IDAGIO | Saint-Saëns: Chopin & Liszt Sonatas - arrangements for 2 pianos 0710357599729

Featuring

Hiroaki Takenouchi
Simon Callaghan
Camille Saint-Saëns

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Compositional Technique

The finale of Chopin's B-flat minor Sonata reminded Anton Rubinstein, a renowned pianist and composer, of 'night winds sweeping over church-yard graves'.

Compositional Technique

Chopin's B-flat minor Sonata features a 'Funeral March' movement, which he composed in 1837, two years before completing the full sonata.

Critical Reception

In 1841, a critic from London's Musical World described Chopin's entire output as 'a motley surface of ranting hyperbole and excruciating cacophony'.

Performer Biography

Simon Callaghan and Hiroaki Takenouchi, the pianists on this album, met in 2003 as students of Yonty Solomon at the Royal College of Music.

Compositional Technique

Liszt's B minor Sonata, despite its length, creates a structure that adheres to sonata form while giving the impression of constant development.

Composer Biography

As a boy, Camille Saint-Saëns, the arranger on this album, was forbidden by his piano teacher, Stamaty, from attending Chopin's concerts or playing for Chopin.

Interpretation

Camille Saint-Saëns's arrangements for two pianos on this album are scrupulous in respecting the original composers' intentions, adding notes mainly for extra emphasis.