Brilliant Classics

Saint-Saens: Complete Sonatas

$16.99

Details

Composer
Camille Saint-Saens
Artist
Mauro Tortorelli, Angela Meluso, Andrea Favalessa, Maria Semeraro, Akane Makita, Soloists of the Acc
Format
CD
Label
Brilliant Classics
Released
Apr 18, 2025
Catalog #
BRI97625
UPC
5028421976259

About

A unique collection of the instrumental sonatas by Saint-Saens, in recent and critically praised Italian recordings. The perfection of Saint-Saens's craftsmanship and the Gallic grace of his seemingly inexhaustible melodic muse were evident from early on in his career, composing as he did in childhood. No less evident was his faith in traditional forms such as the sonata. The works compiled here were composed over the course of half a century, during which time the world and musical culture evolved radically. Saint-Saens evolved too, but only according to the principles to which he held faith - in tonality, in melodic elegance - throughout his long life and career. In fact the composer was already 37 when he wrote the earliest piece here, the First Cello Sonata, in 1872. It does not seek to emulate the crowd-pleasing brilliance or wit of many of his best-known works but instead plots a dark, dramatic and often Beethovenian course through the conventional three-movement span. Compiling these sonatas in this way helps us to appreciate how, by the time we reach the First Violin Sonata of 1885, Saint-Saens had begun to integrate competing imperatives of intensity and elegance. It is curious that the composer's later violin and cello sonatas have never achieved the popularity of his initial essays. Indeed, these Brilliant Classics recordings almost have the field to themselves in the catalogue. Yet they are surely underestimated, because Saint-Saens had an almost endless capacity for reinvention - as he conclusively demonstrated late in life with three-fifths of a planned project to write five sonatas, all for instruments of the woodwind family. The instruments in these three works are scored for by the deft hand of a composer with a lifetime of experience writing for them in orchestral and chamber music settings.

