Composer: Charles Camille Saint-Saëns
Performer: Antony Gray
Number of Discs: 2
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Divine Art
Catalogue: DDA21236
Release: 2022
Size: 953 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
CD 01
Le Déluge, Op. 45
01. Prelude (Arr. for Piano Solo)
02. Serenade in E-Flat Major, Op. 15, R. 114 (Version for Piano Solo)
03. Hymne de la fête de Pâques (After Berlioz’s H. 111)
Album de Gauloises
04. No. 16, Improvisation
05. Chant du soir (After R. Schumann’s Op. 85 No. 12) [Version for Piano Solo]
06. Improvisation sur la Beethoven-Cantate de Liszt
2 Bagatelles
07. No. 1,
08. No. 2,
09. Berceuse in E Major, Op. 105, R. 63 (Arr. I. Philipp for Piano Solo)
10. Paraphrase sur ‘Gallia’ de Gounod
CD 02
2 Fantaisies écrites pour le luth (After L. Milán)
01. No. 1 in D Major
02. No. 2 in G Minor
03. Ouverture de la 29e cantate d’église (After J.S. Bach’s BWV 29)
04. Adagio d’après la 3e cantate d’église (After J.S. Bach’s BWV 3)
05. Andantino d’après la 8e cantate d’église (After J.S. Bach’s BWV 8)
06. Bourrée de la 1e sonate de violon (After J.S. Bach’s BWV 1002)
07. Andante de la 2e sonate de violon (After J.S. Bach’s BWV 1003)
08. Presto de la 35e cantate d’église (After J.S. Bach’s BWV 35)
09. Introduction et air de la 15e cantate d’église (After J.S. Bach’s BWV 15)
10. Fugue de la 3e sonate de violon (After J.S. Bach’s BWV 1005)
11. Largo de la 3e sonate de violin (After J.S. Bach’s BWV 1005)
12. Recitatif et air de la 30e cantate (After J.S. Bach’s BWV 30)
13. Gavotte de la 3e sonate de violon (After J.S. Bach’s BWV 1006)
14. Air de la 36e cantate (After J.S. Bach’s BWV 36)
15. Choeur de la 30e cantate (After J.S. Bach’s BWV 30)
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 2 is divided into two sections: transcriptions from cantatas and oratorios, original “occasional pieces”, transcriptions of two works by Luis de Milan as the Douze Transcriptions (of which there 13!) of works by J. S. Bach.
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.