This gorgeous set is dedicated to piano concertante works from the pens of French composers - infinitely varied compositions that nevertheless each bear the unmistakable flavor of their native idiom. The French piano concerto was a late arrival on the European stage, and even then many French composers would opt to combine piano and orchestra outside the confines of strict concerto form. This set hones in on the genre's heyday along with two precursors: a two-movement Concerto in F (1792) by the 'French Mozart' Boieldieu and the early Concerti da camera Op.10 (1832-38) by the maverick genius Alkan. The set begins with the five piano concertos that traverse Saint-Saëns's career, along with concertante pieces he composed in the 1880s during a 20-year hiatus between his Fourth (1875) and Fifth (1896). The '80s were fertile for Saint-Saëns's contemporary Franck, as well, who returned to the piano after decades focusing on the organ and on choral music to create such piano concertante masterworks as Les Djinns and the Variations symphoniques. The latter work was an influence on Claude Debussy's Fantaisie, in terms of the roles assigned to the orchestra and solo piano and the work's structure, and like Franck before him, Debussy would disown this youthful work to move in a new direction - surprising given the warm reception enjoyed today by the early works of both composers. The influence of Saint-Saëns and Franck would extend to several of Debussy's contemporaries, as well. Jules Massenet's Concerto in E flat, begun in his early twenties, but only finished at the turn of the century after his many successful operas, arrived too late for the shifting tastes of the time, which had turned their backs on romantic virtuosity in favor of the impressionistic and neo-classical. Three of the group 'Les Six' figure on this set: Francis Poulenc and the charm and wit of his Concertos for one and for two Pianos, Germaine Tailleferre and the impressionistic orientalism of her Ballade, and the prolific Darius Milhaud who contributes no less than five piano concertos and four other concertante pieces. Albert Roussel and Reynaldo Hahn, though older than the members of 'Les Six', would only come to write piano concertos in their 50s, well into the inter-war period. Hahn's concerto is featured here in a very special remastered historic recording from 1937, with the composer at the podium and the renowned Brazilian pianist Magda Tagliaferro as soloist.
1 Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 17: I. Andante - Allegro Assai
2 Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 17: II. Andante Sostenuto Quasi Adagio
3 Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 17: III. Allegro Con Fuoco
4 Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 22: I. Andante Sostenuto
5 Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 22: II. Allegro Scherzando
6 Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 22: III. Presto
7 Piano Concerto No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 44: I. Allegro Moderato
8 Piano Concerto No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 44: II. Allegro Vivace
- Disc 2 -
1 Piano Concerto No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 44: II. Allegro Vivace
2 Piano Concerto No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 29: I. Moderato Assai
3 Piano Concerto No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 29: II. Andante - III. Allegro Non Troppo
4 Piano Concerto No. 5 in F Major, Op. 103: I. Allegro Animato
5 Piano Concerto No. 5 in F Major, Op. 103: II. Andante
6 Piano Concerto No. 5 in F Major, Op. 103: III. Molto Allegro
7 Africa, Op. 89
- Disc 3 -
1 Piano Concerto in F Major: I. Allegro
2 Piano Concerto in F Major: II. Pastorale Con Variazioni
3 Piano Concerto in E-Flat Major: I. Andante Moderato
4 Piano Concerto in E-Flat Major: II. Largo
5 Piano Concerto in E-Flat Major: III. Airs Slovaques. Allegro
6 Piano Concerto in C Minor, Op. 12: I. Allegro
7 Piano Concerto in C Minor, Op. 12: II. Scherzando
