Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78: Organ Symphony Cover Image

Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78: Organ Symphony: Conductor Score & Parts

$360.00 USD
$360.00 USD
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Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78: Organ Symphony Cover Image
Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78: Organ Symphony: Conductor Score & Parts

Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78: Organ Symphony: Conductor Score & Parts

By Camille Saint-Saëns / arr. Nancy M. Bradburd

Item: 36-A196902
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Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78: Organ Symphony: Conductor Score

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Description
The Symphony No. 3 in C minor, popularly known as the "Organ Symphony", was completed in 1886 at what could be considered the artistic peak of Saint-Saëns’ (1835-1921) career. The composer said of the work, "I gave everything to it I ws able to give. What I have here accomplisehd, I will never achieve again." Seeming to recognize that it would be his last attempt at the symphonic form, the composer filled the work with virtuoso piano passages, brilliant Romantic-era orchestral writing, and the sound of a cathedral-sized pipe organ. The composer did note in his own analysis of the symphony that, while it was cast in two movements, "the traditional four-movement structure is maintained." One of the symphony’s outstanding and original features is its use of keyboard instruments, with piano, scored for both two and four hands at various places, and the pipe organ. The work uses its thematic material, derived from fragments of plainsong, as a unifying device as each melody appears in more than one movement. Saint-Saëns also employed a method of thematic variation borrowed from his friend Franz Liszt, to whose memory he dedicated the work. Instrumentation: 3(3dPicc).2+EH.2+BCl.2+CBsn: 4.3.3.1: Timp.Perc(2): Org.Pno(4hnd): Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set).

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Additional Details
Series: Nieweg Performance Editions - Kalmus
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
UPC: 679360628720
SKU: 36-A196902
Instrumentation: 3(3dPicc).2+EH.2+BCl.2+CBsn: 4.3.3.1: Timp.Perc(2): Org.Pno(4hnd): Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set)

More about this title

About the Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) was a French composer, organist, and pianist whose technical mastery and prolific output shaped Romantic-era music across nearly every genre. A child prodigy who studied organ and composition in Paris, he became one of Europe's most performed composers during his lifetime, known for his crystalline orchestration, virtuosic keyboard writing, and ability to blend traditional forms with innovative harmonic language.

Saint-Saëns was deeply invested in the organ as an orchestral instrument and wrote extensively for the keyboard. His symphonies, concertos, and operas remain central to the concert and teaching repertoire. He was also a tireless advocate for French musical culture and served as organist at the Madeleine in Paris for twenty years, a position that profoundly influenced his compositional voice.

Why we love this

This is Saint-Saëns at full creative confidence: a work that announces itself as his artistic statement and delivers exactly that. The integration of organ and piano into the orchestral fabric feels neither decorative nor apologetic; it's the entire compositional argument. The two-movement structure contains genuine symphonic scope and architectural clarity, making it accessible to orchestras and audiences while remaining musically substantial.

What to expect

Majestic and introspective by turns, with moments of genuine grandeur particularly when the full orchestra and organ sound together. The work breathes a cathedral-like reverence that derives from its plainsong origins, yet the piano's virtuosic passages inject rhythmic energy and an almost declarative confidence. It feels like a master composer settling accounts with the symphonic form itself.

Who it's for

Advanced community orchestras, professional ensembles, and conservatory orchestras seeking a substantial, musically rewarding work that showcases both classical structure and Romantic ambition. This is repertoire for groups with secure intonation, disciplined ensemble playing, and access to an organist and pianist capable of executing both soloistic passages and ensemble roles.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the organ and piano parts carefully during rehearsals; these instruments anchor harmonic and thematic material but must emerge from rather than dominate the orchestral texture.
  • Attend closely to the plainsong-derived themes and their transformations across movements; marking them in parts helps musicians recognize the work's architectural coherence.
  • The virtuosic piano passages (including four-hand writing) demand secure ensemble coordination with the strings; consider isolated rehearsals of these sections before full orchestra runs.
  • The orchestration shifts between dense Romantic scoring and more transparent textures; clarify these contrasts through dynamic shaping and articulation work with woodwinds and brass.

How to use it

This work commands a concert of its own or serves as the centerpiece of a Saint-Saëns-focused program pairing it with his concertos or other chamber orchestra writing. Its scale and orchestration also make it effective as a season-opening or closing work, signaling artistic ambition to both musicians and audiences.

Skills your students will build

  • Balancing keyboard instruments (organ and piano) within orchestral textures
  • Recognizing and executing thematic variation using Lisztian transformation techniques
  • Maintaining ensemble cohesion across contrasting dynamic and textural zones
  • Realizing the independence of four-hand piano writing while sustaining orchestral coordination
  • Understanding the relationship between two-movement and four-movement symphonic structures

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