Saint-Saëns: Piano Quartet, Barcarolle & Piano Quintet

Featuring

Ralph Evans
Nicolò Eugelmi
Robert Cohen
Cristina Ortiz
Efim Boico
Fine Arts Quartet

Camille Saint-Saëns

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Compositional Technique

The Barcarolle, Op. 108, was originally scored for the unusual combination of violin, cello, harmonium, and piano, with Saint-Saëns himself playing the harmonium at its premiere.

Critical Reception

By the time of his death in 1921, Saint-Saëns had somewhat outlived his reputation in France, an era dominated by composers like Les Six.

Performer Biography

Cristina Ortiz, the pianist on this recording, won a Gold Medal at the third Van Cliburn Competition in Texas and later studied with the legendary Rudolf Serkin.

Composer Biography

By the age of ten, Saint-Saëns had memorized all of Beethoven's piano sonatas.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Saint-Saëns's intellectual curiosity led him to champion contemporary music and promote the rediscovery of works by older composers.

Composer Biography

Camille Saint-Saëns, like Mozart and Mendelssohn, showed remarkable musical precocity as a child, starting piano lessons at two and a half.

Historical Context

After the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, Saint-Saëns was instrumental in founding the Société Nationale de Musique, an organization dedicated to propagating French music.