The Romantic Piano Concerto • 27 - Saint-Saëns : The Complete works for piano & orchestra (2001) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 

This two-disc set of the complete works for piano and orchestra is a splendid introduction to a significant aspect of the composer's oeuvre. Including the five piano concertos, the set enables the listener to trace the composer's development in this genre, from the quintessentially Romantic Concerto No. 1 through the many intriguing idiosyncrasies and structural metamorphoses of the subsequent concertos, to the seductively atmospheric Concerto No. 5 ("Egyptian") and admirable synthesis of exuberant energy, uninhibited expressiveness, elegantly stylized exoticism, and effervescent virtuosity. With his faultless technique, artistic sophistication, and graceful yet powerful pianism, soloist Stephen Hough is the perfect interpreter of these concertos, masterfully following the composer's trajectory from the relatively unproblematic Romanticism of the earlier concertos to the subjectivity and refined esotericism of the later works. In addition to purely technical challenges, which reflect the composer's stupendous mastery of the keyboard, Saint-Saëns' concertos require extraordinary attention to subtle shifts of color and tonal quality. In other words, if "brilliance" is a fundamental quality of this music, it is up to the pianist to differentiate between the numerous shades of brilliance in accordance with the composer's quicksilver imagination and swift flow of ideas. And Hough finds superb accompaniment in the precise and richly expressive playing of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Sakari Oramo. The set also includes four shorter works: the delicately charming Wedding Cake Valse-Caprice, Op. 76, the nostalgic and thoughtful Rapsodie d'Auvergne, the brilliantly lyrical Allegro appassionato, and the opulently exotic fantasy Africa. In this vast, luminous, vibrant panorama of the great French composer's oeuvre for piano and orchestra, listeners will find exceptional guides in Stephen Hough and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. by Zoran Minderovic