Bagatelles (6) for piano, Op. 3: Allegro animato quasi presto
Bagatelles (6) for piano, Op. 3: Poco adagio
Bagatelles (6) for piano, Op. 3: Moderato assai
Bagatelles (6) for piano, Op. 3: Allegro molto
Bagatelles (6) for piano, Op. 3: Poco sostenuto
Duettino, for piano, 4 hands in G major, Op. 11
Variations on a Theme of Beethoven, for 2 pianos, Op. 35
Piano Concerto No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 29: Allegro
Caprice on 'Airs de ballet,' for piano (after Gluck's 'Alceste')
Track Listings (14) - Disc #2
Mazurka No. 1 for piano in G minor, Op. 21
Mazurka No. 2 for piano in G minor, Op. 24
Mazurka No. 3 for piano in B minor, Op. 66
Gavotte for piano in C minor (also orchestrated), Op. 23
Études (6) for piano, Op. 52: Prelude
Études (6) for piano, Op. 52: Andantino malinconico
Études (6) for piano, Op. 52: Prelude-Fugue
Études (6) for piano, Op. 52: Andantino
Études (6) for piano, Op. 52: Prelude-Fugue
Études (6) for piano, Op. 52: Etude en forme de valse
Allegro appassionato, for piano (also with orchestra ad lib) in C sharp minor, Op. 70
Minuet et valse, for piano, Op. 56
Une nuit à Lisbonne, barcarolle for orchestra in E flat major, Op. 63
Polonaise, for 2 pianos in F minor, Op. 77
Track Listings (16) - Disc #3
Album for piano, Op. 72: Prélude
Album for piano, Op. 72: Carillon
Album for piano, Op. 72: Toccata
Album for piano, Op. 72: Valse
Album for piano, Op. 72: Chanson Napolitaine
Album for piano, Op. 72: Final
Souvenir d'Italie, for piano in G major, Op. 80
Feuillet d'album, for piano, 4 hands in B flat major, Op. 81
Les cloches du soir, for piano in E flat major, Op. 85
Pas redoublé, for piano, 4 hands in B flat major, Op. 86
Scherzo for 2 pianos, Op. 87
Valse canariote, for piano in A minor, Op. 88
Suite for piano in F major, Op. 90: Prélude & Fugue
Suite for piano in F major, Op. 90: Menuet
Suite for piano in F major, Op. 90: Gavotte
Suite for piano in F major, Op. 90: Gigue
Track Listings (14) - Disc #4
Souvenir d'Ismailia, for piano, Op. 100
Valse nonchalante, for piano in D flat major, Op. 110 (also orchestrated)
Caprice arabe, for 2 pianos, Op. 96
Thème varié, for piano, Op. 97
Valse mignonne, for piano in E flat major, Op. 104
Caprice héroïque, for 2 pianos, Op. 106
Valse langoureuse, for piano, Op. 120
Valse gaie, for piano, Op. 139
Études (6) for piano, left hand, Op. 135: Prelude
Études (6) for piano, left hand, Op. 135: Alla fuga
Études (6) for piano, left hand, Op. 135: Moto Perpetuo
Études (6) for piano, left hand, Op. 135: Bourree
Études (6) for piano, left hand, Op. 135: Elegie
Études (6) for piano, left hand, Op. 135: Gigue
Track Listings (28) - Disc #5
Études (6) for piano, Op. 111: Tierces majeurs et mineurs
Études (6) for piano, Op. 111: Traits chromatiques
Études (6) for piano, Op. 111: Prelude et fugue
Études (6) for piano, Op. 111: Les Cloches de las Palmas
Études (6) for piano, Op. 111: Tierces majeurs chromatiques
Études (6) for piano, Op. 111: Toccata d'apres le 5eme concerto
March Interalliée, for piano, 4 hands, Op. 155
Fugues (6) for piano, Op. 161: Allegro moderato
Fugues (6) for piano, Op. 161: Poco Allegro grazioso
Fugues (6) for piano, Op. 161: Allegretto
Fugues (6) for piano, Op. 161: Allegro moderato
Fugues (6) for piano, Op. 161: Andantino quasi allegretto
Fugues (6) for piano, Op. 161: Maestoso poco allegro
Feuillet d'album, for piano in A flat major, Op. 169
Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: Introduction and Royal March
Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: Hens and Cocks
Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: Wild Asses
Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: Tortoises
Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: The Elephant
Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: Kangaroos
Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: The Aquarium
Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: Personages with Long Ears
Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: Cuckoo in the Woods
Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: Birds
Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: Pianists
Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: Fossils
Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: The Swan
Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: Finale
This series of Saint-Saëns' piano music, recorded in 1974, will be of interest to the composer's admirers, but it's not likely to win any awards. Most of the music consists of glittering generalities, with few memorab... more »le moments and a lot of padding. Saint-Saëns had inspirations, but he didn't waste many of them on his solo piano music. In the few cases when a piece has become familiar, we can tell that Dosse's performances are mostly just adequate, seldom exciting or insightful. She gets around the keys well enough, and the last of the Six Etudes (based on the composer's own Fifth Piano Concerto) is pretty dazzling, but elsewhere she seems to be just going through the motions. The solo piano music, recorded by the wonderful Elite team of Nickrenz & Aubort, has splendid sound quality. But the duets, recorded in Stuttgart, sound boxy and flat--except for "Carnival of the Animals," with the sparkling chamber orchestra. This certainly isn't a bad set, but it's only a compelling purchase for lovers of this composer who can't get enough of his piano music. Well, now they can. --Leslie Gerber« less
