The Malmö Symphony Orchestra and conductor Marc Soustrot began recording the complete works of Camille Saint-Saëns for Naxos in August 2013.
Composition History
The Caprice-Valse 'Wedding Cake' for piano and strings was composed in 1886 as a wedding present for Saint-Saëns's pianist friend Caroline de Serres (who became Caroline Montigny-Rémaury).
Critical Reception
The Third Piano Concerto by Saint-Saëns is considered the 'Cinderella' of his piano concertos due to its placement after the more popular Second Concerto.
Composition History
Saint-Saëns began writing 'Africa' in Cadiz in 1889 and completed it in Cairo in 1891, following a three-month cruise to Ceylon and Egypt after his mother's death.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Saint-Saëns's perception as a composer changed throughout his lifetime; he championed progressive figures like Wagner and Liszt in his youth but adopted a more conservative approach later, reacting to innovations by Debussy and Stravinsky.
Performer Biography
Romain Descharmes, the pianist on this recording, is a winner of the Dublin Competition and has performed with numerous orchestras and at renowned venues worldwide.
Composer Biography
Camille Saint-Saëns, born in Paris in 1835, was a musical prodigy who made his concert debut at age ten, offering to play any of Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas as an encore.
