THURSDAY, December 3, 2020 – 1:00 AM
Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, age 32
This piano concerto has been a crowd pleaser for a very long time, but to show it off it needs a really strong performance, and I believe I found one.
Instrumentation:
- solo piano
- 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons
- 2 horns, 2 trumpets
- timpani, crash cymbals
- strings
Dmitry Shishkin
- I. Andante sostenuto (in G minor)
- II. Allegro scherzando (in Eb major)
- III. Presto (in G minor – G major)
1st movement
The concerto begins with a piano solo playing a long improvisational introduction in the style of a Bach fantasia. After the orchestra enters, the restless and melancholy first theme is played, again by the piano solo. Saint-Saëns drew the theme from his student Gabriel Fauré’s abandoned Tantum ergo motet. The Bach-like opening motif returns in the coda.
2nd movement
The second movement is in E-flat major and resembles a scherzo.
3rd movement
The concerto concludes by returning to G minor. It is a fiery saltarella.
Written quickly and not played well
Saint-Saëns wrote the concerto in three weeks and had very little time to prepare for the première; consequently, the piece was not initially successful.
Famous quote
Zygmunt Stojowski quipped:
“begins with Bach and ends with Offenbach.”
This was wonderful, full of excitement. Definitely not conservative. Some pianists are able to express what they are feeling through their playing. He is one of them. I felt the urge to stand up and applaud along with the audience.
Vaya; I am gladly impressed with this young pianist’s performance.