Poulenc: Organ Concerto / Symphony No. 3 – London Philharmonic Orchestra

   in Choir & Organ (Jan, 2015)
This first recording of the newly renovated RFH organ features the two most popular classics of organ-orchestral repertoire: the Poulenc Concerto and the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony. For the Poulenc, James O’Donnell finds plenty of warmth and colour in the instrument which, combined with some rich string playing, benefits from the improved acoustics of the hall. This is, however, a live recording and the closeness of the microphones does reveal a few ensemble issues. The LPO excels in the Saint-Saens: plenty of verve and passion in equal measure and the performance is rightly rewarded by a rapturous response from the audience at the end. …