[6/8/2012] Preview: Saint-Saëns sure didn't write the same piano concerto five times (continued)

The poster has added the score to his favorite recording of Saint-Saëns's Wedding Cake caprice-valse, by pianist Daniel Chorzempa with the Rotterdam Philharmonic conducted by Edo de Waart. ("The tempo is brisk," he says, "but never sounds rushed, maintaining that waltz-like elegance, and the technical clarity of the playing is excellent." I think we can agree that the performance is very speedy. One commenter loves how the performance brings out the humor of the piece; another commenter points out that there's no reason to think that the composer intended the piece to be humorous.)


BESIDES THE FIVE CONCERTOS, SAINT-SAËNS WROTE
A BUNCH OF OTHER WORKS FOR PIANO AND ORCHESTRA

Among which the most popular are the "valse-caprice" Wedding Cake and the "fantasy" Africa. This is another rather uncommon Sunday Classics instance of sharing music I honestly haven't listened to much. The usual practice here is that I'm sharing music for which I have special affections, but this seemed a good opportunity for me to listen along with you.

Here's a bit -- and I do mean "a bit" -- of background, provided by EMI annotator John Lade:

The Wedding Cake caprice-valse was composed in 1885 in honour of the marriage of a friend, the pianist Caroline Montigny-Rémaury. It is a fairly slight piece but ha great charm and is full of pianistic felicities. Saint-Saëns was always fascinated by Africa (he died in Algiers while holidaying there in 1921) and in 1891 composed the Africa fantasy, a colourful work introducing indigenous rhythms and ending with a wildly exhilarating coda based on a Tunisian folksong.

SAINT-SAËNS: Wedding Cake (Caprice-Valse for piano and orchestra), Op. 76


Jean-Philippe Collard, piano; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, André Previn, cond. EMI, recorded September 1987

Stephen Hough, piano; City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Sakari Oramo, cond. Hyperion, recorded 2000


SAINT-SAËNS: Africa (Fantasy for piano and orchestra), Op. 89


Jean-Philippe Collard, piano; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, André Previn, cond. EMI, recorded September 1987

Stephen Hough, piano; City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Sakari Oramo, cond. Hyperion, recorded 2000



Pianist Yuri Novikov plays Saint-Saëns's fantasy Africa with the Orchestra of the Mikhail Glinka Conservatory of Dnepropetrovsk conducted by Viktor Olinyk.


IN THIS WEEK'S SUNDAY CLASSICS POST --

As noted, we'll be listening to Saint-Saëns's Fourth Piano Concerto.


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