Saint-Saens - Violin Concerto 3 [Chee Yun /Lopez Cobos-London Philharmonic Orchestra]

This is a truly wonderful disc, found for half price new in a record store, it's a darling of a coupling, and it was hard to choose between these two when it came to deciding which should get in my Blog, they are both such wonderful works, the Lalo i know and love better, and certainly i've played more, but in listening to this today, i just felt that Saint-Saens pips it, plus it's a riveting performance as well, this appeared in my Blog five years ago [24th August 2010].

Kim Chee-Yun is South Korean, she's now 45, now the front cover is one of those truly inspired photos [by Nancy Ellison], Chee-Yun on a beach, violin in hand, and gown flowing in the wind, the picture set at an angle, i love the lettering, and the Denon logo is great, what a fantastic finished product.

This Concerto started off great, and got better and better the longer i listened to it, thus it was the last movement that i enjoyed the best, it's a great culmination to all that has gone before and a fitting end to the Concerto, Saint-Saens knows how to bring all the threads together into something satisfying, it starts of inauspiciously, with a sort of solo violin cadenza versus orchestra, but it's only an intro to the movement proper, a dazzling show of virtuosity, it has a tendency to go all over the place, one of the major triumphant tunes comes through quickly [2:33-3:10], both violin and orchestra make the most of a lovely moment of glory, there's sweet tenderness to [4:02-5:36], where both violin and orchestra play delicately, and right afterwards Chee-Yun plays some fun and scintillating playing [5:36-6:10], and after the intro at the start comes back, so does that excellent scintillating violin playing [7:25-7:54], eventually of course the orchestra build up and up into a glorious majestic tune [9:04-9:26], in the last minute the violin gets to have some of the most dazzling music [9:51-10:31], especially towards the end of this little section [10:12+], and both orchestra an violin have a bravura ending.

Here's Julia Fischer playing this movement on YouTube.

Saint-Saens - Piano Concerto 4 [Collard/ Previn-Royal Philharmonic Orchestra] 

This is the first time a Saint-Saens Piano Concerto gets into my Blog, i guess a strange Composer of the Piano Concerto, he's not in the same league as other greats, and yet his Concerti aren't mere trifles either, and there's some very nice things going on in these Concertos, especially in 2 & 4, Hough / Litton have a newer set out on Hyperion, supposedly better performances, no doubt better recorded too, and yet i'm really quite fond of these performances, i like this set, and i played the whole thing, even though i have to admit that his output is uneven, and just recently i've listened to the Piano Concertos 2 & 3 of Tchaikovsky for the first time, now they're very much in the idiom of Saint-Saens, but Tchaikovsky is weak, whereas Saint-Saens is really quite inventive, these are really worth getting to know.

Jean-Philippe Collard is French, he's now 65, he recorded this work back in 1985, so the recording is nearly 30 years old, and it somewhat shows, a bit muddy in textures, the front cover is a painting by Paul Signac entitled 'Saint Tropez Pine Wood', a nice little example of pointillism.

Saint-Saens - Cello Concerto 1 [Haimovitz/ Levine-Chicago Symphony Orchestra] 

Another new disc getting its first outing [and incredibly this Saint-Saens Cello Concerto makes its debut in my Blog too!], i remember way back i had a tape of several Cello Concertos, i believe it was Schumann / Lalo / Saint-Saens, or Offenbach, something like that, and i didn't like it, they didn't seem to fit the mould of Dvorak and Elgar, but now i've fallen for these Cello Concertos, and it means i'm always on the lookout for other worthy versions, hence the entrance of this disc, i like the programme, i like the idea of the Bruch piece, a work that i don't know well, and yes i enjoyed its acquaintance today [very much like some of his Scottish Fantasy], and on first listen i find it hard to pinpoint any uniqueness from any other disc of the same music, so the jury is out, and it's always the Composer / work i listen to foremost on first go, and then later i can start listening to Artists / interpretations, so today was just basking in this lovely music, listening to Saint-Saens rather than Haimovitz / Levine.