8 Piano Concerto in C Minor, Op. 12: III. Final
- Disc 4 -
1 Piano Concerto in F Minor: I. Lento - Allegro
2 Piano Concerto in F Minor: II. Lento
3 Piano Concerto in F Minor: III. Allegro
4 Concertstück in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 40
5 Piano Concerto in G Major, Op. 36: I. Allegro Molto
6 Piano Concerto in G Major, Op. 36: II. Adagio
7 Piano Concerto in G Major, Op. 36: III. Allegro Con Spirit
8 Piano Concerto: I. -
9 Piano Concerto: II. Andante
10 Piano Concerto: III. -
11 Piano Concerto: IV. Allegro
- Disc 5 -
1 Concerto Da Camera No. 1 in a Minor, Op. 10: I. Allegro
2 Concerto Da Camera No. 1 in a Minor, Op. 10: II. Adagio
3 Concerto Da Camera No. 1 in a Minor, Op. 10: III. Allegro
4 Concerto Da Camera No. 2 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 10: I. Allegro Moderato
5 Concerto Da Camera No. 2 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 10: II. Adagio
6 Concerto Da Camera No. 2 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 10: III. Primo Movimento
7 Concerto Da Camera No. 3 in C-Sharp, Op. 10: I. Andante Con Moto
8 Symphony on a French Mountain Air, Op. 25: I. Assez Lent - Modérément Animé
9 Symphony on a French Mountain Air, Op. 25: II. Assez Modéré, Mais Sans Lenteur
10 Symphony on a French Mountain Air, Op. 25: III. Animé
- Disc 6 -
1 Piano Concerto in E Major: I. Improvisation - Modéré
2 Piano Concerto in E Major: II. Danse
3 Piano Concerto in E Major: III. Rêverie
4 Piano Concerto in E Major: IV. Toccata - Finale
5 Ballade in F-Sharp Major, Op. 19
6 Rhapsodie D'auvergne, Op. 73
7 Wedding Cake, Op. 76
- Disc 7 -
1 Symphonic Variations, FWV 46
2 Les Djinns in F-Sharp Minor, FWV 45
3 Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Minor, Op. 11: I. Allegro Maestoso
4 Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Minor, Op. 11: II. Adagio
5 Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Minor, Op. 11: III. Rondo. Allegro
- Disc 8 -
1 Piano Concerto in G Major: I. Allegramente
2 Piano Concerto in G Major: II. Adagio Assai
3 Piano Concerto in G Major: III. Presto
4 Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D Major, M.82
5 Fantaisie for Piano and Orchestra, L. 73: I. Andante Ma Non Troppo
6 Fantaisie for Piano and Orchestra, L. 73: II. Lento E Molto Espressivo - III. Allegro Molto
- Disc 9 -
1 Le Carnaval D'aix, Op. 83B: I. Le Corso
2 Le Carnaval D'aix, Op. 83B: II. Tartaglia
3 Le Carnaval D'aix, Op. 83B: III. Isabelle
4 Le Carnaval D'aix, Op. 83B: IV. Rosetta
5 Le Carnaval D'aix, Op. 83B: V. Le Bon Et Le Mauvais Tuteur
6 Le Carnaval D'aix, Op. 83B: VI. Coviello
7 Le Carnaval D'aix, Op. 83B: VII. Le Capitaine Cartuccia
8 Le Carnaval D'aix, Op. 83B: VIII. Polichinelle
9 Le Carnaval D'aix, Op. 83B: IX. Polka
10 Le Carnaval D'aix, Op. 83B: X. Cinzio
11 Le Carnaval D'aix, Op. 83B: XI. Souvenir de Rio
12 Le Carnaval D'aix, Op. 83B: XII. Final
13 Ballade, Op. 61
14 5 Études, Op. 63: I. Vif
15 5 Études, Op. 63: II. Doucement
16 5 Études, Op. 63: III. Fugues. Vif Et Rythmé
17 5 Études, Op. 63: IV. Sombre
18 5 Études, Op. 63: V. Romantique. TRÈS Animé
19 Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 127: I. TRÈS Vif
20 Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 127: II. Barcarolle
21 Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 127: III. Finale
22 Fantaisie Pastorale, Op. 188
- Disc 10 -
1 Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 225: I. Animé
2 Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 225: II. Romance
3 Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 225: III. Bien Modérément Animé
4 Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 270: I. Alerte Et Avec Élégance
5 Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 270: II. Lent
6 Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 270: III. Avec Esprit Et Élégance
7 Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 295: I. Animé
8 Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 295: II. TRÈS Lent
9 Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 295: III. Joyeux
