One of my favorite pieces of music is Symphony No. 3 in C minor by Camille Saint-Saëns. Written in 1886, this piece is arguably his crowning achievement and represents the culmination of his (and the Romantic) style of the symphony. The piece features the organ in two of its four movements, and it is commonly referred to as the “organ symphony” because of this. Having been commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society of England, the symphony was a deviation from the types of compositions Saint-Saëns was known to work on. 

The original score of the piece was composed in B minor, modulating several times before he settled on the key of C minor. In its final iteration, it is suggested that the transition from the beginning key of C minor to C major at the end of the piece represents the transition from adversity to triumph. The opening theme of the piece consists of the five pitches found in the “Dies irae,” which could suggest an intent of renewal or preservation. However, scholars have not been convinced of this argument as Saint-Saëns never mentioned this detail. In his program notes for the London premier, he chose to highlight the symphony’s cyclical features, usage of organ, and expanded woodwind and brass sections. During the concert, he was featured playing Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto and later conducted his symphony. 

Saint-Saëns’s decision to include the organ and piano were novel for the Romantic period, yet his playing both instruments and the existence of an organ in the premier concert hall could have led to these decisions. While the piece is nowadays performed and recorded with the traditional four movements, Saint-Saëns originally composed it having only two movements with an introduction followed by the Adagio and later the Scherzo leading into the Finale. The symphony featured themes derived from plainsong which each appear in more than one movement. Additionally, Saint-Saëns employed Liszt’s “thematic transformation” which evolves each subject melody throughout the piece. 

The finale, my favorite from the four-movement structure, opens with a full C major chord on the organ. This is followed by piano and strings playing the C major version of the original theme. Characterized by its return to the original motif, this movement employs major scale variations, the fugue, brass fanfares, and a pastoral interlude to bring this masterpiece to a close. Often performed by major orchestras including the Philadelphia orchestra, this piece cannot be missed and is essential for every organist to hear at least once.