Matt Haimovitz is Israeli i guess, born in 1970, making him 42 today, but his parents moved to America when he was five, and i now believe he lives in Canada, he made this recording in 1988 when he was only 17, and you can see the boyish looks in the photograph [by Christian Steiner], a nice inventive shot of Haimovitz and Levine, with the cello between them, the black background lends a spotlit quality to the shot, nice colours.

Saint-Saens - Violin Concerto 3 [Dumay/ Yazaki-Orchestre Philharmonique De Monte Carlo] 

A disc that seems to appear in my Blog Regular [29th December 2011 & 30th January 2010], and no wonder, it's such a treasured disc and performance, i'm glad i bought this on Ebay when i saw it, a Concerto that is becoming more and more entrenched in my heart the more and more i listen to it, it's a shame that his earlier Violin Concertos don't stand up to the quality of this one, and the same applies to his Symphonies, seems like he hit quality on the number three!, not a great deal of music on this disc [only 47 minutes], but it's more than made up for in quality.

Augustin Dumay is French and now 63, he recorded this disc in 1982 when he was 33, one of the great things about this disc is the front cover, it's a brilliant portrait [by Roberto Estrada], a superb use of using out of focus to highlight that which is in focus, i like the colours, a blue green background, and the red of the tank top really brightens up the picture, and the lettering is excellent, blue at the top, and lightening to white at the bottom, it makes a great disc even greater.

Well it's usually the heavenly slow movement which is the highlight of this piece, and i must admit that it hit a real soft spot this time, but amazingly it was the last movement Molto Moderato E Maestoso [very moderate and majestic] that really hit the spot!, i must admit that in listening to this movement again, that Dumay is very individual, especially in the introduction, maybe a bit to hesitant, and too fussy with intonation, but this is only a small gripe, his violin sings nice and sweet, and he's a very accurate fiddler in the faster sections, he plays somewhat quietly, and maybe a bit too treble of tone, or is it the recording?, there's some very delicate playing from Dumay and Yazaki [3:56-5:09], and the recording is nice and crystal clear to hear both ends of the spectrum, i like Dumay's way with playing the more virtuoso sections [7:19-7:48], and makes me realise how good the same thing is at the start [1:08-1:35], and it's easy to miss out on some of the most wondrous stuff, and in giving it yet another spin, how wonderful the more lyrical and sweet refrains there are [2:33-3:07], and i guess how ultimately it's easy to like and comment on almost everything about the movement, and it's amazing that this Concerto can be played so many different ways, with different a different emphasis, and yet still be a valid interpretation each time, i love the build up to the great forte towards the end [8:47-9:00], it's a tremendous moment that is unleashed big time by the horns and brass [9:01-9:20], now that's the 'majestic' part of the title, the whole thing is cast in the key of B Minor, a nice dark key, that has as it's bedfellows Dvorak's Cello Concerto, Schubert's Eighth, and Tchaikovsky's Sixth, heady companions indeed. 

Here's Silvia Marcovici playing the third movement on YouTube.

Saint-Saens - Symphony 3 'Organ' [Priest/Mehta -Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra] 

First of all, there's many discs that are selling today claiming to be the 'Best of Beethoven', or the 'Greatest hits of Bach' etc, these 'Essential' Composer discs from Decca do not fall into that same category, these double discs aren't made up of the best little bits, but rather whole works, with an Overture or Aria thrown in for good measure, two well filled discs [149 minutes], by well known Conductors / Soloists, a great little compilation of one Composer.

Zubin Mehta is from India, he's now 76, he recorded this work in 1970, now the front cover picture [by Michael Banks] is very inspiring, showing a close up of a sunflower, look at those rich yellows and blues, as with these 'Double Decca' discs, the photo is spliced in two, with a more opaque picture at the top, with all the lettering, it's great the way it's all composed, i like the whole thing.

