Composer: Charles Camille Saint-Saëns
Performer: Antony Gray
Number of Discs: 2
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Divine Art
Catalogue: DDA21235
Release: 2022
Size: 1.08 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
CD 01
Javotte
01. I. Bourree
02. II. Scene et valse lente
03. III. Pas de deux
04. IV. Allegretto – Allegro non troppo presto
05. Caprice on Airs from Gluck’s ‘Alceste’
Ascanio
06. Scene du mendiant (Excerpts Arr. for Piano Solo)
07. Danse de l’amour (Excerpts Arr. for Piano Solo)
08. Valse du ‘Prophete’ de Meyerbeer
09. Henry VIII (Excerpts Arr. for Piano Solo)
10. Paraphrase sur Mandolinata (After Paladihe)
Proserpine, R 292
11. Prelude to Act II (Excerpts Arr. P. Bellenot for Piano Solo)
12. Pavane (Excerpts Arr. P. Bellenot for Piano Solo)
13. La Mort de Thais (After Massenet)
14. Scherzo sur “Les Pecheurs de Perles” (After Bizet)
CD 02
Suite algérienne, Op. 60
01. IV. Marche militaire française
02. III. Rêverie du soir
Lola, Op. 116
03. Tango
04. Elégie, Op. 160
05. Rhasodie d’Auvergne, Op. 73 (Version for Piano Solo)
06. Benediction Nuptiale in F major, Op. 9
07. Une nuite a Lisbonne, op. 63 “Barcarolle”
08. Souvenir d’Italie, Op. 80
09. Paraphrase sur Las Islena (After Paladilhe)
10. Fantasie sur l’hymne national russe (After A. Lwoff)
11. Africa – Fantasie for piano & orchestra Op. 89
Saint-Saëns excelled as a composer, conductor, pianist and organist – his composition output is enormous, reaching over 160 titles of which many are substantial – operas, ballets, symphonies – yet today much of his work remains neglected and he is known by a few works only: the “Organ” Symphony, Samson et Dalila, Danse macabre and The Carnival of the Animals. His original piano pieces are generally light “salon” works but are nonetheless delightful and well formed. His major contribution to the piano works is the equally neglected body of transcriptions (of his own works and those of others) where he was sadly eclipsed by the more outgoing and promotion-minded Franz Liszt.
This album and its companion include a number of first recordings, introducing a large body of keyboard gems to a new audience. Volume 1 is divided into two sections: transcriptions from opera and ballet, and pieces inspired by specific places.
Antony Gray is a London-based Australian pianist and teacher with numerous acclaimed recordings to his name on ABC and other labels including a 3-album set of Bach transcriptions and a 5-album set containing the entire piano output of Poulenc. He has premiered many new pieces written for him and has often appeared on radio in the UK and Australia.