Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony

• Debussy’s famous Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun) is a symphonic poem that some consider to be a turning point in music history, as classical music entered the modern age.
• Ravel’s Mother Goose is an idyllic evocation of childhood. Inspired by the fairy tale creators of the French Baroque, the suite achieves its powerful emotional effect through the simple radiance of its poetic vision.
• Saint-Saëns’s thundering Organ Symphony is a stunning display of the visceral power of this colossal instrument. This symphony is probably best remembered in pop culture as the music to which Farmer Hoggett dances as he nurses his pig, Babe, back to health.

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Umberto Clerici conductor
Calvin Bowman organ

Repertoire:
Debussy Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune
Ravel Mother Goose Suite
Saint-Saëns Symphony No.3 Organ