I enjoyed all of these discs, i especially enjoyed listening to Danse Macabre again, what a great and inventive piece of music it is!, but the pride of place has to go to Saint-Saens Symphony 3, dubbed his 'Organ Symphony', notice it's not an Organ Concerto, every movement of this Symphony was scintillating, the key is in C Minor, but rather than a dull and foreboding work, it's actually full of sprightly rhythms and virtuoso writing, and yet in the heavenly slow movement there's tender pathos aplenty, but it was the first that i found simply tremendous, a slow thoughtful introduction [0:00-1:01], but it soon branches out into something so much more animated, Saint-Saens really knows how to throw some rhythms together to excite the ear and heart, nicely jagged string writing, and a great use of the woodwind instruments, and there's this headlong surge to the whole movement, it's really going somewhere, it's surprising how Saint-Saens can use the opening Allegro Moderato in so many different guises, i love the way that he brings the tune to a glorious forte [4:06-4:33], string working away furiously, and then the brass to create a fanfare of sorts, staccato is the name of the game in some of the rhythms right after, notice the frantic woodwinds about two thirds of the way through [6:19-6:24], nicely chattering, and that builds up to one of the best forte passages of the whole work [6:34-7:03], nice and complex, the whole orchestra throwing their voices into the stew, and right after the strings and brass create a nice duet [7:03-7:38], the strings working away feverishly, while the brass create a real foreboding, the thing slows down into a coda of sorts, readying itself for the truly beautiful Poco Adagio that is to follow, my favourite movement, but today i loved the first movement.

Here's Myung-Wha Chung conducting the first movement on YouTube.

Saint-Saens - Violin Concerto 3 [Lin/Tilson Thomas-Philharmonia Orchestra] 

Another new disc, but not new works, these are well explored in my Blog, the Saint-Saens work is represented here for the sixth time, and it's good to hear Cho-Liang Lin's interpretation of the work, i think on the whole Saint-Saens Violin Concerto 3 is underestimated if you look at the recordings of this work, sure it's a popular work for him, but it should be more popular than say the Mozart Concerto's, it really is a superb example of the lyrical genius of Saint-Saens, and full of great tunes also.

Cho-Liang Lin is Taiwanese [hmmm always thought he was South Korean], his is now 52, he recorded this disc back in 1982, this is a Japanese re-issue, the front cover is superb, not sure where it's of, looks European to me, nice sharp shot, lovely colours and sunshine, and the lettering has a certain flow to it, all round a great visual product.

The second movement is heavenly, a work of truly lyrical genius,.

Here's Silvia Markovici playing the second movement on YouTube.

Saint-Saens - Violin Concerto 3 [Vengerov/ Pappano-Philharmonia Orchestra] 

Of the 7 entries for Saint-Saens in my Blog, this Concerto features 5 of those times, i guess my favourite Saint-Saens work is his Symphony 3, so why does this feature so highly?, i must admit that it's a lovely work, full of sweetness and passion, and it's a perfect coupling for the Lalo work.

Maxim Vengerov is Russian, he was born in 1974 [he's 37 now], he recorded this in 2003, i admit that there's an 'overconfidence' in Vengerov, almost a pride, like a tightrope walker who feels he'll never fall, the front cover is excellent [photo by Sheila Rock], Vengerov in his chair, a monotone shot, the emphasis on the face, but i like the shirt as well.

What can i say, this isn't one of those Concertos that has one phenomenal movement, but the others are not in the same league, every movement inspired me, but the slow Andantino Quasi Allegretto second movement was extra special,.

Here's Maxim Vengerov playing the second movement on YouTube.

Saint Saens - Violin Concerto 3 [Dumay/ Yazaki-Orchestre Philharmonique De Monte Carlo]

Here's Saint-Saens beautiful Violin Concerto again, and a really superb recording to boot, it was a joy to listen to this, i played it near the beginning of my Blog last year [30th January 2010], again i must make mention of Ebay, this is where i found this disc, i hadn't seen this disc before, and i haven't seen another copy since, i'm so glad i was able to snap this up, plus i guess i need to delve into the other two Concertos as well.

Augustin Dumay is French i think, possibly Belgian, he used to record for EMI, as on this disc, but now he has switched to DG, i get the idea he's married to Maria Joao Pires, but maybe they're just performing partners, he made this recording in 1982, the front cover is a truly excellent photo [by Roberto Estrada], an excellent portrait of Dumay with his violin, those dark backround greens, offset by the red sweater, and the lettering is nicely placed too, it's a real joy to own this recording.