Piano Concerto No. 1 (Saint-Saëns)

The Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op 17, is a work for piano and orchestra by French composer Camille Saint- Saëns.

Formation

Saint- Saëns wrote his Piano Concerto No. 1 in 1858, at the age of 23 years. He dedicated the work to the wife of Alfred Jaell. The concert is still very much the style of composition Felix Mendelssohn obligation which was one of the musical heroes Saint- Saëns '. The great symphonic gesture already indicates the piano concertos Tschaikovskis, as well as on their championship later concerts.

About the Music

Occupation

Solo piano, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets and strings

1st movement: Andante - Allegro assai

The main clause begins with a Hornfanfare, which is the set as it were prefixed as a motto. The piano is directly followed by a rapid upward with running. The urgent, developed from the fanfare, the main topic is first presented by the orchestra. In the middle of a musical phrase takes over the piano virtuoso with chords. A calmer, more flowing second thought, is introduced directly into the first issue temporarily, and accompanied by the piano playing around. The preferred implementation of the main theme, which is first processed in sudden ductus. The recapitulation sets without Hornfanfare directly with the almost verbatim repetition of the first theme a. A large-scale solo cadenza is missing from the set. It ends with strong chords of the orchestra and solo instrument.

2nd movement: Andante sostenuto, quasi adagio

The second movement begins with a threatening gesture in the lower strings, accompanied by Pizzicatotupfern the high strings. The piano unfolds on this basis, a rambling, elegiac melody. Falling objections of the strings lead to some chords and a small solo cadenza of the piano. This cadence introductory chords return multiple times in the course of the movement again. The melody is then taken over by the woodwinds, which continue the thematic material in the sense of endless melody and return to the piano. The event comes to a standstill, and the beginning of the sentence is almost repeated, but the cadence of own piano is now greatly changed. A Unisonolauf the string leads back to the chord theme of the solo instrument. Some more solo runs and two final notes of the piano end the mysterious action set.

3rd movement: Allegro con fuoco

The stormy final movement starts directly with the main theme, which is played by the orchestra and solo piano in alternating chords. A lyrischerer second thought, the recites the piano is repeatedly interrupted by jocular interjections of the woodwinds and strings, which quote the main theme. Both issues will be further developed and edited in hilarious competition. It also comes to brilliant moments when the piano in the orchestra accompanies the wide mellifluous and decorated by trumpet fanfare melody with big Arpeggioläufen. To the triumphant conclusion of the concert lead solemn chords of the piano, which are accompanied by the full orchestra.

Effect

The Piano Concerto enjoyed due to his youthful élan and its freshness of some popularity. While there is today no longer as likely to hear, such as the 2nd and 4th piano concerto, yet it is often listed. Saint- Saëns arranged the piece later for two pianos, a version that is rarely heard.