THE MUSICAL HERITAGE SOCIETY
New Selection: Works for Piano and Orchesra by Schumann, Saint-Saens and Franck
The MHS Review 401, VOL. 12, NO.5 • 1988
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MHS Staff
Schumann, Franck, Saint-Saens
Works for Piano and Orchestra
Robert Schumann (1810-1856) Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54
Camille Saint- Saens, (1835-1921) Wedding Cake in A-flat Major, Op. 76 (Caprice-Valse)
Cesar Franck (1822-1890) Variations symphoniques
Jorge Federico Osorio, Piano Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Enrique Batiz, Conductor
In 1839, when Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck were formally engaged, he told her about a work that he planned to dedicate to her. He explained it to her as "something between a symphony, a concerto, and a grand sonata." The work began as a one-movement Konzert-Fantasie, but in this format Schumann could not find a publisher for the work. When he added a slow movement and finale it became the op. 54 Piano Concerto. Schumann dedicated the work "in friendship" to Ferdinand Hiller, a fellow pianist-composer.
Camille Saint- Saens wrote Wedding Cake for the wedding of Caroline Montigny-Remaury, a piet-frend. And Cesar Franck's Variations symphoniques were written _with Louis Diemer, a pianist, in mind, because Franck had come to admire his playing.