Saint-Saëns: Le Déluge

 

I truly admire conductors and ensembles who bring rarely performed works to the public, nonetheless record them as well. Any criticism of these performers is greatly tempered by the fact no one performs this music much, if at all.

While French composer Camille Saint-Saëns has plenty of smaller choral pieces to his name, large choral/orchestral works do not feature strongly in his output. What we do have from the composer is a beautiful Christmas Oratorio and an equally lovely Requiem setting, both of which are well worth searching out.

In Le Déluge, we essentially have a short (45 minutes) oratorio following the story of Noah and The Flood. It is set in three sections, the first describing God's wrath at the spiritual fall of humanity, the second describing the titular Deluge for orchestra and choir, and finally a benediction for the future of humanity. The outer portions are set primarily for solo voices, with a large chunk of the third section given over to soprano soloist, nearly set as an orchestrated song.

Most interesting is how Saint-Saëns uses the orchestra across the work. The first part begins with strings only, and since it is set as a fugue, the ensemble sounds mightily Baroque, particularly for the famous Prelude. Eventually, the composer heavily divides the strings and the music becomes a bit more Romantic, yet he travels back and forth between these feelings of the musical past. I should mention that Saint-Saëns subtly adds occasional string-played drip-drops to the music, foreshadowing the storm to come.

To add to the Baroque feel in the first section, a significant tenor solo, and later shorter solo alto and bass contributions, sing in recitative form, never letting the music reach a Romantic perspective regarding the ethical demise of humanity. In the middle section where Saint-Saëns musically depicts The Flood, he finally adds winds, brass, and percussion, bringing the listener into a more descriptive tone poem, with chorus added.

A large portion of the third section is given over to soprano solo, making me wonder while listening if she was going to end the piece on a rather sweet note. Eventually, the solo quartet and chorus return to send off the work in a Biblical musical peroration.

I don't think Le Déluge rises to the levels of satisfaction as much as the previously mentioned Requiem and Christmas Cantata. It should be telling that the only portion of this work which is regularly performed is the previously mentioned Prelude, and this opening is far from the only polyphonic, contrapuntal setting in the work. This last aspect, along with endless opening recitatives, sets the work as rather musically conservative, although Saint-Saëns is always masterful regardless.

As to this performance, the tenor and soprano rise to the occasion, both fulfilling their larger roles immaculately. The bass and alto have less to do, showcasing their best work when filling out the solo quartet. The German orchestra is a regional ensemble. Every once in a while, they struggle with ensemble work, but in general they do a nice job here. The chorus satisfies less (one established by the late Helmuth Rilling); they sound older and far from a professional symphonic chorus status. You can really hear their abilities being tasked in the more intimate, chorally-focused moments, whereas when the orchestra is playing full bore, the sonics don't bring the massed singers forward enough to have proper impact, such as when The Flood is in full swing. The soloists have no such problems.

I actually quite like the SACD sound from this German label, which features a wide, deep soundstage. The only other recording of Le Déluge I know of comes from a live performance led by Leon Botstein with the American Symphony Orchestra. Since this isn't a time consuming work, I will probably follow up with a review of that recording as well.

Since Le Déluge is only 45 minutes, this same orchestra follows up the big work with two familiar crowd pleasers. I hardly think this orchestra will be the defining performance of Samson and Delilah's Bacchanal, but they traverse it with plenty of energy. I had not heard the orchestral version of Orient and Occident, yet having recently covered a wind ensemble version, I think it makes more of an impact with brass and winds, especially considering all of the musical exoticisms Saint-Saëns throws into the piece.

So what to make of this recording? If you are interested in the obscure literature of Saint-Saëns, you will want to hear this work. That said, this is not the end all, be all of performances, although there are precious little options of the full work available to actually hear. Search for Botstein on this blog and see how that recording worked out for this listener.

 

 

 

Works
Le Déluge, op. 45 (47.49)
Orient et Occident, op. 25 (7.54)
Samson and Delilah, op. 47: Bacchanal (7:03)

Soloists
Isabelle Müller-Cant, soprano
Carolin Strecker, alto
Daniel Schreiber, tenor
Philip Niederberger, bass

Ensembles
Figural Choir of the Gedächtniskirche Stuttgart
Württemberg Philharmonic Orchestra Reutlingen
Ola Rudner, conductor (op. 25 & 47)
Alexander Burda, conductor

Label: Ars Produktion
Year: 2013
Total Timing: 62.43

 

 

 

With these regional performances, no one will be extolling their musical virtues compared to their professional compatriots. Yet, no one else is recording this music either.

I also don't think the Biblical oratorio Le Déluge is a new masterpiece, even if I prize its brevity and unique structure. For those who love the composer's music, though, there will be plenty to enjoy.

Find more Saint-Saëns recordings HERE!