Saint-Saëns: Cyprès et Litanie

2010

“Orchestral music lovers, organ buffs and hi-fi enthusiasts will be well satisfied with the epic sonic splendour of this CD from the combined forces of the BBC Philharmonic and the fivemanual, 146-stop Willis organ of Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. Dubois, Gigout and Guilmant may be better known to organists than anyone else but they're capable of composing music which can easily withstand comparison with the works by the more famous Dupré, Gounod and Saint-Saëns.
With all the composers the emphasis is on strong, heroic melodies, adventurous harmonies and key changes, and the fullest exploitation of the ever-increasing resources of the post-Berlioz symphony orchestra and the French Cavaillé-Coll organ. Dubois's, Gigout's and Gounod's pieces are undemanding essays in triumphal march-like compositions; more thoughtful and interesting music with some magical orchestral effects is to be found in the works by Dupré, Guilmant and Saint-Saëns.
Ian Tracey finds suitably Gallic colours from the Willis organ and he, Rumon Gamba and the BBC Phil achieve impeccable ensemble and balance in their fine performances. It's a pity, though, that this CD wasn't recorded in a different venue as in the cathedral there's an uncomfortable contrast between the immediate sound of the orchestra at floor level and the more distant sound of the organ pipes higher up and spread around the building. Despite these obstacles, full marks to Chandos for its excellent engineering.”

June 2007

“Ian Tracey finds suitably Gallic colours from the Willis organ and he, Rumon Gamba and the BBC Phil achieve impeccable ensemble and balance in their fine performances.”