Camille Saint-Saëns - Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 29 (1869) {Pascal Rogé}

Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (9 October 1835 - 16 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Second Piano Concerto (1868), the First Cello Concerto (1872), Danse macabre (1874), the opera Samson and Delilah (1877), the Third Violin Concerto (1880), the Third ("Organ") Symphony (1886) and The Carnival of the Animals (1886).
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Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 29 (1869)
Dedication: Elie Miriam Delaborde (1839-1913)
1. Moderato assai (0:00)
2. Andante (14:33)
3. Allegro non troppo (22:34)
Pascal Rogé, piano and the London Philharmonic conducted by Charles Dutoit
Description by John Palmer [-]
Published in 1875 in Paris, Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto in E flat Major, Op. 29, is dedicated to pianist Elie-Myriam Delaborde. Although all five of Saint-Saëns' concertos, to some extent, follow Viennese models, the Third is arguably the most traditional in its formal procedures. (There were few French models of the piano concerto available at the time.) Other aspects of the piece, however, make it innovative, and the keyboard writing betrays Saint-Saëns' assimilation of Liszt's style.
Shortly after he had completed the Third Concerto, Saint-Saëns performed the piece in concert in Leipzig Gewandhaus, where it was poorly received. Strange as it may seem today, reviewers of the concert counted Saint-Saëns among the "progressive" composers of the time -- Liszt, Berlioz, Wagner -- whom they despised. One reviewer resented the concerto's "futuristic aftertaste," calling the piece "trite." In Paris, the piece faired no better, one critic calling it "comparable to everything incoherent and tormented in Liszt's late manner." Comments such as these are more likely a response to Saint-Saëns' publicly expressed approval of Liszt and Wagner than an evaluation of the Third Piano Concerto. Ten years would pass before the piece was well received, after which it disappeared from the repertoire, overshadowed by the popular Second Concerto.

[@andrewpetersen5272]

Ahh the fickle French critics. Another St. Saens masterpiece!

[@robertwarwick3294]

Thank you very much for uploading the original manuscript, it's amazing to see Saint-Saens hand writing. I've always had a soft spot for this concerto and it's interesting to note there have been some notable pianists who included it in their repertoire including Richter and Nikolai Petrov who gave the Italian premier of the work. It's not a masterpiece like the fourth concerto but, there is something eternally refreshing and evergreen about it that makes it so attractive and rather addictive! I wonder if Saint-Saens had Beethovens 5th concerto at the back of his mind when he started to compose it? The upward e major arpeggios at the beginning, a crystalline, hartfelt and pure slow movement, (unusual for this composer to wear his heart on his sleeve), which leads directly into the finale and themes, 1st mov first subject and 3rd movement first subject that seem to ecco (to my simple mind) Beethoven's own themes. Saint-Saens really celebrated the lighter side of life in this piece and I wish it were performed more often. Thank you again!

[@rezashia3135]

Of all the performances of this charming and underrated concerto like many of Saint Saens’ pieces -ie piano quartet, piano quintet, violins sonatas piano trios string quartets especially no 2 et al all of which are master pieces that are criminally ignored but still available with fine performances thank God!-you had to upload this performance with Pascal Rouge and Dutoit which is OUTSTANDING!

[@Imzeboss]

3:43 has transported me to some magical utopian dream land

[@christopherhall3894]

It truly does. Like some Gustave Courbet paintings.

[@hawkbirdtree3660]

Amazing! I never thought looking at the original score would make me picture Saint-Saens at the piano improvising, grabbing his nib, and writing down what he just played.

[@elmiramuradova561]

I just recently fell in love with Saint Saens after accidentally listening to the 2nd. Now I 'very listened to everything..What a beauty❤ Thank you.

[@sean-kb4wr]

Same, the 1st movement of the 2nd is legendary

[@musicaantigua869]

Gracias y saludos cordiales desde Mallorca para ti también bartje bartmam

[@beeshin9945]

Masterpiece

[@nattyco]

I love Saint-Saens 3rd Violin Concerto and the MacDowell Piano Concertos. You rarely hear them these days and recordings are scarce. Bruch's lovely Scottish Fantasy is hardly ever played either these days, even in Scotland.

[@christinebourlon3884]

Tres Beau concerto comme le sont aussi le 4 Et le 5! Peu de commentaires en français !