Tracklist 32 tracks

  1. 1 I. Allegro agitato 07:27
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro agitato
    Duration
    07:27
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Mauro Tortorelli, Angela Meluso
  2. 2 II. Adagio 06:42
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Adagio
    Duration
    06:42
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Mauro Tortorelli, Angela Meluso
  3. 3 III. Allegretto moderato 03:57
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Allegretto moderato
    Duration
    03:57
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Mauro Tortorelli, Angela Meluso
  4. 4 IV. Allegro molto 06:17
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Allegro molto
    Duration
    06:17
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Mauro Tortorelli, Angela Meluso
  5. 5 Berceuse in B-Flat Major, Op. 38 05:40
    Track
    5
    Title
    Berceuse in B-Flat Major, Op. 38
    Duration
    05:40
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Mauro Tortorelli, Angela Meluso
  6. 6 I. Poco allegro più tosto moderato 07:13
    Track
    6
    Title
    I. Poco allegro più tosto moderato
    Duration
    07:13
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Mauro Tortorelli, Angela Meluso
  7. 7 II. Scherzo - Vivace 03:48
    Track
    7
    Title
    II. Scherzo - Vivace
    Duration
    03:48
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Mauro Tortorelli, Angela Meluso
  8. 8 III. Andante 05:40
    Track
    8
    Title
    III. Andante
    Duration
    05:40
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Mauro Tortorelli, Angela Meluso
  9. 9 IV. Allegro grazioso, non presto 04:38
    Track
    9
    Title
    IV. Allegro grazioso, non presto
    Duration
    04:38
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Mauro Tortorelli, Angela Meluso
  10. 10 I. Premice 05:28
    Track
    10
    Title
    I. Premice
    Duration
    05:28
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Mauro Tortorelli, Angela Meluso
  11. 11 II. Vision Congolaise 04:43
    Track
    11
    Title
    II. Vision Congolaise
    Duration
    04:43
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Mauro Tortorelli, Angela Meluso
  12. 12 III. Joyeusete 02:51
    Track
    12
    Title
    III. Joyeusete
    Duration
    02:51
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Mauro Tortorelli, Angela Meluso
  13. 13 I. Allegro 08:55
    Track
    13
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    08:55
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Andrea Favalessa, Maria Semeraro
  14. 14 II. Andante tranquillo sostenuto 05:49
    Track
    14
    Title
    II. Andante tranquillo sostenuto
    Duration
    05:49
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Andrea Favalessa, Maria Semeraro
  15. 15 III. Allegro moderato 06:14
    Track
    15
    Title
    III. Allegro moderato
    Duration
    06:14
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Andrea Favalessa, Maria Semeraro
  16. 16 I. Maestoso, largamente - Tranquillo 09:26
    Track
    16
    Title
    I. Maestoso, largamente - Tranquillo
    Duration
    09:26
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Andrea Favalessa, Maria Semeraro
  17. 17 II. Scherzo con variazioni: Allegro animato 09:12
    Track
    17
    Title
    II. Scherzo con variazioni: Allegro animato
    Duration
    09:12
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Andrea Favalessa, Maria Semeraro
  18. 18 III. Romanza: Poco adagio 08:57
    Track
    18
    Title
    III. Romanza: Poco adagio
    Duration
    08:57
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Andrea Favalessa, Maria Semeraro
  19. 19 IV. Allegro non troppo grazioso 06:42
    Track
    19
    Title
    IV. Allegro non troppo grazioso
    Duration
    06:42
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Andrea Favalessa, Maria Semeraro
  20. 20 I. Allegretto moderato 02:53
    Track
    20
    Title
    I. Allegretto moderato
    Duration
    02:53
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Francesco Bossone, Akane Makita
  21. 21 II. Allegro scherzando 03:46
    Track
    21
    Title
    II. Allegro scherzando
    Duration
    03:46
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Francesco Bossone, Akane Makita
  22. 22 III. Molto adagio 06:02
    Track
    22
    Title
    III. Molto adagio
    Duration
    06:02
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Francesco Bossone, Akane Makita
  23. 23 Romance in E Major, Op. 67 09:28
    Track
    23
    Title
    Romance in E Major, Op. 67
    Duration
    09:28
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Alessio Allegrini, Akane Makita
  24. 24 I. Andantino 03:14
    Track
    24
    Title
    I. Andantino
    Duration
    03:14
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Francesco Di Rosa, Akane Makita
  25. 25 II. Allegretto 04:49
    Track
    25
    Title
    II. Allegretto
    Duration
    04:49
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Francesco Di Rosa, Akane Makita
  26. 26 III. Molto allegro 02:29
    Track
    26
    Title
    III. Molto allegro
    Duration
    02:29
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Francesco Di Rosa, Akane Makita
  27. 27 Romance in D-Flat Major, Op. 37 (arr. for flute and piano) 06:39
    Track
    27
    Title
    Romance in D-Flat Major, Op. 37 (arr. for flute and piano)
    Duration
    06:39
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Andrea Oliva, Akane Makita
  28. 28 I. Allegretto 04:54
    Track
    28
    Title
    I. Allegretto
    Duration
    04:54
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Stefano Novelli, Akane Makita
  29. 29 II. Allegro animato 01:58
    Track
    29
    Title
    II. Allegro animato
    Duration
    01:58
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Stefano Novelli, Akane Makita
  30. 30 III. Lento 04:14
    Track
    30
    Title
    III. Lento
    Duration
    04:14
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Stefano Novelli, Akane Makita
  31. 31 IV. Molto allegro 05:25
    Track
    31
    Title
    IV. Molto allegro
    Duration
    05:25
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Stefano Novelli, Akane Makita
  32. 32 Caprice sur des airs danois et russes, Op. 79 10:57
    Track
    32
    Title
    Caprice sur des airs danois et russes, Op. 79
    Duration
    10:57
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Akane Makita
    Ensemble
    Rome, members Santa Cecilia Academy