Not many works have been composed after Handel in which organ and orchestra are really well matched. Exceptions are Berlioz's Te Deum, Saint-Saëns' Third Symphony and Poulenc's magnificent Concerto for Organ, Strings and Timpani. It is precisely the influences of the music hall that give this latter concert a poignant kind of expression. In that respect, this (otherwise excellent) performance is
… sometimes just a bit too serious; with a somewhat more flowing approach, the layering between the mundane versus the religious Poulenc is even better. Very original are the arrangements of the Concerto for two pianos and the Concert Champêtre in which the organ takes over the orchestral accompaniment. Thanks to the accurate approach of organist Albrecht and the piano duo Tal & Groethuysen, the growling organ does not hinder the slapstick at all.more