[@matthewmosca5002]

Thank you for posting this superb concerto by the master, Saint-Saens. I was able to hear it live, here in Baltimore, with Jean Phillippe Collard who was the committed soloist. It is brilliant heard live. The parts that disturbed the early audiences are intriguing to us now [well, to me that is!] the cadenza like sections of the first movement and the supple chromaticism throughout are outstanding. Saint-Saens continues to explore the hand-in-glove relationship of soloist and orchestra that make all of his concerti so interesting. With the Third, and again the Fifth, Saint-Saens is working within the traditional 3 movement form. The Fourth is an entirely different form, akin to the Organ Symphony; he delighted in exploration of form. We are blessed with several excellent traversals of the 5 Saint-Saens concerti: this one Roge/Dutoit, Collard/Previn and Malikova/Sanderling are my personal favorites.

[@rafa0086]

4:16 Quite a beautiful use of harmony here, anyone wondering what is it that makes it so special?

[@GreenTea4]

I think it's the use of Lydian

[@EmilianoManna]

I think it's the whole-tone harmonic progression, that gives the passage a somewhat Lisztian flavor.

[@user-wn1dd8ls2u]

I - bVII - bVI - bVII - I. Very widely used in movies, TV intros etc.

[@DownfallSweden]

What a refreshing experience!

[@sneddypie]

I love how it looks like what the composer would’ve written. I suspect it is.

[@bartjebartmans]

It is Saint Saens own handwriting, with signature at the end.

[@xbqchm]

I had no idea the Greek alphabet sounds so friggin' good.

[@sneddypie]

Beautiful

[@stephenmessick865]

Melody must have been Saint-Saens constant companion.

[@DavilmarBiggs]

Wonderful

[@danielefaraotti]

molto bello !! a Ravel questo concerto piaceva ; si sente qualcosa di questo concerto soprattutto nel concerto per la mano sinistra...

[@user-ru8vy1uz7c]

Bravo

[@user-pr4lj5wq9q]

09:34 Gentle but impressive cadenza

[@williamstead160]

To me Saint-Saens was the Leonard Bernstein pf his time, as he wrote so many different pieces. The reviewer left out his organ composing and playing. My comparison would be complete if he did lecturing. Saint-Saens is under appreciated; his prolific output ranks him among the greats of the 19th and early 20th century. William Stead

[@Jivanmuktishu]

thanx, Bartje Bartemans, for this concerto (part of a set of St-Saens's work., all available on this channel.

[@Jivanmuktishu]

thanx, Bartje Bartemans, for this concerto (part of a set of St-Saens's work., all available on this channel).

[@Imzeboss]

👍👍

[@adrianoseresi3525]

Hough's performance of this piece is by far my favourite. But this is certainly not bad. Also, this concerto is way too underappreciated.

[@sneddypie]

I have a question. Would composers normally use that measure repeat sign, or is it only when it’s repeating for a long time?

[@vulcanstarlight]

The Classical Nerd Of Classical I believe so. I've seen that type of notation in works by many composers trying to keep the score tidy. Steve Reich, John C. Adams, and others. But very effective notation mark in regards to a driving ostinato or to keep a page clean of extra markings. 🙂

[@sneddypie]

Vulcan Starlight will the editor put in the actual notes?

[@FreakieFan]

@@sneddypie Yes, most probably. Especially these days with computers and software that makes it really easy. But those repeat signs are very commonly found, especially in manuscript scores.

[@sergiosaucedo5834]

You must be a pianist or violinist haha. As a percussionist, we see it everywhere :)

[@sneddypie]

@@sergiosaucedo5834 you would be correct lmao

[@sabinmars]

put it in 2x i personally like it that way

[@FreakieFan]

Are you nuts?

[@ValzainLumivix]

Bruh

[@tonylu5593]

23:29 Greek letters?

[@ricklou]

Yes, Greek letters: ypsilon, sigma, beta, theta ...

[@amirmn7]

7:15 Simpsons?

[@blog3067]

wow, it really resembles the Simpsons theme (:

[@zdstealth1]

I've always thought this about this piece. Even the opening line.

[@gerardbegni2806]

Saint Saens' third concerrto,or: how to challenge Brahms in beginning a piano concerto by horn melody.....

[@user-ck4oo7ph6s]

Только этот концерт написан на 8 или 9 лет раньше, чем 2й концерт Брамса.

[@Kris9kris]

My god, the difficulty is bonkers, borderline unplayable if you want to follow Saint-Saens's metronomes.

[@djmotise]

I thought the same thing. The word "unplayable" comes to mind. Several times. Some of those passages in the last movement are unbelievably virtuosic. This must be one of the reasons it's not often played. Those crazy 8ve 16ths with the single note alternating with an octave. In both hands. Shocking.