for the
checkout counter with this box clutched in your hand then I’m
afraid you’re a trickier customer than we bargained for. If
nothing else, the context is stunning, making this disc and the entire
set an all-round winner.
CD 3 has the at times amazing late
Sept Improvisations, which
seem to reflect the subdued spell which must have held Europe as war
raged in 1916. Even the more lively pieces have a sense of translucent
restraint, and only the final march has a feeling of defiance and
hope drawn from the spirit of the past.
Cyprès Op. 156
has a moody atmosphere, with intriguing harmonic stresses and wide
dynamic contrasts which make it seem more monumental than its under
eight minute span would seem to imply. The final piece,
Élévation
ou Communion is a nice one on which to end, with its reflective
and gently meditative quality easing us calmly back into real life.
There are few enough Saint-Saëns organ recordings around and
precious few complete sets, perhaps the best known being a well-regarded
one on the Arte Nova label played by Stefan Johannes Bleicher (see
review),
which is now available in a reissued 4 CD box set. I’ve had
a listen to a few tracks on this online, and while this isn’t
really a fair comparison the Arte Nova sound is certainly rounder
and less Francophile than the MDG version. I could no doubt live happily
with Bleicher’s performances, but don’t prefer them to
van Oosten’s. This is impressive and delightful in its own right,
and as a complete set from one of the great names of French music
this is going to be hard to beat.
Dominy Clements
see also review by Michael
Cookson
Track-Listing
CD 1
Marche réligieuse, Op. 107 (1897) [5:14]
Trois Rhapsodies sur des Cantiques bretons, Op. 7 (1866)
No. 1 in E major [5:35]
No. 2 in major [6:36]
No. 3 in A minor [8:20]
Fantaisie in E flat major, without opus number (1857) [5:50]
Fantaisie in D flat major, Op. 101 (1895) [12:04]
Fantaisie in C major, Op. 157 (1919) [12:54]
CD 2
Trois Préludes et Fugues, Op. 99 (1894)
No. 1 in E major [9:51]
No. 2 in B major [8:03]
No. 3 in E flat major [7:16]
Trois Préludes et Fugues, Op. 109 (1898)
No. 1 in D minor [9:37]
No. 2 in G major [5:39]
No. 3 in C major [8:57]
Bénédiction nuptiale in F major, Op. 9 (1859) [6:24]
CD 3
Sept Improvisations, Op. 150 (1916/17) [38:58]
Cyprès No. 1 from set of Cyprès et Lauriers, Op. 156
(1919) [7:48]
Élévation ou Communion in E major, Op. 13 (c. 1856)
[5:39]
