Saint-Saëns: Symphonie No. 3 avec orgue, Cyprès et lauriers & La foi

Our Saint-Saëns focus highlights a very rare work this week, which has only been put on record once under the baton of Michel Plasson. This is the symphonic sketches from La foi, a late work of incidental music on a mystical play by Eugène Brieux, which contains admirable pages of music. It is coupled with two pieces for organ and orchestra: of course the famous third symphony, and the rare Cyprès et lauriers, which was written to celebrate the allied victory after the World War.