Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921)
Complete Piano Works 5: Rarities and Transcriptions
2 Bagatelles (1858) [4:44]*
Antwort (1866) [3:06]*
Fantaisie sur la quintette de ‘L’Étoile du Nord’ de Meyerbeer (1858) [4:59]*
Valse du ‘Prophète’ de Meyerbeer (1857) [5:53]*
Fantaisie sur ‘Lohengrin’ de Wagner (1859) [7:49]*
Choeur des dervisches tourneurs tiré des ‘Ruines d’Athènes’ de Beethoven (1869) [2:36]
Paraphrase sur ‘Gallia’ de Gounod (1871) [8:54]*
Scherzo sur les ‘Pêcheurs de Perles’ de Bizet (1886) [9:13]*
La Mort de Thaïs – Paraphrase de Concert sur l’opéra de Massenet (1895) [7:08]
Improvisation sur la Beethoven-Cantate de Liszt (1870) [11:59]*
Africa, Op.89 (solo piano version, 1891) [11:32]
Geoffrey Burleson (piano)
rec. 2017, Petrych Sound Studios, Bronx, New York
*First recording
GRAND PIANO GP626 [71:51]
I’ve been waiting for this one! I reviewed volume 4 of this series some two years ago and said there how much I was looking forward to the next disc; after some delay, here it is. Most of the works on this disc are first recordings, thanks to the diligent searching of the pianist, Geoffrey Burleson, who discovered the existence of the works via Sabina Teller Ratner’s bibliography and then found the manuscripts in the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris.
The opening works on this disc are two previously unknown Bagatelles. These are early works, dating from the composer’s early twenties when he was still not well established. The first of these two short pieces is a rather pleasant little work with some nice harmonic touches and hints as to his later style. The second is particularly cheerful and bounces along nicely - and is deftly played here.
There then follows another first recording, a little work called ‘Antwort’ which dates from slightly later in the composer’s life. Sounding in places like one of Liszt’s late works with strange harmonic progressions and unresolved dissonance. It’s a sad, strange, melancholy little piece, played with requisite feeling until two thirds of the way through, when there is a short more violent part which dissolves wonderfully into a rather touching last few notes.
As might be expected for a composer active in the middle of the 19th century, Saint-Saëns wrote quite a number of piano transcriptions and the remainder of the disc is taken up with some of these, recently rediscovered, as I detailed earlier. First is a fantasy on the quintet from L’Étoile du Nord by Meyerbeer. This is a short and rather strange little work, full of strange, jarring ideas and much virtuosity for the pianist to negotiate. There is a really lovely little tune around a minute in which acts as a bridge to the material that makes up the remainder of the work but much of the piece sounds very difficult – not that this poses any problems for Mr. Burleson. I initially had reservations about this work but with repeated listening, it has grown on me and I find it rather marvellous.
Meyerbeer again provided the source material for the next work (track 5), the Waltz from Le Prophète. The actual theme is a skittish little waltz which provides plenty of difficulty for the pianist. Things settle down about two minutes in with a charming slower section which gradually varies before the skittish music returns with some very rapid tremelandos in the bass accompanied by some very clever arabesques for the right hand to deal with. Again, this is another work which grew on me and my lack of knowledge of the source material did not hamper my enjoyment of the piece.
Perhaps surprisingly from a French composer, Wagner’s Lohengrin is the basis for the next paraphrase. This is stitched together using various themes from the opera, including hints at the Prelude, Elsa’s Dream music and much else besides. Interestingly, the Dream music provides an appropriate introduction to the piece before it becomes more of a free-flowing fantasy with plenty of nice Lisztian touches, lots of clever harmonies and cross linking of other themes from the opera. The fugal writing from 3’20’’ onwards is very clever indeed and builds to an impressive climax based on the ‘Jubelweisen’ from the end of act 1 (as the notes say).
I first read of the existence of the transcription of the ‘Chorus of the Dervishes’ from Beethoven’s ‘Ruins of Athens’ in the cover notes for one of Leslie Howard’s Hyperion Liszt CDs but I’d never heard it until this recording. This is a short and ferociously difficult little piece which works tremendously well for piano - and the recording and playing are first rate. The creepy, supernatural elements in it come across especially well here.
