Magne H. Draagen - Saint-Saëns Organ Works (2012)

The organ works of Saint-Saëns hardly can be said to be the ordinary fare of music listeners or most organists. Despite the great recognition and popularity enjoyed by the composer in his time, as church musician he was regarded as too conservative. To be sure, his tonal language is forward-looking, but it is the heritage of Bach and a penchant for classical forms that shine through in his organ works. In the fashionable section of Paris where Saint-Saëns was organist for over 20 years, the clergy and the prosperous parishioners with their predilection for operetta and dance music were used to more informal tones coming from the organ gallery. In retrospect, the age of Saint-Saëns is remembered for the development of the symphonic organ style and a freer artistic idiom. But is perhaps the spotlight of history now revealing the significance of the organ works of a composer whom we above all associate with Carnival of the Animals, his piano concertos, and his symphony for organ and orchestra?

We traveled to Katarina Church in the Söder district of Stockholm to find an organ built after French models that was large enough and could together with the room recreate something of the spectacular atmosphere of the Parisian organ galleries. German matter-of-factness has dominated Norwegian organ tradition, while the French Romantic organ has had greater popularity in Sweden. Katarina Church, up until the devastating fire of 17 May 1990, had one of Northern Europe’s most magnificent Romantic organs, often used for recording French organ music. The new organ is built in a corresponding style and has become a splendid instrument already used on a number of recordings.