Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 3
Romain Descharmes (piano)
Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Marc Soustrot
Descharmes has good fingers, which one certainly needs for Saint-Saëns, and at time he employs them to produce that sparkling style known to the French as jeu perlé. In the three shorter pieces...
Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 3
Romain Descharmes (piano)
Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Marc Soustrot
Purchase product
Descharmes has good fingers, which one certainly needs for Saint-Saëns, and at time he employs them to produce that sparkling style known to the French as jeu perlé. In the three shorter pieces...
About
The Third Piano Concerto has been considered the ‘Cinderella’ among Camille Saint-Saëns’ five works in this genre, but it owes its comparative neglect to an adventurous approach to harmony which caused unrest in the audience at its première. Daring enough in the first movement, the search for tonality in the second was such an extreme experience that it caused unrest in the audience at its première. Saint-Saëns also composed for piano and orchestra in more rhapsodic forms, exploring folk tunes and rhythms from Africa, and revealing his playful side in the charming Wedding Cake Waltz. Volume 1 can be heard on 8.573476.
Contents and tracklist
Awards and reviews
August 2017
Descharmes has good fingers, which one certainly needs for Saint-Saëns, and at time he employs them to produce that sparkling style known to the French as jeu perlé. In the three shorter pieces that complete the disc, there is much to admire in both the playing and the writing.
July 2017
the climax of [Africa] is carried off with a nonchalant swagger that I found iresistible, the triangle adding a curious buzzing effect. The warmth and depth of the orchestal contribution and Marc Soustrot's eye for detail are significant bonuses.
