Christopher Jacobson, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Kazuki Yamada Saint Saëns, Poulenc, Widor

The monumental and colourful sounds of the organ and symphony orchestra blend together perfectly on this splendid recording of Camille Saint-Saëns' “Organ” Symphony, Francis Poulenc's Concerto for Organ, Strings and Timpani and the Toccata from Charles-Marie Widor's Organ Symphony Number 5. The Geneva Victoria Hall organ is played by Christopher Jacobson, he works with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and conductor Kazuki Yamada. This new Pentatone release takes yet another step closer to audiophile nirvana, providing a natural concert-hall perspective that balances clarity and atmosphere while capturing the full power of organ and orchestra with stunning, floor-rumbling power.

The monumental and colourful sounds of the organ and symphony orchestra blend together perfectly on this splendid recording of Saint-Saëns’s “Organ” Symphony, Poulenc’s Concerto for Organ, Strings and Timpani and the Toccata from Charles-Marie Widor’s Organ Symphony No. 5. The majestic organ chords at the start of the final movement of Saint-Saëns’s symphony equal the sublime effect of Beethoven’s choral conclusion of his Ninth, and have made it an audience’s favourite straight from the moment of its 1886 premiere. Poulenc’s organ concerto shows the composer’s retrospective side, while simultaneously offering flashes of his stylistic playfulness. After Poulenc’s serene concerto, Widor’s Toccata offers a vibrant conclusion to this programme.