The Piano Concerto No. 5 in F major, Op. 103, popularly known as The Egyptian, was Camille Saint-Saëns' last piano concerto. He wrote it in 1896, 20 years after his Fourth Piano Concerto, to play himself at his own Jubilee Concert on May 6 of that year. This concert celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his début at the Salle Pleyel in 1846.
The main melody of Saint-Saëns' fifth piano concerto.
This concerto is nicknamed "The Egyptian" for two reasons. Firstly, Saint-Saëns composed it in the temple town of Luxor while on one of his frequent winter vacations to Egypt, and secondly, the music is among his most exotic, displaying influences from Javanese and Spanish as well as Middle-eastern music. Saint-Saëns said that the piece represented a sea voyage.[1]
Saint-Saëns himself was the soloist at the première, which was a popular and critical success.
The Allegro animato alternates several times between two contrasting themes. It begins warmly, introducing a simple subject on the piano, which is imbued at each new variation with increasing energy by a brilliant and technically challenging piano part featuring runs up and down the keyboard. This dissolves into a much slower, more melancholic subject, recalling that of the Andante sostenuto movement of Saint-Saëns' second piano concerto. Like waves, the two lead into one another until finally the second theme gives way to a gentle coda.
The Andante, traditionally the slow and expressive movement in concerto form, begins literally with a bang; the timpani punctuate an orchestral chord followed by an intensely rhythmic string part and an ascending and descending exotic run on the piano. This exciting introduction segues into the thematic exposition based on a Nubian love song that Saint-Saëns heard boatmen sing as he sailed on the Nile in a 'dahabiah' boat. Lush and exotic, this is the primary manifestation of the Egyptian sounds of the piece and probably the source of the nickname. Toward the end of the section, the piano and orchestra produce impressionistic sounds representing frogs and the chirping of Nile crickets.[2]
Molto allegro
The soloist begins the third Molto allegro with low rumbles suggesting the sounds of ships' propellers before exhibiting a vigorous and bustling first theme that rushes all over the piano. The piano continues in its dizzying motion as the woodwinds and strings bring in a driving new melody. The two combine and overlap, creating an active tension that Saint-Saëns uses to great dramatic effect, concluding the movement with a triumphant flourish. He later adapted these themes in 1899 for the Toccata that closes the Opus 111 series of piano études.
Classic recordings of this work by Hisatada Odaka and Kazuko Yasukawa are not currently available. Selected recordings presently available include:
Magda Tagliaferro and the Orchestre Lamoureux, conducted by Jean Fournet. Recorded 1954. Reported on 3 CD set with other composers APR 2021. Diapason d’or
Jeanne-Marie Darré and the Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française, conducted by Louis Fouretier. Recorded 1957. Reported on a 2-CD set with all 5 Saint-Saëns piano concertos (Emi classics 1996)
Mūza Rubackyté and the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Hans Martin Schneidt (with Piano concerto n°2, conducted by Alain Pâris). Live record. CD Doron music 2014
Louis Lortie and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra (complete piano concertos n°1, n°2, n°3, n°4, n°5), conducted by Edward Gardner (en). 2 CD Chandos 2018-2019
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This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Piano Concerto No 5 Saint Saens news newspapers books scholar JSTOR October 2016 Learn how and when to remove this message The Piano Concerto No 5 in F major Op 103 popularly known as The Egyptian was Camille Saint Saens last piano concerto He wrote it in 1896 20 years after his Fourth Piano Concerto to play himself at his own Jubilee Concert on May 6 of that year This concert celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his debut at the Salle Pleyel in 1846 The main melody of Saint Saens fifth piano concerto This concerto is nicknamed The Egyptian for two reasons Firstly Saint Saens composed it in the temple town of Luxor while on one of his frequent winter vacations to Egypt and secondly the music is among his most exotic displaying influences from Javanese and Spanish as well as Middle eastern music Saint Saens said that the piece represented a sea voyage 1 Saint Saens himself was the soloist at the premiere which was a popular and critical success Contents 1 Structure 2 Instrumentation 3 Recordings 4 References 5 External linksStructure editAllegro animato The Allegro animato alternates several times between two contrasting themes It begins warmly introducing a simple subject on the piano which is imbued at each new variation with increasing energy by a brilliant and technically challenging piano part featuring