Saint-Saëns, The Organ Symphony

The most ambitious of Saint-Saëns's symphonies is one of Gergely Madaras' favourite scores. Dedicated to Franz Liszt, the work was commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society and premiered in London in 1886. It was also included in the programme for the inauguration of the Schyven organ in what is now the Philharmonic Hall, and it hasn't aged a day! Despite its name, the Symphonie espagnole is a violin concerto in five parts, based on Spanish themes, the country from which Lalo's family originated. It was to launch a fashion for music with a Spanish flavour, Bizet's Carmen being one of the best known. Pablo de Sarasate premiered the work in 1875, and it is another Spaniard, Alberto Menchen, concertmaster of the OPRL, who is the star in this performance.