It was with some trepidation that I played the complete works for pedal piano and orchestra by Gounod. I needn't have worried, they are superbly recorded and well played. The orchestra is excellent, I only wish Hyperion had used that orchestra instead of a dreadful Danish band they have used in the past. The Suite Concertant has a particularly lyrical first movement and the concerto has a memorable adagio. None of it is great music but I am pleased to have the CD and heard what a pedal piano sounds like. At 56 minutes there would have been room for Gounod's Larghetto for violin, viola, cello and pedal piano. The booklet contains a picture of the 'pedal piano(s)' used. It is worth looking at, though I can't see it at 'a concert hall near you' any time soon.
Saint-Saens second piano concerto was originally composed for pedal piano.
As usual with Hyperion, one of the tracks on the CD is free to DL. It's very nice and whets my appetite for the disc.
I might pick this up for the Suite. I already have the concerto in my iTunes, thanks to this forum. And it's also available on YT, courtesy of Mr. Prosseda himself.
It's a feel-good CD.
Yes, as it seems to be rather fun music, and, so far as I know, the only concertante music Gounod composed.
Depends on what an odd entry at Charles-gounod.com -
1877-1885. "Le Rendez-vous. Valses pour orchestre et piano. J. R. Lafleur and Son. London (1887)" means. For piano and orchestra (concertante, at least after a fashion)? For piano or orchestra (versions?)
The Chwialkowski book puts it under piano and orchestra, originally for piano in 1847.
So I got the disc today and I must say it's sheer.....simply pleasure. It makes no great effort to be deep or put anything new on the table but who cares. It's just a wonderful joy to listen to.