Saint Saens: Sinfonie 3 ”Orgelsinfonie”/ Poulenc: Orgelkonzert (CD, Br-Klassik)

Two large symphonic organ concerts can be heard on the new CD from BR KLASSIK: the famous organ symphony by Camille Saint-Saëns and the lesser-known but highly impressive concerto for organ, string orchestra and timpani by Francis Poulenc. The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra will play under the direction of Mariss Jansons; The excellent Latvian musician Iveta Apkalna, one of the most renowned concert organists of our time, could be won as a soloist. In his Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78, the so-called Organ Symphony of 1886, Camille Saint-Saëns succeeded in integrating the organ into the musical structure of a symphonic work. He himself wrote about the last of his five symphonies: Here I have given everything I could give. I will never write anything like this work again. Francis Poulenc’s Concerto for Organ, String Orchestra and Timpani in G minor was written in 1938. It pays homage to Johann Sebastian Bach at a time when it was hardly customary to compose a solo concert for organ. In contrast to the organ compositions of the Baroque master Of course, Poulenc prescribed a large organ with which impressive sound effects can be achieved. The Latvian concert organist Iveta Apkalna, who was the first organist to be awarded an ECHO Klassik Prize in 2005, made her debut in 2007 with the Berlin Philharmonic under Claudio Abbado and has since performed all over the world. As titular organist of the new Klais organ in the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, she opened the new concert hall in 2017 with world premieres of works by Wolfgang Rihm together with Thomas Hengelbrock and the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester. In 2018 she was awarded the highest music awards in Latvia in the categories of Musician of the Year and Concert of the Year; As part of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Latvia, it was awarded the highest state medal of merit in the country in the same year.