Saint-Saëns - Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 29 [1869]

The piece follows standard concerto form. The first movement is brisk and in sonata form, the second movement is slow, and the third movement is fast. The length of the concerto is approximately 29 minutes.
The three movements of the concerto are:
00:00 I. Moderato assai
12:14 II. Andante
18:38 III. Allegro non troppo
| Moderato assai |
The first movement begins in E-flat in common time with the piano playing large and rapid arpeggios. The main theme is then presented by the orchestra. The piano continues the arpeggios while the orchestra elaborates the theme. Later, the piano presents the second theme of the exposition, less rustic than the first, marked molto tranquillo, which is perhaps unique by being played by the piano by itself without any accompaniment, as well as for being in a distant key (D major). A technically brilliant cadenza follows. The cadenza is unusual because it occurs very early in the first movement rather than in its customary place at the end. The development follows after the cadenza. The piano employs many pianistic devices such as parallel octaves, rapid arpeggio and scale figures, and polyrhythms. The recapitulation follows and later the coda, profuse with octaves and large chords. The movement lasts about 14 minutes.
| Andante |
The second movement is in E major and is in 3/4 time. The movement is feverish and slow. The main theme is presented in the orchestra and varied and developed throughout the movement. The movement continues without pause into the third movement. It lasts about 7 minutes.
| Allegro non troppo |
The third movement is in E-flat major and is in 2/4 time. It is rapid and hectic with florid melodies. There are many technical difficulties confronting the soloist, including many octaves, rapid arpeggio and scale figures, and large chords. The concerto ends in an exhilarating coda. It lasts about 8 minutes.
Performed by:
Piano - Louis Lortie
Orchestra - BBC Philarmonic
Conductor - Edward Gardner

[@user-fg6dw9yi5m]

Every piano concerto of Saint-Saens is pretty amazing

[@erika6651]

I love how each concerto is an individual experience but at the same time contains Saint Saen's unique blurring of past musical traditions with modern - for the time - structures and exotic harmonies.

[@valerieheinderyckx4506]

Ce concerto vaut le détour et pourrait être présent dans le concert international... Merci infiniment. ❤

[@baltoman24]

Wow! Thank you for uploading this superb performance of this beautiful, but under appreciated concerto by Saint-Saens. The use of rubato is terrific- urgent, exciting, yet contemplative, with tremendous playing from Lortie and the orchestra, profound thanks to all involved.

[@DemirSezer]

You're welcome! It's indeed an amazing recording, the clearest of all I've listened through

[@farazhaiderpiano]

Beautiful!

[@Dylonely42]

Indeed.

[@Dylonely42]

3:15

[@Dylonely42]

3:12

[@tt-ew7rx]

Why is this a full 5 min shorter than most other recordings? They omitted some repeats?

[@DemirSezer]

Could just as well be the tempo, I'll have to check it but I don't remember coming across any weirdness while making the video

[@tt-ew7rx]

@@DemirSezer That's 25min vs 30 min, proportionally quite significant. Maybe the others are taking repeats not written on the score? Are there different versions?

[@danielhornby5581]

Stephen Hough’s recording is only 25:51 so very similar!😊

[@paulybarr]

As we can see, there are no repeat marks in the score, so it is simply down to tempo differences between interpretations.

[@DemirSezer]

To be fair while doing some other score videos I did notice some conductors outright skipping a few pages, not playing them (Rozhdestvensky with Scriabin's 2nd symphony); so it could be possible this is the case here as well. Possibly not though since it's a concerto