This series of Saint-Saëns' piano music, recorded in 1974, will be of interest to the composer's admirers, but it's not likely to win any awards. Most of the music consists of glittering generalities, with few memorable moments and a lot of padding. Saint-Saëns had inspirations, but he didn't waste many of them on his solo piano music. In the few cases when a piece has become familiar, we can tell that Dosse's performances are mostly just adequate, seldom exciting or insightful. She gets around the keys well enough, and the last of the Six Etudes (based on the composer's own Fifth Piano Concerto) is pretty dazzling, but elsewhere she seems to be just going through the motions. The solo piano music, recorded by the wonderful Elite team of Nickrenz & Aubort, has splendid sound quality. But the duets, recorded in Stuttgart, sound boxy and flat--except for "Carnival of the Animals," with the sparkling chamber orchestra. This certainly isn't a bad set, but it's only a compelling purchase for lovers of this composer who can't get enough of his piano music. Well, now they can. --Leslie Gerber
CD Reviews
Proto-Modern Music
05/20/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Saint-Saens didn't believe that music must express deep emotion to be worthwhile. He was more interested in beautiful surfaces than in profundity. The composer's aesthetic, which might be described as "decorative," justifies certain limitations and is not all that different from Milhaud's or Poulenc's, although the musical idiom is more 19th century than 20th century.
Because this is a "complete works" set of CDs, the quality of the compositions is predictably uneven. Several of the many pieces included are too protracted, formulaic and even dull, but few are without any interest. Almost all seem impersonal and dispassionate. That said, much of the music is lovely, frequently colorful and occasionally dazzling. Saint-Saens' piano writing is almost always transparent, elegant, ironic and wry. Some pieces, like the Scherzo for Two Pianos (which is organized as a palindrome), the Valse Gaie and the Etude en Forme de Valse, are stunning mixtures of modern musical language and traditional gestures. There is truly no other music like this.
Admirers of French music are fortunate that Vox decided to reissue these performances, which range from adequate to excellent."
Apollo AND Dionysus
Dace Gisclard | Houston, TX | 08/06/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is delightful stuff! Nothing "profound" here (what a dreadful sin, Mr. Gerber!) but plenty of this composer's mix of the playful and the intellectual. True, there are a few pieces (the fugues and some of the more mechanically-oriented etudes) that are academic note-spinning, but there's lots more that aren't. It's perfectly OK to like and enjoy this kind of elegant fluff--does EVERYTHING have to be a heaven-storming masterpiece? People who think that miss an awful lot. If you like Bizet (but don't expect Carmen!) and Chabrier, this will appeal to you.
Saint-Saens was one of the greatest pianists of his time, and certainly knew his way around a keyboard. Marylene Dosse has the technique and temperament to do this music justice. The remastered analog sound is NOT terrible--perhaps a bit shallow and not state of the art digital, but quite easily listenable. I certainly don't hear the "bumps and pops" alluded to by another reviewer--can't imagine what's going on there.
Highlights of the set that I particularly enjoy: the two-piano Beethoven Variations on the trio of the menuet of the Piano Sonata Op.31 No.3 (the pianos sound in tune to me, although someone with perfect pitch might find them a few cents off!); the Allegro appassionato and the Etude en forme de valse--two standard classics that every lover of French piano music should know; the transcription and abridgement for piano solo of the first movement of Piano Concerto No.3 (with the orchestral parts absorbed into the piano); the last of the Etudes Op.111 where the composer reworks material from his Piano Concerto No.5 into a brilliant toccata.
At this price, this set is a steal, and, as Mr. Crawford said, a nice companion for the piano concertos (I'm particularly fond of Collard--Hough is a bit too much of a speed demon on the autobahn, looking neither to the right nor left to see the beauties just within sight.)"
Marylene Dosse truly makes the piano sparkle
Matthew | New York | 12/05/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a collection rare to come across: the complete piano works by Saint-Saens. As a native of France, Ms. Dosse accomplishes the nearly impossible task of recording the entirety of this difficult french repertoire. Her masterful understand of the music is apparently throughout every piece and her musicality extends far past that of many of the great pianists. In addition to the extraordinary playing, the set is marvelously priced. This is a set to add to your collection."