Gounod pedal piano

[giles.enders]

It was with some trepidation that I played the complete works for pedal piano and orchestra by Gounod.  I needn't have worried, they are superbly recorded and well played.  The orchestra is excellent, I only wish Hyperion had used that orchestra instead of a dreadful Danish band they have used in the past. The Suite Concertant has a particularly lyrical first movement and the concerto has a memorable adagio.  None of it is great music but I am pleased to have the CD and heard what a pedal piano sounds like.  At 56 minutes there would have been room for Gounod's Larghetto for violin, viola, cello and pedal piano.  The booklet contains a picture of the 'pedal piano(s)' used.  It is worth looking at, though I can't see it at 'a concert hall near you' any time soon.

Saint-Saens second piano concerto was originally composed for pedal piano.

[TerraEpon]

As usual with Hyperion, one of the tracks on the CD is free to DL. It's very nice and whets my appetite for the disc.

[JimL]

I might pick this up for the Suite.  I already have the concerto in my iTunes, thanks to this forum.  And it's also available on YT, courtesy of Mr. Prosseda himself.

[Alan Howe]

It's a feel-good CD.

[JimL]

Yes, as it seems to be rather fun music, and, so far as I know, the only concertante music Gounod composed.

[eschiss1]

Depends on what an odd entry at Charles-gounod.com -

1877-1885. "Le Rendez-vous. Valses pour orchestre et piano. J. R. Lafleur and Son. London (1887)" means. For piano and orchestra (concertante, at least after a fashion)? For piano or orchestra (versions?)

[TerraEpon]

The Chwialkowski book puts it under piano and orchestra, originally for piano in 1847.

[TerraEpon]

So I got the disc today and I must say it's sheer.....simply pleasure. It makes no great effort to be deep or put anything new on the table but who cares. It's just a wonderful joy to listen to.