Piano concertos nos. 2 and 4

Book excerpt: Throughout much of his long, highly productive career, Camille Saint-Saens (1835 1921) occupied a dominant position in French music. Admired for his masterly command of orchestration and high standards of form, style, and workmanship, Saint-Saens wrote for the piano in an elegant, virtuoso style. In this volume, pianists and music lovers will find authoritative full-score editions of two of the composer's most popular piano concertos, works frequently performed since their premieres, and often recorded to this day: "Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 22, "and" Piano Concerto No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 44. "In the tradition of the great composer/pianists of his time, Saint-Saens was the soloist for the premieres of both works in Paris: of No. 2 in 1868, and of No. 4 in 1875. The scores of these concert favorites have been reprinted from the authoritative editions published by Durand et Cie, Paris. "