10 Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 346: I. Alerte
11 Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 346: II. Nonchalant
12 Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 346: III. Joyeux
- Disc 11 -
1 Fantaisie for 'Piano and Orchestra: I. Lent. Grave - Allegro - Più Vivo. Tempo Molto Marcato - Moderato - Andante - Allegro
2 Ballade
3 Piano Concerto in C-Sharp Minor, FP 146: I. Allegretto
4 Piano Concerto in C-Sharp Minor, FP 146: II. Andante Con Moto
5 Piano Concerto in C-Sharp Minor, FP 146: III. Rondo À la Française. Presto Giocoso
- Disc 12 -
1 Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orchestra: I. Allegro Giocoso
2 Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orchestra: II. Doppio Più Lento
3 Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orchestra: III. Scherzando
4 Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orchestra: IV. Allegro Tieramente
5 Les Animaux Modèles, FP 111: I. Le Petit Jour. TRÈS Calme
6 Les Animaux Modèles, FP 111: IV. Le Lion Amoureux. Passionnément Animé
7 Les Animaux Modèles, FP 111: V. L'homme Entre Deux Âges Et Ses Deux Maîtresses. Prestissimo
8 Les Animaux Modèles, FP 111: VI. La Mort Et Le Bûcheron. TRÈS Lent
9 Les Animaux Modèles, FP 111: VII. Les Deux Coqs. TRÈS Modéré
10 Les Animaux Modèles, FP 111: VIII. Le Repas de Midi
11 Concerto for 2 Pianos in D Minor, FP 61: I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo
12 Concerto for 2 Pianos in D Minor, FP 61: II. Larghetto
13 Concerto for 2 Pianos in D Minor, FP 61: III. Finale
14 Concerto
This gorgeous set is dedicated to piano concertante works from the pens of French composers - infinitely varied compositions that nevertheless each bear the unmistakable flavor of their native idiom. The French piano concerto was a late arrival on the European stage, and even then many French composers would opt to combine piano and orchestra outside the confines of strict concerto form. This set hones in on the genre's heyday along with two precursors: a two-movement Concerto in F (1792) by the 'French Mozart' Boieldieu and the early Concerti da camera Op.10 (1832-38) by the maverick genius Alkan. The set begins with the five piano concertos that traverse Saint-Saëns's career, along with concertante pieces he composed in the 1880s during a 20-year hiatus between his Fourth (1875) and Fifth (1896). The '80s were fertile for Saint-Saëns's contemporary Franck, as well, who returned to the piano after decades focusing on the organ and on choral music to create such piano concertante masterworks as Les Djinns and the Variations symphoniques. The latter work was an influence on Claude Debussy's Fantaisie, in terms of the roles assigned to the orchestra and solo piano and the work's structure, and like Franck before him, Debussy would disown this youthful work to move in a new direction - surprising given the warm reception enjoyed today by the early works of both composers. The influence of Saint-Saëns and Franck would extend to several of Debussy's contemporaries, as well. Jules Massenet's Concerto in E flat, begun in his early twenties, but only finished at the turn of the century after his many successful operas, arrived too late for the shifting tastes of the time, which had turned their backs on romantic virtuosity in favor of the impressionistic and neo-classical. Three of the group 'Les Six' figure on this set: Francis Poulenc and the charm and wit of his Concertos for one and for two Pianos, Germaine Tailleferre and the impressionistic orientalism of her Ballade, and the prolific Darius Milhaud who contributes no less than five piano concertos and four other concertante pieces. Albert Roussel and Reynaldo Hahn, though older than the members of 'Les Six', would only come to write piano concertos in their 50s, well into the inter-war period. Hahn's concerto is featured here in a very special remastered historic recording from 1937, with the composer at the podium and the renowned Brazilian pianist Magda Tagliaferro as soloist.