Saint-Saëns - Piano Concertos - Naxos

[FBerwald]

Thanx JimL, I never noticed it before. You are right and I have edited my description accordingly... but nevertheless it does give the impression of a scherzo & Trio form!

[FBerwald]

Having heard the second volume I can say that Romain Descharmes is talent on par with the likes of Joseph Moog. The 3rd concerto [in keeping with the pattern of playing of the 1st and 2nd] is played with lucidity and restraint ... no rushing about here. The pianistic diction and orchestral accompaniment is simply astonishing. The 3 concertant  pieces - Rhapsody of the Auvergne, Africa and the tasty Wedding Cake are executed perfectly. I'm really looking forward to vol. 3.

[Rob H]

Regarding Hough's speeds he certainly has a precedent - listen to Saint-Saens playing Africa or the Rhapsodie d'Auvergne; I never had the impression that he was playing like this to fit within the recording time available.

[Ilja]

Also, Hough may be fast but not even extremely so. He is beaten, for instance, by Hamelin (in 2, 4, and 5) and Duchable (in 2). My feeling is also that particularly mid-twentieth-century pianists have attempted to infused these display pieces with far too much pathos, which has translated into extended performance times. Someone like Rubinstein, for instance, took a solid 26 minutes to perform the 2nd Concerto.

[chill319]

Hough makes a strong case for Concerto 3 especially, but my desert-island Saint-Saëns concertos box features Anna Malikova with Thomas Sanderling conducting the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln on Audite. Malikova is nothing short of magnificent in these, with effortless playing that is both scintillating and profound -- the old Russian piano school at its best -- and excellent sound to boot.

[adriano]

You are right, chill319, this set is quite a revelation!