Saint-Saëns - Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 29 (Lortie)

The Piano Concerto No. 3 in E♭ major, Op. 29 by Camille Saint-Saëns, was composed in 1869. The concerto is written in 3 movements. When the concerto was first performed by Saint-Saëns himself at the Leipzig Gewandhaus on 27 November 1869 it was not well received, possibly because of its harmonic experimentation. It is not as often performed as his famous second concerto or the fourth or fifth concertos, but it is still an important addition to the piano concerto repertoire. It was dedicated to Élie-Miriam Delaborde, a pianist who is believed to have been the natural son of Charles-Valentin Alkan.

🇫🇷 Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
Piano Concerto No. 3 in E♭ major, Op. 29 (1869)

00:00 Moderato assai
The first movement begins in E♭ in common time with the piano playing large, rapid arpeggios. The main theme is then presented by the orchestra. The piano continues the arpeggios while the orchestra elaborates the theme. Later, the piano presents the second theme of the exposition, less rustic than the first, marked molto tranquillo, perhaps unique by being played by the piano by itself without any accompaniment, as well as for being in a distant key (D major). A technically brilliant cadenza follows. In the development, the piano employs many pianistic devices such as parallel octaves, rapid arpeggio and scale figures, and polyrhythms. The recapitulation follows and later the coda, profuse with octaves and large chords. The movement lasts about 14 minutes.

12:11 Andante
The second movement is in E major and is in 3/4 time. The movement is feverish and slow. The main theme is presented in the orchestra and varied and developed throughout the movement. The movement continues without pause into the third movement. It lasts about 7 minutes.

18:38 Allegro non troppo
The third movement is in E-flat major and is in 2/4 time. It is rapid and hectic with florid melodies. There are many technical difficulties confronting the soloist, including many octaves, rapid arpeggio and scale figures, and large chords. The concerto ends in an exhilarating coda. It lasts about 8 minutes.

Performers:
Louis Lortie, piano
BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Edward Gardner