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Camille Saint-Saëns

Following the success of his phenomenal Symphony No. 3, the Organ Symphony, in 1887, Saint-Saëns waited another twenty-two years before again attempting to combine organ and orchestra in a symphonic work. And even then it is possible this required the end of the great World War to provide the necessary impetus. This would not figure. A hugely successful virtuoso church organist who was also taken with the power and capabilities of the orchestra, Saint-Saëns as composer would seem to be THE one to issue great organ and orchestra combined works in the peculiarly French manner of semi-religious pomposity so in favor at the time. The result of all this gestation is modest in any event. At barely fifteen minutes, the work opens with a meandering organ solo which takes up the entire first of the two movements. Although Saint-Saëns was not taken with Impressionism, the organ seems to meander among shapeless musings as a French zephyr might meander among the cypress trees of the title. The scoring becomes so sparse at several points only one or two pedal tones are heard and it is thus the first movement ends. The second begins with more traditional French pomp and lengthy fanfares and the organ finally erupts into a grand, hymn-like paean to liberté and rich food. Even here, however, structure and inspiration wither and passages of noodling on the organ finally lead to the regal theme upon which the work builds and finally, in a blaze of more trumpet calls, concludes. It is supposed M. Saint-Saëns took himself and his music seriously at all times and would probably take umbrage at this description of the piece. Listeners might in turn take umbrage at its lack of substance, structure, and purpose.