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Review by Monteverdi October 13, 2004 (10 of 12 found this review helpful)
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Performance:  Sonics: |
It is a thrill to have the Saint-Saens performance on SACD in its original three-channel, unsurpassed performance glory. It is, for someone who has lived with this recording from the first vinyl release, a thrill beyond words to have it now in Super Audio. I recently heard this piece for during the dedication performances of the new organ at Walt Disney Concert Hall with the Los Angeles Philharmonic lead by Esa-Pekka Salonen. Certainly, no recording can duplicate the experience or aural splendor of hearing this symphony live. And as wonderful as it was, Charles Munch in this 1959 recording is still able to bring more glory, sensuality and abandon to this music. The SACD betters the JVC remastering of a few years back, with more brilliance and air. This is truly a landmark performance. Also, hearing it live revealed that the organ can and does, save the brass, completely obliterate the orchestra during the final page of the work. Richard Mohr and Lewis Layton were able to balance the organ by moving the orchestra out from the stage and onto a platform over the seats. As you can hear, it was a brilliant solution.
Dating from December 9 & 10, 1956, La Mer and Escales are less sonically brilliant, but no less satisfying as performances, full of enthusiasm and commitment.
The sonic issues others seemed to have experienced were not in evidence on my copy.
©AE 2004
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