Next is a fantasy on a work by Gounod who apparently wrote twelve operas in total, including the famous Faust for which he is primarily remembered. Here, Saint-Saëns constructs a fantasy on his motet ‘Gallia’ which dates from the same year as the work was premiered. I’d never heard of it before but the themes which Saint-Saëns uses are very interesting and create a rather splendid virtuoso showpiece full of interesting key changes and some tricky passagework for the pianist. The central part about five minutes in is more restrained and provides the pianist with a chance to play some really beautiful melodies which he does perfectly. There are again some very Lisztian touches, especially towards the end as the piece grows to a victorious conclusion. I do really like it, as it is full of interest for the listener and shines a light into a little-known work by Gounod which appears to have been recorded only once.
Track 9 is based on the ‘Scherzo’ from Bizet’s Pearl Fishers and dates from later on in Saint-Saëns life, around the time of the famous Organ Symphony. This is again Lisztian in tone at the beginning and rattles along at a tremendous pace with lots of repeated notes for the pianist which are dispatched here with considerable aplomb. The central variation part is more restrained at least in terms of volume and contains playing which is both delicate and brilliant - it really sounds here as if Mr. Burleson is having a great time playing this piece. It is a marvellous work and really deserves to be heard more often; I can’t believe something this fun has lain undiscovered in a vault for over a century. All the difficulties are superbly dispatched here and the work is as splendid as the pianism.
Saint-Saëns’s fantasy on ‘La Mort de Thaïs’ has been recorded before; I actually reviewed the first ever recording of it in 2018. The major difference between these two pianists is the time taken to play this work: Andrew Wright takes 8’45’’ and Geoffrey Burleson only 7’08’’. Without doing a bar by bar comparison, it is difficult to say why there is this big difference but here the piece is taken at a tremendous pace which may account for the some of the dissimilarity. The opening part is frantic in nature, full of difficulties for the pianist before suddenly ending with some religious sounding chordal writing, giving way to the famous meditation much beloved of violinists (and the listening public). I think I prefer Andrew Wright’s performance as it gives the music more time to breathe. The virtuosity on this disc is breath-taking and well worth a listen – especially in a work as rarely heard as this. In my opinion, it is always worth having more than one recording of a work so why not treat yourself and get both?
The penultimate track on this disc is a paraphrase on Liszt’s ‘Beethoven Cantata’ which was written for the Beethoven centenary celebrations in 1870. As a Liszt fan, I’d read about this work and was really excited about hearing it but initially it came across as a fractured and not very coherent piece. However, after repeated listening, I have grown to enjoy it. Unsurprisingly, there are many Lisztian touches and also some Wagnerian hints, all within the framework of a slightly bonkers paraphrase. There is plenty of harmonic interest here, too, with lots of virtuosity and many sly winks to the works of Beethoven – especially the liftings from the Eroica Symphony, all played by Mr. Burleson with the requisite technique and feeling where required. Finally, I should say that I am not familiar with Liszt’s ‘Beethoven Cantata’ and will have to investigate it later.
Last is Saint-Saëns’s solo piano version of his completely barmy ‘Africa’ Fantasy, Op.89, much more familiar in the piano and orchestral version. I’ve always liked this work for its totally over-the-top virtuosity and joie de vivre. Here, all the orchestral details are expertly integrated into a solo piano work of extreme difficulty which Mr. Burleson negotiates skilfully. There is no let-up in the virtuosity in the eleven and a half minutes with repeated notes, runs, tremelandos, rapid leaps and scalic passages all creating a brilliant fantasy. The piece starts seriously in G minor and gradually changes to G major by means of some interesting key changes and includes references to the Tunisian National Anthem and other suitably geographically located tunes. It is marvellous and excellently played – I like this just as much as the piano and orchestral version.
As an aside, some of the other Saint-Saëns solo piano transcriptions include versions of some of the symphonic poems (for example, Earl Wilde’s recording of ‘Le Rouet d’Omphale’, Op.31, which is peerless) plus the famous ‘Bacchanale’ from Samson and Delilah - there is a marvellous recording by Lucille Chung of this. I assume these works will be included later in this series. There are, no doubt some other pieces that I’m unaware of - and won’t be until they are recorded, bearing in mind the absurd cost (£250 each) of the two volumes (to date) of Sabina Teller Ratner’s books about this composer.
This is a marvellous recording, perhaps best heard in parts rather than in one sitting, with interesting and informative cover notes by Mr. Burleson himself and excellent recording quality. I am so glad that this series is continuing as the intervening time between volumes 4 and 5 was so long that I was beginning to wonder if it had been cancelled. Once again, the pianist Geoffrey Burleson has made a super job of these obscure and interesting works. I am also beginning to wonder what other unheard piano music by this composer is lurking in the archives and whether this series might turn out to be even longer than anyone expects it to be.
Jonathan Welsh
