lampson@sunMq.TELLABS.COM (Dave Lampson) (06/11/91)
Classical CD Reviews #1
by
L. David Lampson
Copyright 1990
Camille Saint-Saens (1854-1934)
Piano Concertos #2 (Op. 22) & #5 "Egyptian" (Op. 103)
Orchestra of Radio Luxembourg
Louis de Froment, Conductor
Gabriel Tacchino, Piano
1976 Moss Music Group Vox Turnabout PVT7175 ADD 51:25
Piano Concertos #1-5 (Op. 17, 22, 29, 44 & 103)
Orchestre de Paris
Serge Baudo, Conductor
Aldo Ciccolini, Piano
1971 EMI Pathe Marconi CMS7694432 (2CDs) ADD 2:18:04
"The artist who does not feel completely satisfied by elegant lines, by
harmonious colors and by a beautiful succession of chords does not understand
the art of music." The preceding assertion, by Saint-Saens himself, has been
interpreted over the last century as an indication of a profound lack of
concern for the musical content of a piece. However, even casual study of the
five piano concertos by this French master reveal deep musical content as well
as formal perfection and great style.
Saint-Saens was a virtuoso pianist of world renown early on in his life and
thus understood the musical as well as technical demands associated with great
piano writing. These concertos date from 1858 to 1895 and demonstrate a
continuity, and consistency of quality content, that is remarkable for such a
span of time. Despite the nearly 20 years that intervened between the fourth
and fifth concerto, the works seem to easily bridge the maturation in late
Romantic piano concerto style from Tchaikovsky (#1, 1874) to Rachmaninov (#2,
1897). The second and fifth concertos are the most often played and recorded,
but all five concertos are of high quality and should satisfy any collector of
the Romantic piano repertoire.
Piano Concertos #2 (Op. 22) & #5 "Egyptian" (Op. 103)
The performance of Gabriel Tacchino on the Vox Turnabout release shows his
ready affinity for the style of Saint-Saens. His interpretation, particularly
of the second concerto, displays a fine sense of French Romanticism that
Saint-Saens surely intended. The sound quality of this budget release is
almost surprisingly well balanced and free of extraneous noise.
Ratings - Performance: 8 Sound Quality: 8
Piano Concertos #1-5 (Op. 17, 22, 29, 44 & 103)
Recorded over a six month period in 1970, the performances by Aldo Ciccolini
on this EMI Pathe Marconi two-CD set captures the spirit of these concertos
to perfection. Ciccolini manages a near perfect flow and balance between his
piano and the orchestra. Serge Baudo and the Orchestra de Paris are also to
be commended on their contributions to this balance. Indeed, the overall flow
across these two discs is such that the concertos blend together into one
gigantic work for piano and orchestra. I'm not sure whether this is good or
bad from a musical point of view, in that it may indicate a lack of variation
in Saint-Saens compositions, but the effect is marvelous from the point of
view of the listener. Just as some readers enjoy short stories and some (I
for one) enjoy epic novels, this collection might be considered as an epic
piano concerto, rather than a collection of five smaller and more variant
works.
EMI Pathe Marconi has previously released multi-CD sets of the complete works
of several French masters (the complete chamber and piano works by Faure,
complete chamber music of Poulenc and the complete symphonies of Saint-Saens
come to mind). These sets have been uniformly satisfying and represent a very
good value for the collector. Most of the CDs contain 70+ minutes of music
and can typically be found as mid-priced.
Ratings - Performance: 10 Sound Quality: 9