runs up and down the keyboard This dissolves into a much slower more melancholic subject recalling that of the Andante sostenuto movement of Saint Saens second piano concerto Like waves the two lead into one another until finally the second theme gives way to a gentle coda nbsp Andante The Andante traditionally the slow and expressive movement in concerto form begins literally with a bang the timpani punctuate an orchestral chord followed by an intensely rhythmic string part and an ascending and descending exotic run on the piano This exciting introduction segues into the thematic exposition based on a Nubian love song that Saint Saens heard boatmen sing as he sailed on the Nile in a dahabiah boat Lush and exotic this is the primary manifestation of the Egyptian sounds of the piece and probably the source of the nickname Toward the end of the section the piano and orchestra produce impressionistic sounds representing frogs and the chirping of Nile crickets 2 nbsp Molto allegro The soloist begins the third Molto allegro with low rumbles suggesting the sounds of ships propellers before exhibiting a vigorous and bustling first theme that rushes all over the piano The piano continues in its dizzying motion as the woodwinds and strings bring in a driving new melody The two combine and overlap creating an active tension that Saint Saens uses to great dramatic effect concluding the movement with a triumphant flourish He later adapted these themes in 1899 for the Toccata that closes the Opus 111 series of piano etudes nbsp Instrumentation editThe concerto is scored for solo piano piccolo 2 flutes 2 oboes 2 clarinets 2 bassoons 4 horns 2 trumpets 3 trombones timpani tam tam and strings 3 Recordings editClassic recordings of this work by Hisatada Odaka and Kazuko Yasukawa are not currently available Selected recordings presently available include Magda Tagliaferro and the Orchestre Lamoureux conducted by Jean Fournet Recorded 1954 Reported on 3 CD set with other composers APR 2021 Diapason d or Jeanne Marie Darre and the Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Francaise conducted by Louis Fouretier Recorded 1957 Reported on a 2 CD set with all 5 Saint Saens piano concertos Emi classics 1996 Philippe Entremont and the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse conducted by Michel Plasson Columbia Masterworks on a 2 CD set with all 5 Saint Saens piano concertos recorded 1976 Jean Philippe Collard and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Andre Previn EMI 86245 on a 2 CD set with all 5 Saint Saens piano concertos Recorded 1987 Aldo Ciccolini and the Orchestre de Paris conducted by Serge Baudo EMI 585183 on a 2 CD set with all 5 Saint Saens piano concertos Recorded 1971 Idil Biret piano Bilkent Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jean Fournet CD IBA BMP Recorded 1999 Anna Malikova and the WDR Symphony Orchestra conducted by Thomas Sanderling Cologne Audite 92 510 on a 2 SACD set with all 5 Saint Saens piano concertos Recorded 2010 Pascal Roge and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Charles Dutoit Decca 443 865 2 2 cd set with all 5 Saint Saens piano concertos Recorded 1981 Sviatoslaw Richter and the Moscow Youth Orchestra conducted by Kirill Kondrashin LP Le Chant du Monde 1955 reported on CD 2008 Sviatoslaw Richter and the Radio Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR conducted by Christoph Eschenbach CD Schwetzingen SWR Festspiele Recorded 1993 Stephen Hough and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sakari Oramo Hyperion CDA67331 2 2 CD set with all 5 Saint Saens piano concertos and other works Recorded 2000 Diapason d or Choc Le Monde de la Musique Muza Rubackyte and the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Hans Martin Schneidt with Piano concerto n 2 conducted by Alain Paris Live record CD Doron music 2014 Louis Lortie and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra complete piano concertos n 1 n 2 n 3 n 4 n 5 conducted by Edward Gardner en 2 CD Chandos 2018 2019 Bertrand Chamayou and the Orchestre National de France conducted by Emmanuel Krivine CD Erato 2019 Gramophone Award Choc de Classica Alexandre Kantorow and the Tapiola Sinfonietta conducted by Jean Jacques Kantorow SACD Bis 2019 Diapason d or Choc de Classica Clelia Iruzum piano Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jac Van Steen CD Somm recordings 2020 Jean Yves Thibaudet piano Orchestre de la Suisse Romande conducted by Charles Dutoit CD Decca 2007References edit Phillip Borg Wheeler Hyperion record notes Phillip Borg Wheeler Hyperion record notes IMSLP detailsExternal links editPiano Concerto No 5 Scores at the International Music Score Library Project Camille Saint Saens Piano Concerto No 5 Egyptian program notes by Barbara Heninger for the Redwood Symphony Portal nbsp Classical Music Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Piano Concerto No 5 Saint Saens amp oldid 1222119731, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
